An excellent book which recounts the further
adventures of Mistress Martha Morgan of Plas Ingli -- who is
now firmly established as one of the most interesting heroines
in recent historical fiction. Move over, Elizabeth Bennett!
Really this tale, set in the early 1800's, is about love lost
and regained, and while the story is dominated by a mysterious
figure in black called "The Nightwalker", and by the
heroine's self-doubts and periods of depression, this novel
is really about constancy and the triumph of love. As in the
earlier novels, the plot twists and turns and rushes ahead at
a fine pace, and once again the author packs a double whammy
into the final few pages of the book. - Amazon.com
The author has woven
timelessness into the character of Martha Morgan. This is a
love story, a tale of a complex, compelling creature on a voyage
of discovery that veers between elation and despair and of a
love lost and found. Martha reveals through her diary
entries every innermost secret of her being. It reveals a driving
force she at times cannot control. Martha has an eye for the
most intimate detail of people and things; she is complex and
mysterious, at times ruthless, yet it would appear she is insecure,
in spite of the warmth and advice of the people who surround
her. Whatever worms of discontent writhe in Martha's breast,
be it passion, self-analysis or the nightmare of the Nightwalker,
she is revealed as a creature of innate strength. This book
is filled with goodness; it is filled with caring, compassionate
people. It has a message that basically the human species recognizes
truth, justice, fairness and kindness. Martha dominates this
book. Her mysticism, and meditations on the mountain, her joys
and sadness perhaps reveal the fragility seldom perceived in
the Martha Morgans of this present day world. It is a timeless
and compelling tale. - Richard Cluroe, Gwales.com (Welsh
Books Council)
What a synopsis doesn’t mention is
the richly textured background against which the drama is all
played out; the deep, underlying sense of place; the wisdom
and humour of ordinary (and sometimes extraordinary) folk; and
the keenly researched and observed cameos of rural life in the
community, living and working in the protective shadow of Angel
Mountain. - Irene Payne, Western Telegraph
