By: Anya Seton Publisher: Chicago Review Press Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Chicago Review Press Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 544 Publication Date: May 28, 2007
This fiercely beautiful novel tells the true story of Charles Radcliff, a Catholic nobleman who joined the short-lived Jacobite rebellion of 1715, and of his daughter, Jenny, by a secret marriage. Set in the wilds of Northumbria, teeming London, and colonial Virginia—where Jenny eventually settled on the estate of the famous William Byrd of Westover—Jenny’s story reveals one young woman’s loyalty, passion, and courage as she struggles between living in the Old World and the New. This vividly powerful novel, like its predecessor The Winthrop Woman, combines thoroughly documented history with superb storytelling.
Don't bother For all the rave reviews, I expected so much more. This book seemed to drone on and on. I frankly quit reading about one-third of the way through. I just couldn't get into the story. The characters were one dimensional and the plot was predictable. Don't waste your time reading the 500+ pages with extremely small print.
What is the hype about? From all these rave reviews I expected a lot more from this book. Instead, here is what I got: The Scottish verbiage and language and slang is irritating!! "Hinnie" this and "lassie" that. And why don't we throw one more "hinnie" in there since you'll have to put up with a lot more if you read this book. Boring plot and boring storytelling - this book doesn't hold the focus on Charles - not through the whole book. Sure, it starts out about him, but soon turns into a random babbling about his lost love, his other wife, Princess Caroline, Charles' jailer, etc. I wanted to find out more about what Charles did - his place in history, and all I got was a lot of "hinnie". Irritating. The broken Scottish language is really a downer in this book. Jenny switches back and forth between talking like a lady and talking like a country girl. Buy this book if you want to be irritated by historical fiction that is mainly fiction and no history. I want the 3 days it took me to read this book back - waste of time!
Enjoyable I wasn't quite as enthralled with Devil Water as some other readers, but it was an enjoyable book. I'm not into romance novels, per se, but this was one of the better ones. The historical information makes the read worthwhile.
Another great Seton novel.. Anya Seton's books never fail to impress me. She weaves stories that are intricate and beautifully written. Also, the research she has done to produce these novels is astonishing. This book is perhaps one of her best.
Another winner from Seton I am so pleased that this author's novels are being reprinted, I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them, especially Katherine. This is a fascinating tale, based upon the Radcliffs of Derentwater (Devil Water), staunch catholics and loyal to the Stuart cause, and descended from Charles II via the wrong side of the blanket. Charles Radcliff, the younger brother has a secret marriage to a lower born woman who gives birth to the love of his life, his daughter Jenny.
The story takes you from the moors of Northumberland to the Jacobite rebellion of '15 to the tobacco farms of Virginia, and back again to London for a nail biting finish after the final Jacobite rebellion and the battle at Culloden. Seton has a wonderful way of setting her scenes so that you can almost feel you are right there with it. I also enjoyed her way of writing different dialects (the Northumbrians, and the Virginia "twangs"), which definitely enhance the reading experience.
All in all a highly entertaining read, and one I will pick up again and again over the years. It's not quite up to the same par as Katherine (that's a 10 star book in my rating) or the Winthrop Woman but definitely worth the time, especially for any lover of historical fiction.
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