Penfield’s first book in the series is promising, and future volumes could be equally rewarding.
By Carole Penfield ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 29, 2021
Clare Dupres is a proud midwife from a long line of midwives, and she is determined to pass her expertise and its secrets on to her daughter, Lucina. Despite being in love with her impulsive cousin Pierre Dupres, she marries his older, steadier brother, Jacques, who inherits the family business dealing in designer silk fabric. However, the Edict of Nantes is revoked by King Louis XIV, making it dangerous to be a Huguenot. Clare plans her family’s escape to England, where Pierre is marrying into a rich family and has a home waiting for them. As they are pursued by a contingent of soldiers led by the brutish and lecherous Capitaine Robert Souchard, Clare must use her wits to outsmart them. Along the way, she meets a variety of characters, including the cutesy Jean-Pierre Dupres, Clare and Jacques’ young son, the crafty and lazy maidservant Giselle, and the pious lech Père Benedict. Despite the danger, Clare is determined to make it to England, and the story culminates in a rip-roaring conclusion as an armed merchant ship from England pushes off from the pier in Dieppe. Penfield’s storytelling talent and knack for drama is evident throughout the novel, although some may find it to be melodramatic or sappy at times.
Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2021
ISBN: 9781737807919
Page Count: 376
Publisher: Sycamore Lane Press
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2023