Book Review: The Gentleman Poet by Kathryn Johnson

Publish Date: September 2010

Format: Paperback 319pp

Synopsis (From the Publisher): 

"En route to the Americas in 1609, Elizabeth Persons, a young servant girl, sees her blinding headache as an ominous sign. Sure enough, a hurricane during the final leg of their journey tosses the ill-fated Sea Venture and its one hundred and fifty passengers and crew onto the dreaded shores of the Bermudas, the rumored home of evil spirits and dangerous natives. In the months that pass—time marked by grave hardship, mutiny, adventure, danger . . . and a blossoming love between Elizabeth and the wrecked ship's young cook—she despairs of their ever being rescued. But she finds hope and strength in a remarkable new friendship, forming a fast bond with the Sea Venture's historian, a poet traveling under the name of William Strachey. But Will is more than he seems. To many back home in England, he is known by a different name: Shakespeare. And he sees in their great shared travails the makings of a magical, truly transcendent work of theater."

My Review:

Elizabeth Persons and the rest of the Virginia Company aboard the Sea Venture have been blessed with a calm sea and easy voyage. But Elizabeth knows their luck is about to change when she is plagued by one of her excruciating headaches; a headache that always means foul weather is approaching. As the storm wreaks havoc upon the ship, Elizabeth's headache subsides and she soon believes the worst is past; but little does she know what other tribulations her headache foretold.

Although the crew and passengers fear the cursed Bermuda Islands upon which they have landed, Elizabeth believes she has found a special paradise. Unfortunately, her paradise is soon shattered by a series of events which destroy the last bit of normalcy she knows. With mutinous sailors, hidden identities and a tempest of various forms, no one is safe in their existence... especially a woman with a deadly secret.

The Gentleman Poet grabs your attention right from the beginning; the foreboding of the coming tempest builds with every page, and when it strikes, the reader can almost feel the turbulent sea roaring with fury. As the storm subsides, we are introduced to an array of characters ranging from the haughty and pious to the obnoxious with devilish ways. Although the personalities of the characters are broad, they are also very one dimensional, which hinders the readers ability to sympathize with the castaways plight. While the beginning of the novel was engaging, the rest of the book slowed down to a leisurely pace that was borderline too slow.

When I first began this novel, I was excited to discover what adventures the author created as possible inspiration for Shakespeare's The Tempest. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find that the novel barely had William Shakespeare as a strong figure and the actual connection to the play was minimal. This lack of connection was probably my main issue with the novel since all of the other issues were balanced out by the good qualities. Overall this was an easy read and one I would say is well suited for a relaxing spring day.

Interview with Deborah Swift, author of The Lady's Slipper

Hello everyone! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Deborah Swift, author of The Lady's Slipper, an intriguing novel of an elusive orchid and the risks one woman takes to claim the orchid for her own purpose (read my review here.) Thank you Deborah for giving us all a deeper look into your delightful novel!

pic. by Jonathan Bean

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When did you first discover The Lady's Slipper orchid and how did its discovery inspire you?

I was out for a walk with a friend and completely by surprise we came across a man in a white tent who was guarding the "Lady's-slipper"orchid. I had never heard of it, for at that time there was just a single flower remaining growing wild. The british conservation agency "English Nature" had put a guard on it whilst it was flowering to deter vandals and collectors. When we stopped in front of it, I was taken with how beautiful and showy the flower was, and it occurred to me that probably generations of people must have stopped exactly where I stood and gazed at it with the same sense of awe at its strangeness and fragility. I thought it so sad that it might become lost to future generations.

At first I wanted to write a poem about it, but then I began to imagine a woman in long skirts standing on that very spot - and the idea for a novel was born! I chose the seventeenth century as it was a time of great conflict in every strata of society.


Ella was such a conniving and manipulative character. Did Thomas ever understand her true motives towards the end?

