I purchased Three Round Towers at a local village fair a couple of years ago and it sat on the shelf until recently. It was supposed to be someone's choice for bookclub, but the club disbanded before we could read it. I met the author and she signed my copy, so after finishing my other literary commitments, I finally had time to see what it was about. The book is set in historical Hamsey, Lewes, and the surrounding areas, so it held local interest for me. It's written in an engaging, slightly antiquated, first person style to echo the dialect of the time. Esther Coad is an orphan sent to work on a farm in Hamsey where she befriends Becca, another servant, who becomes pregnant from being raped by their employer. Becca commits suicide after birthing the child, and Esther claims parental responsibility. She escapes from the odious farm to seek her fortune elsewhere. It's not long, however, until she is framed for murder.
The plot and style reminded me somewhat of a Catherine Cookson novel, the adaptations of which I used to enjoy on television in the 90s, along with the high tragedy of Thomas Hardy. There are two main sections to the book, each dealing with different crises in Esther's life. There is the murder trial which dominates the first half, followed by the mystery of Esther's parentage and family origins in the second. She must navigate press gangs, smugglers, treachery, and love interests in her mission to find her place in the world and security for her adopted daughter Beth. The narrative runs on at a good pace and I found it to be a real page turner. There are areas where things slow down and it becomes more a slice of life style drama, but I was pleasantly surprised by the competency of the writer. I'm not usually into historical fiction, but I enjoyed this one and might even seek out the two sequels.
Rating: 3/5
No comments:
Post a Comment