Customer Reviews

Flowers from the Storm

5 star:		(112)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

You know a book has a lot to live up to when you read things like "One of the world's most cherished love stories!" and "Probably the best historical romance ever published" and "One of the greatest love stories of all time" not to mention "A watershed in romance fiction". This book and this author (whom I've never read) seem to be much revered by readers and authors alike, so when this book was re-issued in June, I was glad of the chance to read it and see for myself what all the fuss was about. And let me tell you I was not only blown away, but I'll be searching out Ms Kinsale's other books for sure! A great book, compelling characters and a story to make you smile and weep and worry and hope that all will be well in the end!

When first we meet Christian Langland, Duke of Jervaulx, he is too handsome and charming for his own good, dissolute, completely reckless and full of hubris. He also happens to be a mathematical genius. He is working on a paper detailing a new mathematical theory with an unlikely partner - blind Quaker John Timms whose daughter Archimedea (Maddy) is his eyes and caregiver. Maddy is both fascinated and repulsed by the duke and his wild, worldly ways (he actually flirts with her!). When word comes that he has perished in a duel, both the news and her reaction to it shock her, as she weeps for this man she thought she did not even like!

Months later, Maddy and her father find themselves at Blythedale Hall, an insane asylum for the well to do where Maddy will assist her Cousin Edward who runs the place. On rounds to meet the patients, she is stunned to discover a disheveled, wild-eyed Jervaulx among the inmates! Before the duel could even commence, Christian was struck down by a stroke and is left unable to communicate, with damage to his motor skills and memory. In his frustration, he lashes out like an animal but when he recognizes Maddy, he calms. She is allowed to be his daytime caregiver and he latches onto her like a lifeline. His fear and frustration were nothing short of heartbreaking and the treatment and humiliation he endures from his "attendants" borders on cruel and masochistic - simply horrifying.

Maddy devotes herself to easing his fears, helping him to communicate and, when she learns that he must face a competency hearing (instigated by his greedy brothers-in-law) or lose his title and his freedom for good, she resolves to do what she can to prepare him. But all sorts of misadventures, manipulations and deceptions follow with Christian keeping a death-grip on Maddy while Maddy is torn between helping Christian and keeping to her father and her faith.

I won't say more about the plot, but the characters are so well written that they will make you laugh, cry, and bite your nails with anxiety for them. This book must have been exhausting to write! The author deftly conveys Christian's frustration, broken language and motor skills as well as his needy attachment to Maddy as it grows to love. And Maddy is so devoted to Christian that time and time again, she tests the bounds of her faith against what she feels is right. This is a truly moving, wonderful story that I highly recommend to those looking for more than just sex and light romance. This book is an investment in time and emotions - not a quick, easy read. If you like more complex books and authors like the Bronte sisters, George Elliot, Julia Ross/Jean Ross Ewing, Mary Balogh early Woodiwiss and maybe even Liz Carlyle or Gaelen Foley, I think you will like this book. Very highly recommended!!

"Flowers from the Storm" is a most unusual romance. Indeed, take away the silly cover and it probably could be placed in the literature shelf. The book certainly includes the growth of a relationship but it is so much more complex than 99% of the romance market. Indeed, it was a bit more of a challenge than I wanted at times (I read it while ill) but I'm glad I stuck with it.

The challenge lies mostly in the language of the book. For many authors it would be enough to have a Quaker character with all of the "thee/thou" language. Kinsale starts with not only the Quaker language but Maddy's struggle to be a Quaker falling in love outside of her faith. THEN, Kinsale creates a most unusual hero - a regency rake who's a mathematical genius. THEN, our hero has a stroke and we spend much of the book looking at (and hearing) the world through his impaired facilities. Both his speech and his hearing are damaged and the reader has to guess at what he says and hears. It can be done but it requires careful reading.

Bottom-line: An unusual romance that is worth the extra effort - but it is important to go into this reading experience prepared for a different experience.

I read Flowers from the Storm after reading about 20 other romance novels. What impressed me about Flowers was that for the first time in a romance novel, I encountered an author who assumes that romance readers have intelligence. Not only does she challenge her readers to follow the Quaker thee/thou speech, she also puts her readers inside of Jervaulx's mind and forces us to see and hear the world through his stroke-damaged perceptions--a world where simple English words have little meaning. She then takes this one step further, challenging us to follow along with her, by letting us feel Jervaulx's frustration and rage and letting us hear what he hears as he tries to understand Maddy's thee/thou Quaker speech. Ingenious! I've read somewhere that Kinsale's greatest skill is in taking a hero that no one could love and making you want to lick his boots by the end of the story. This is never truer than in Flowers from the Storm. This book needs to be reprinted!

