Lady of the English

Elizabeth Chadwick

This is the story of two women: Adeliza, Queen of England, and Matilda, Empress of Germany. Matilda is the granddaughter of William the Conqueror.

At a young age, Matilda is married off and becomes Empress of Germany. But when her husband dies early, she travels back to England, where she meets her new stepmother, Adeliza. Her stepmother is a year younger than her, but despite this, they bond and become close. The two young women become even closer when Matilda is married to Geoffrey of Anjou. As the king has no

living legitimate male son, it is Matilda's son who will inherit the throne when he dies. But when the king dies, Matilda is betrayed and her cousin Stephen takes the throne. Now, it is cousin against cousin in a bloody civil war that knows no end.

The loyalties of all Englishmen and women are tested, and Adeliza must choose between supporting her new husband or her stepdaughter. Will Matilda ever become Lady of the English? Or will her cousin's betrayal win over?

This is a must read for all fans of historical fiction.

(Reviewed by Jasmine.)

At Home: a short history of private life – Bill Bryson

A trip to the attic in search of a leak in the roof of his home, an old Rectory in Norfolk, inspires Bryson to take a closer look at his surroundings. Quite often we take for granted the everyday ‘things’ that decorate our homes. The condiments that adorn the table, the light fittings, the toilet, the bath, that odd niche half way up the hall – where did they come from, how did they come to be, who came up with that idea? In looking around his own home, Bryson considers the ordinary things and in the process gives us an historical overview of … well nearly everything. When talking about the bathroom, he neatly segues to sewage, cholera, plague and the Great Stink of London in the 1830s. For every room in the house, Bryson has a wealth of information to convey, and he does it in a very accessible and entertaining way.
Highly readable, ‘At Home’ is a look at private life throughout history and covers a myriad of topics including fashion, architecture, electricity, sewage etc. and the creative and often eccentric inventors behind them.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, I heartily recommend it.

Reviewed by Jill

The Jewel of St Petersburg

Kate Furnivall

The Jewel of St Petersburg is set in Russia, 1910. The country is ripe for revolution. Valentina is the daughter of a government minister and she charms the world with her beautiful piano skills. When she accidentally stumbles upon a Bolshevik meeting, her life is changed forever. Guilt-ridden by the catastrophic consequences, Valentina decides to become a nurse. But in order to do this, she must make a deal with her parents and is pushed into a loveless engagement with a man she despises. At the same time, Valentina falls in love with Jens Friis, a Danish architect determined to make St Petersburg cleaner and healthier for the factory workers.
As Russia edges closer and closer to revolution, Valentina is forced to make decisions that will change her life forever, as she tries her hardest to protect her sister and all those whom she loves, and the life she has always known. This was a very exciting book that had me glued to it from page one. Fans of Kate Furnivall may notice characters from her previous novels.
I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys historical books, particularly Russian history. It shows how Russia changed between 1910 and 1917, as revolution gripped the country.

(Reviewd by Jasmine)