In the novel I leave this ambiguous, for the reader to decide. My own view is that he did finally come to understand her, but only when it was too late for him to act to repair the damage she had done. And I don't think Ella herself truly comprehends yet why she is so angry with the world and her place in it - it was something I wanted to explore more fully in another book.


At the end of the book, Alice found that her precious orchid was not so rare in the new world. How rare is The Lady's Slipper today?

The site of the original plant is still a closely guarded secret, but scientists at Kew Gardens here in the UK have finally managed to clone and propagate the original plant from seed, after many years of trying. I have followed the process with interest as new seedlings were grown in culture solution in the lab. More recently they have been planted out by lady volunteers (in honour of their name) in carefully assessed limestone habitats. Nowadays though the slugs are as much of a menace as greedy herbalists, and have to be kept away with pellets! By a strange coincidence the trial batch of the new generation of plants began to come into flower the very weekendThe Lady's Slipper was launched in the UK - a very special moment.

So yes, still rare. It will be many more generations before the Lady's-slipper colonies are established enough to look after themselves.


What can readers expect next from you?

My new novel The Gilded Lily will be published by Macmillan in the UK next year. It tells Ella's story directly following the events of The Lady's Slipper. In it we get to know more about Ella through the eyes of her younger sister Sadie. Set in the smoke and coffee houses of Restoration London Ella and Sadie begin in the fashionable world of glitter and glamour. But soon they fall on hard times in one of England's harshest winters, and have to fight their way through a hostile underworld of robbery, prostitution and murder in pursuit of safety, love and happiness.


This being your debut novel, do you have any fresh advice for aspiring authors?

Just to keep writing, that's the hardest part - to keep writing, enjoy what you write and believe in yourself. I loved researching and writing both The Lady's Slipper andThe Gilded Lily, and I am now enjoying writing my third. These days it is hard for new novelists to get published so you might as well love what you write and entertain yourself! Networks of other writers to support you can be helpful too - try She Writes Good luck!

Writers can contact me on my blog The Riddle of Writing www.deborahswift.blogspot.com or find me on my website www.deborahswift.co.uk.

Book Review: The Lady's Slipper by Deborah Swift

Publish Date: November 2010

Format: Paperback 464pp

Synopsis: (From the Publisher)

"1660. King Charles II has returned from exile, but memories of the English Civil War still rankle. There are old scores to settle, and religious differences threaten to overturn a fragile peace. When Alice Ibbetson discovers a rare orchid, the Lady’s Slipper, growing in a wood belonging to Richard Wheeler, she is captivated by its beauty— though Wheeler, a Quaker, is determined to keep the flower where God intended it to grow. Knowing that the orchid is the last of its kind, she steals the flower, little dreaming that her seemingly simple act will set off a chain of events that will lead to murder and exile, and change her life forever…"

My Review:

Alice Ibbetson has known much sorrow in her life: from the tragic loss of her family home during the war, quickly followed by her parents death and then the loss of her beloved sister soon after. With all of this tragedy, Alice thought she had endured every hardship possible; that is until her bleak life is thrown into great chaos by one small act of deception.

 Fearing retribution, Alice desperately attempts to conceal her secret from all, but when her lies begin to bring danger to those around her, she realizes that nothing can be kept secret forever or come without a price. As the lives of three people are intertwined through her wrong deed, Alice must learn how to save them all before her lies destroy them.

With her debut novel, The Lady's Slipper, Deborah Swift has definitely proven her talent in writing historical fiction! From beginning to end the story flowed with perfect rhythm and intrigue. While the plot was not fast paced, it never once left me wanting to hurry on to the next chapter. The characters were vastly deferent and confident opinions could be made of them all. My favorite part of this novel was how easily the author could make you feel as if you were really walking through the woods as Alice went on her secretive missions. At these times, the tone changed to a sense of trepidation mixed with thrill, you could almost feel the silence surrounding you deep within the woods. The only part of this novel that I felt a bit lacking was the romantic relationship between Wheeler and Alice. While I knew their differences must be settled in the end and the two truly cared for each other, I wish there had been a bit more build up to the realization of their feelings instead of it being so rushed at the end. Besides this little quibble, I am completely thrilled with this new author and I can't wait to see what delights she will write for us in the future!