First, Kinsale can write with depth, complexity, beautiful language--and all this from (dare I say it) an English professor. I rarely read romance or mystery, only by recommendation. I have read this particular book three times now, and each time I read it I find more detail, more of Kinsale's fine characterization, more nuances I glossed over at first. The tale is the story of two characters becoming through unbecoming, and the smart reader will notice that Kinsale foreshadows much of her characters' fates all throughout the novel, in splendidly subtle asides. The novel, though it alludes to classic romances, such as Jane Eyre, never becomes a parody itself, and the story is heartfelt, emotional, and satisfying. A duke, both a rake and a mathemantical genius, suffers a stroke when he encounters the husband of his lover in the husband's own hall. The duke manages to present a breakthrough geometry he has authored with a blind Quaker before his collapse. The Quaker's daughter, who has helped her father with this paper, is told the next day that the Duke is dead. Later, she encounters the self-same duke at her cousin's asylum, where the duke is taken for mad. Naturally, a cautious relationship ensues when the Quaker girl realizes that the Duke is not insensible, only aphasic, or damaged in his capacity for speech. She becomes his "nurse". At times hilarious, at times heartbreaking, this book stands as the ultimate romance experience. And do read it a few times and watch for those hints Kinsales drops throughout...

Laura Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm well deserves its status as a romantic classic. This very unusual and well developed romance between a notorious rake and a young Quaker woman in post-Regency England deeply explores situations and emotions that are rarely present in romance and does so with great feeling and sensitivity.

Christian Langland, Duke of Jervaulx, lives a dissolute life of pleasure. His only constructive pursuit involves his love of mathematics, which he shares with Mr. Timms, a blind older Quaker man who is nearly as great a mathematical genius as Christian is. Together they are collaborating on work to present to the London Analytical Society, of which they are both members.

Mr. Timms' daughter, Archimedea, nicknamed Maddy, does not care for the Duke, whom she sees as reckless, extravagant and utterly worldly. However, she is disturbingly impressed by his energetic presence and intensity when she finally meets him, and later when she hears that he is dead, she feels surprisingly affected by the loss.

Unbeknowst to her and to many others, Christian is still alive. After inexplicably experiencing a collapse (stroke?) that renders him unable to speak, to write or at first even to think clearly, his family sends him to a country asylum run by Mr. Timms' cousin Edward.

Having run out of funds, the Timms' go to live at the asylum where Maddy helps care for the residents. Maddy is extremely attached to her father and would rather spend most of her time caring for him, but one day she is astonished to encounter Christian, and surprisingly she is the only one who can calm his frustrated rages. She then experiences a spiritual "Opening," a strong deep intuition that God wants her to serve as his nurse. She would rather not spend time with such a worldly man, but she feels she must do her duty.

The slowly developing relationship of trust, respect, affection and eventually love between Christian and Maddy is beautiful to experience. Kinsale uses such brilliant detail and lovely writing style to bring her characters to life that they leap off the page as fully developed, breathing human beings.

It is fascinating to enter the mind of Quaker Maddy, to really understand and to sympathize with her feelings and beliefs. Her deep struggle between her life values and her growing feelings for Christian generates a deep soul searching and riveting, entertaining plot twists. Until almost the last moment, the reader hangs in suspense, vitally curious as to how Maddy will be able to do justice to her two seemingly irreconcilable worlds. This problem only intensifies when halfway through the book she has to marry Christian to save him from his avaricious relatives who want to declare him incompetent and steal all his property.

It is equally fascinating to enter Christian's mind, to see how he grapples with the confusion and heart wrenching frustration of being unable to make sense of language. As his ability to understand and to speak slowly returns, we admire his struggle to take control of his life and his increasing tenderness for his "Maddygirl". The fierce loyalty, appreciation and overwhelming love he develops for Maddy creates a fervent passion that deeply touches the reader's heart.

Flowers from the Storm may seem a bit long at 471 pages, but all the detail and exquisitely rendered scenes (each with its own quiet drama) are necessary to build the overall rich story edifice that is so rewarding to the patient reader. The novel is packed with many scenes that shine like gems. For example, the simple scene early in the book where Christian describes Maddy to her blind father, who has not seen his beloved daughter since she was a child: the reader is nearly in tears from the dramatically charged and beautifully understated handling of this scene.

Laura Kinsale is a master of historical romantic fiction, and Flowers from the Storm is pleasurably required reading for any lover of romance.

When I read the first few pages, I thought this would be the typical rake-meets-prude type of story, riddled with all the typical cliches. I was proven wrong. The plot just kept getting better and better, and I could not put down this book.

