This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
Tom Edwards’ historical novel, The Honourable Catherine, is the sequel to Jane Sinclair. This story traces the lives of Lady Jane’s children from birth, through childhood, and through the gruesome years of the First World War and the aftermath. Catherine, also called Kate, Katie and Poppet, and her brother, Christopher, have a special bond. When Christopher almost dies from the dreaded influenza, Catherine is able to connect with her brother and lend him her strength to heal. When he is injured in battle during the First World War, Catherine knows and is able to find him and help him heal. But a head injury causes Christopher to lose his memory and, separated from his sister, they are lost to each other for several years until a chance meeting brings them together again.
The author has created two charming characters in Lady’s Jane’s children, almost too good to be true for the noble classes. There is no snobbery amongst them and, although they appear to be spoiled, it doesn’t affect their kind natures and their desire to do good in the world, even at a young age. Both children are exceedingly clever and work hard on their studies. When Christopher is old enough to enlist, he doesn’t seek a commission as an officer, which in itself is unusual for someone of the noble class in this era. Rather, he enters the war as an ordinary private. His sister studies to become a doctor and fights her own battles to prove her worth, also in an era where women were still looked down upon in professions like medicine.
The plot moves along slowly through the childhood years and then picks up in 1917 when Christopher and Catherine are now old enough to contribute to the war effort. It is a simple story that mirrors the transitional era of Britain’s great manor houses as the war that was to end all wars challenges the class system and supposedly makes all men, and eventually women, equal. The detailed descriptions of characters and settings are provided both through dialogue and narrative passages, and all that makes The Honourable Catherine an interesting read. Perfect for fans of historical fiction and social issues of that era.
