Historical Romance, Revisited

Historical Romance, Anyone?

I confess I had a small addiction to fluffy romance novels as a teenager. We didn’t go to movies, nor watch much television. My romantic heart reveled in the…novels of…Barbara Cartland…(if you’ve ever read one of her novels, you’ll understand the ellipses). A chance encounter with a Georgette Heyer book at my local library helped me move on to less…insipid…entertainment. (Ok, please tell me I’m not the only one who read Barbara Cartland novels.)

I can’t say with certainty that I’ve read ALL of Georgette Heyer’s novels, but I read all of them that I could find. Historical details, witty dialogue, and the descriptions of the clothes made me fall in love with her books. Reading took me to places I could never hope to visit in a time period that piqued my interest.

My freshman year of college I started reading Jane Austen’s books. Needless to say, as I matured, I found fluffy romances less attractive. My attraction to historical novels set in England remained. Sarah E. Ladd has written some great historical novels, and her newest release continues the tradition. Unlike Barbara Cartland, Ladd offers substance to her stories.

The Weaver’s Daughter

All Kate Dearborn has ever wanted was to earn the respect of her father for her talents in his cottage weaving industry. Instead, as tensions between weavers and the local mill heighten, her father pushes her aside and relegates her to ‘women’s work.’ Worse, he expects her to settle down and marry his apprentice, John.

When Henry Stockton returns from the Napoleonic wars, he expects to find a refuge from the horrors of war. He also longs to settle down to help his grandfather run Stockton Mill. Instead, he discovers that everyone thought him dead, and that his hometown has trouble brewing between the weavers and the millers. A chance encounter with the mysterious Kate Dearborn makes him reassess his grandfather’s expectations. Does he really want a quick marriage to his grandfather’s business partner’s daughter?

I love learning about history through stories like this one that spotlight an era and help the reader understand snapshots of history. Ladd does a great job of building well-rounded character. She weaves in enough mystery and intrigue to keep the reader turning pages.

Fans of Carrie Turansky, Jane Austen, Melanie Dickerson, Julie Klassen, Linore Rose Burkard, and Kristi Ann Hunter will like The Weaver’s Daughter: A Regency Romance Novel.

Q4U: Who is one of your favorite authors of historical fiction?