The heroine is just the perfect mixture of innocence and mature grace, which is unique among other romance novel heroines who tend more often than not to be annoying. The hero *is* rakish, but his ailment makes him endearingly vulnerable. They suit each other perfectly though they at first seem to be complete opposites. You'll want to root them on.

One other good thing about this book is that Kinsale's secondary characters are not flat and some of the parts with them in it are in fact very funny.

I say give this novel a try. I savored every page, didn't find any parts boring that I should scan over them. The ending is gratifying although a tad bittersweet--just be prepared with a box of tissues.

His name is Christian Richard Nicholas Francis Langland, or simply, The Duke of Jervaulx. To the ton, he is a notorious rake with a list of women as long as his full name. Lacking moral restraint, he is hedonistic, arrogant and dissipated. But the duke is also brilliant - a mathematical genius that can solve the most complex equations.

In the glamorous and materialistic world of the English society, she is a nobody. A Quaker who wouldn't get a single glance from the wealthy and haughty. But Archimedia "Maddy" Timms couldn't care less for, as a Quaker, she has been brought up with the belief of living a simple and uncomplicated life devoted to keeping herself pure and unaffected by worldliness. But for all her strength and strong belief, she finds herself fascinated by the dissolute duke. So the day after meeting him for the first time, she found herself weeping upon hearing the news that the duke was killed in a duel.

Unbeknownst to most, the duke actually suffered a stroke and has been sent by his family to an asylum thinking that he has gone insane. So it was to Maddy's shock when, after getting a job at Blythedale Hall, she comes face to face with Christian. And Maddy knew straightaway that despite what everyone says, the duke is not mad but maddened. Therefore she decides to be his own personal nurse and see to his recovery barely knowing she would be in for a roller coaster ride.

FLOWERS FROM THE STORM is a compelling and very moving story with complex characters that exude such powerful emotions that one cannot help but be moved by the story as it unfolds. The intricateness of the story is so captivating and provides us with the biggest irony of all, for on one hand, you have Christian who is extremely sensitive about the pronunciation of his title that when caught with his pants down by the man he was cuckolding, he was more concerned about the mispronunciation of his name, that for him to lose the ability to speak properly is almost unkind in some ways. Then you have Maddy, a strict adherer of her society's belief in Plain Dress and Plain Speech, who falls in love with the very person she calls indecent, the one she thought was the devil incarnate himself. But I believe that what really makes this story so compelling is the emotional battles that the hero and heroine go through. You can truly feel their anguish and frustrations and I found myself crying just by the mere description of their feelings, especially Maddy's confusion. Some scenes are so heart-wrenching that I had to put the book down to get some tissues. My favorite cry-your-eyes-out part is when Maddy has been summoned by her congregation to condemn her actions. When she reads her letter of apology and refers to their relationship as sinful, the way Christian became so livid at hearing her mention the word `fornication' was utterly provoking. And when he continues to say it was love for her, I was gone.

If I may express a couple of quibbles about this book, it is that the beginning was a little slow that it took me a while to warm to and I found the whole mathematical terminologies and equations a little too much. Yet then again it does show the depth of research that the author has done, and in some ways added to Christian's brilliance.

Now, do I consider this one of the greatest love stories ever written? Truthfully, I am not certain of that. But if you ask me if I thought this book was great, then I would answer yes in a heartbeat. This has got to be one of the most provocative and captivating novel I have read so far. And after reading this book, this is how I interpreted the title: "Flowers" stands for the triumph that Christian and Maddy are finally blessed with long after the agony that they endured from the "Storms" which are their tribulations. And at the end of it all, that triumph is the love that they found in each other's arms.

Exploring love between a quakeress helping a nobleman after a debilitating stroke, this is a compelling tale with an original take on a rake's redemption. Unlike most most authors who take a ridiculous amount of "creative license" with their medical plot devices, Kinsale is spot on in her medical treatment of the hero(which is refreshing for me as a physician). I can testify both from professional and personal perspective of watching a friend survive a cerebral aneurysm (the type of stroke Christian has)that Kinsale accurately describes this type of condition from coma to almost full recovery months later. But what I really love is that she does this in the setting of a 19th century English romance novel in a way that is both emotionally compelling and satisfying.

I read this book over a month ago but have had a difficult time writing a review. So instead of telling you about the plot or characters I will share with you my personal response.

There are a limited number of books that uplift me, that help me desire to be a better person, to love more and keep up the fight many of us are engaged in; keeping our marriages alive. This book has done that for me.

As I read Laura's interpretation of how a mind racked with the assault of a brain hemmorage might function I sat back and gasped. Each excruciating, blissful step forward wrenchs Maddy and Christopher souls onward in their quest for sublime unity. And it comes, despite or perhaps because of their imperfections.