FTC: I received this book from the publisher. As always, these are my own honest opinions. 

Book Review: The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin

Synopsis: (From the Publisher)

The Murano glassmakers of Venice are celebrated and revered. But now three are dead, killed for attempting to leave the city that both prized their work and kept them prisoner. For in this, the 17th century, the secret of their craft must, by law, never leave Venetian shores. Yet there is someone who keeps the secret while defying tradition. She is Sophia Fiolario, and she, too, is a glassmaker. Her crime is being a woman...

Sophia is well aware that her family would be crushed by scandal if the truth of her knowledge and skill with glass were revealed. But there has never been any threat...until now. A wealthy nobleman with strong connections to the powerful Doge has requested her hand in marriage, and her refusal could draw dangerous attention. Yet having to accept and cease her art would devastate her. If there is an escape, Sophia intends to find it.

Now, between creating precious glass parts for one of Professor Galileo Galilei's astonishing inventions and attending lavish parties at the Doge's Palace, Sophia is crossing paths with very influential people—including one who could change her life forever. But in Venice, every secret has its price. And Sophia must decide how much she is willing to pay.

My Review:

Sophia Fiolario is the eldest daughter of the most prominent glass making family in Murano and since she is the eldest, it is her duty to be married off while her sisters join a convent. Although this is the custom, Sophia has other ideas in mind for her future and declines a number of marriage proposals. Sophia loves the life she leads with her family and enjoys pursuing her passion for creating some of the most beautiful glass Murano produces. Of course no one, except her father, knows that Sophia is the true master behind the beautiful glass that is produced from their family factory. If anyone were to discover the truth about Sophia there would be devastating consequences; the secret of the glass is a very dangerous secret for a woman to posses...

The perfect life Sophia has long been accustomed to with her family is suddenly threated by chaos and tragedy. Sophia soon finds herself engaged to the nobleman, Pasquale da Fuligna, who obviously has no desire  in even attempting to be cordial to his finance'. She soon learns what his motives are in marrying her and what fate awaits her once they do marry. Sophia is determined to find a way out of the desperate situation she finds herself in and is convinced that Pasquale holds a dark secret that could set her free. As Sophia tries tries to discover Pasquale's secret, she realizes that her own dangerous secret is on the brink of being discovered...

Even though Sophia's world becomes as fragile as the glass she creates, she will stop at nothing to save her family from ruin, embrace a love that knows no bounds and above all protect the secret of the glass...

The Secret of the Glass was a book full of exquisite detail. From describing how the glass was made to the beautiful gondola rides on the river, Venice came alive with the authors writing skills. The beginning was a bit slow but after a quarter of the way through, the plot gained momentum and you never knew where it was going to take you next. An unexpected twist at the end was also a wonderful delight. There were just a couple qualms I had with this book. First, the amount of Italian words was overdone. The bulk of this was found in the beginning, causing it to be a bit choppy which is probably why it seemed like a slow start. Another issue is how the book ended; everything seemed to come to an abrupt halt. It lacked a sense of closure, especially for Sophia and Teodoro, whos love story was so beautifully written. Of course I was quite happy with how their story turned out; I just would have liked to have a bit more written instead of left to the imagination. Overall this was an enjoyable and fast read and I am definitely looking forward to the Donna Russo Morin's next novel which has a current release date of March 2011.

A little extra:

If you have not checked it out yet, HFBRT just finished up a great event for The Secret of the Glass. They had some wonderful creative posts, reviews, and interviews with the author Donna Russo Morin! You can find links to everything the event entailed at their website: Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table.

To learn more about Donna Russo Morin and her novels, visit her website at: donnarussomorin.com