Jessica Hawthorne's parents, ambitious and wealthy, fled their native Bristol in order to escape the stigma of a fortune acquired in the newly outlawed slave trade. At gracious Melbury New Hall in Suffolk, Jessica grows up surrounded by all the grandeur and respect money can buy -- but without the furnishings of affection. For these she turns to her best friend, young Robert FitzBolton -- and as events in her family take a tragic turn, it is Robert who will help Jessica change the course of her life.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Although impressively bulky, and portentously set in England during and after the Napoleonic wars, this historical novel by the author of Sweet Songbird skips lightly over the epoch-making events. Instead, it spotlights the Hawthorneshandsome, rich and horsey, with the exception of young Jessica, who is neither as elegant nor as conformist as the rest of them. Jessica is still a child when her beautiful older sister is made pregnant by Danny O'Donnel, a sculptor born in Italy, who is restoring the local church. Their father sets out to kill Danny, but Jessica warns him, and he escapes to Florence, leaving her with a love she is too young to recognize. Some years later, Jessica marries her childhood friend and neighbor Robert FitzBolton, despite his confession that he cannot bear to be touched by a woman. They set off for Florence, where Robert pursues his musical studiesand a young composerand Jessica searches for Danny. Pedestrian in style and characterization, the book may nonetheless provide a pleasant winter's night companion, particularly because of Jessica's refreshing lack of sexual snobbery.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good family saga,
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This review is from: The Hawthorne Heritage (Hardcover)
Jessica Hawthorne, the younger daughter of a prosperous upper middle class family in 19th century Suffolk, has always adored her older childhood companion, Robert Fitzbolton who lived at nearby Old Hall.When Jessica's eldest brother Edward is drowned under dubious circumstances, his place as heir is taken by his ruthless brother Giles.Danny, a handsome young artist, is hired to restore the family chapel, and though young Jessica is instantly smitten, he thinks of her as a child and pursues her elder sister with disastrous results. This is a great read..a family saga which travels to Florence and leads Jessica through a tragically wrong marriage to Robert, back to her home and finally a reunion with Danny. It's a cross between historical fiction and a warm yet sad romance..a story for those who enjoy a big family saga.
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