This book is about unconditional love. It is about unselfishness and faith. Not only for Maddy but most assuredly for Christian as well. And it is about never, ever giving up. Ultimately this wonderful story is about hope against all odds. Wonderful, beautiful work Laura and I thank-you! 5+

Flowers from the Storm caught me totally unaware. Never have I seen romance written like this without frills, such a serious plot, solemn characters, and heart-wrenching situations. Don't let that scare you away. This is an excellent book - it is the most unusual romance I have read to date and it really left me gravely considering - not a romance - but the plight of a stroke victim in the 1800s.

Christian Langland, the Duke of Jervaulx, is the hero of this book and he has the typical rakish traits as most historical romance heroes do. He is young, handsome, very smart, rich, loves women, AND is a mathematical genius. The heroine, Maddy, is the daughter of a collegiate professor of mathematics who works closely with Christian on discovering a mathematical theorem. Both Maddy and her father are devout Quakers. They live a simple life and are very influenced by the Quaker community.

Maddy first meets Christian when she is assisting her father in their mathematical quest, because he is blind. Maddy knows of Christian's reckless regard for life, outside of academia, and has a typical Quaker response to him. She believes him to be totally decadent. She knows they have absolutely nothing in common and sees little hope for his redemption from his dissolute existence. There is no magic in the air when the leads first meet. It is just plain good sense to know that they are extreme opposites and neither takes the time to even speculate about the other.

Flash forward some months. Maddy and her father have moved to an old country estate where her cousin has opened and is operating an asylum for the mentally ill. The cousin proudly uses only the most progressive techniques in treatment of their patients. For this time period, the treatment truly would be revolutionary - with one exception. Maddy discovers a patient chained to the wall - a very handsome young man who cannot talk or understand attempts to communicate with him. His family believes his sinful life has finally caught up with him and he has gone mad from all of the decadence in his life. This patient chained to the wall tends to have fits of anger and is difficult to control. Maddy stares in disbelief as she recognizes the chained patient. It is none other than Christian Langland, the Duke of Jervaulx. Maddy had been told he died. But he has had a stroke. Of course, his family and caretakers don't know this. Imagine the horrors of living in a time in history that you were believed to be insane if you lost your ability to speak, could not communicate or understand your situation, and acted out your frustration in anger. Christian's circumstances and condition is most heart wrenching. Maddy immediately asks for care of Christian - identifying him as the Duke of Jervaulx. She quickly concludes that Christian is not mad and begins working with him and makes great progress. She is most certainly an angel of care.

This is a very deep and moving book. It is not really romance writing. Reading Flowers from the Storm can be exhausting because it is rarely without serious problems encroaching the characters all around. You cannot rest even a moment. Once a huge problem is dealt with, several more as big or bigger would come along in a matter of only pages. This was a problem for me - as I read the book - because there was never a time to relish progress and no respite from the ever-threatening foes.

Christian is certainly a different type of hero. Never have I read a hero that could have such a disability and still seem so attractive. Recovering from a stroke of his magnitude is not something that just goes away. Not only did Christian have to learn to live with certain disabilities from the stroke, he also had some major life issues prior to this tragedy that he needed to work out as well. At times, I felt like I was going to break down mentally for Christian. Although Maddy was an angel of mercy for Christian, her upbringing as Quaker limited her in her ability to understand or trust men such as Christian, who were considered morally debauched. As he recovered little by little from his stroke, Maddy knew less and less how to deal with him. She still considered him a rake. I could go on and on about the many obstacles they had to face. But don't take this wrong - despite all of this - the book is fascinating and you want to consume it fully before putting it down (which is probably not possible).

This book is redeemed by the sheer tenacity of the hero but even more so by the romance. This is romance writing which means things do work out in the end. One reason I read romance is for that happy ending. This romance however, must grow. The title is very appropriate for the story. This truly is a story of finding the good (the flowers) out of the tragic events (the storm) in your life. I believe romance is really secondary here. This is a story of illness, upbringings, morals, recoveries, and many, many more of life's lessons. There are some sensual scenes but they are few and unimportant. They would rate about a 2.5 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).

This couple needed to spend time just getting to know each other. This would be my second complaint - they needed more time together. This is a long book - 471 pages. More of this book should have been spent on some mutual happiness. I wanted the couple to be able to relish their relationship. I found it disturbing that they could not.

In the end, I could not rate this five stars because there was just too much agony. Problems were always rising and I got a little tired of the burden. I did not relax as I read this book but as I look back on it, some three months later, I still remember the story details, the emotion, the phenomenal handling of a very serious subject matter and I tell my friends, "I have just read one of the most incredible and heart wrenching stories." I think that says it all.