Hearth and Eagle [Mass Market Paperback]

Anya Seton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1980

In the mid-1940s, the great historical novelist Anya Seton embarked on a fervent search for her forebears that led her to Marblehead, Massachusetts, a “sea-girdled town of rocks and winding lanes and clustered old houses.” There she found not only an ancestor, but also the setting for this, her fourth novel. It is not only the story of Marblehead, from its earliest settlement to the present, and of a family who settled and stayed there in the Hearth and Eagle Inn; it is also the story of Hesper Honeywood, a passionate young woman whose long and dramatic life, full of triumph and tragedy, contained the history of both. In one of her most ambitious novels, Anya Seton here created one of her most memorable heroines, and one of her most varied tales.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Substantial and well-told story that makes real one of the longest and most vigorous strands in the making of our country."  —New York Herald Tribune

"Miss Seton handles her clan cleverly. . . . In all this the house itself stands as an eloquent reminder of Yankee staunchness."  —Saturday Review of Literature

 

 

"Skillfully weaves the events of the time . . . an excellent read."  —The Historical Novels Review

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Anya Seton was the author of 10 bestselling historical romances, including Avalon, Devil Water, Dragonwyck, Foxfire, Green Darkness, Katherine, My Theodosia, and The Winthrop Woman.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Fawcett (September 12, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449236412
• ISBN-13: 978-0449236413
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,533,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars History preserved through fiction, June 14, 2000

By 

Robert S. Newman "Bob Newman" (Marblehead, Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hearth and Eagle (Hardcover)

Marblehead today is a yuppie heaven; shiny SUVs ply the tree-lined streets, and over-ample pseudo-colonial mansions crowd their small lots. North of Boston, "Marblehead" has become a synonym for "posh" and "snotty". This is ironic, for I remember it in my childhood, half a century ago, a rough town of drinkers, cursers, and womanizers who didn't give a damn for any outsider's opinion. Marbleheaders could be recognized anywhere by their accent and by certain `code' words. I still think of it in my imagination, strong as the New England rocks that line the shores, the rain dripping into the narrow lanes off the now long-gone elms, mournful seagull cries over the shingled roofs of odd wooden houses by the harbor. That was the Marblehead I knew, full of fields, woods, ponds, and small farms; wildflowers and butterflies; pale red starfish in the tidal pools. Yeah, it's gone now. It's just a shadow of that raffish self.

But if you want to know what it was, if you want to capture the flavor of this, my beloved home, be sure to read THE HEARTH AND EAGLE, which takes you from early colonial days, when Marblehead was a rowdy offshoot of serious Salem, to the 1920s. I won't advise you that this is the best novel you'll ever read, but for sure it is the best one ever written about this town. If you've read it, you'll practically be able to find your way around the winding streets that always lead down to the sea. The author did her research while living at 30 Franklin Street, which her imagination turned into an inn by the name of the title. She may not have been a local, but she certainly captured the flavor of town and depicted a long stretch of Marblehead history through the lives of her characters. If my description grabs you, get hold of this book. Then come visit the town and see how it's changed.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only for Die Hard Seton fans (and I am one), March 23, 2008

By 

Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Hearth and Eagle (Rediscovered Classics) (Paperback)

This book is the story of the Honeyman family of Marblehead, Massachusetts. It follows them from their original trip to Marblehead from England with the Winthrop ships in the 17th century to the early 20th century and their inn, The Hearth and Eagle. I have to admit being confused at first as to whom the story was about, as the book started in the mid 19th century, then flashed back to the 17th century and back again. There were so many references to other Honeymans, that I wasn't sure if there were going to be more flashbacks to tell those stories. There weren't, the main focus of the story is Hesper from her childhood through her marriages and her children, and most importantly about the town of Marblehead and its quirky characters and history.

While Seton's research and writing are impeccable as always, I would only recommend this for die-hard Seton fans or for those interested in reading about the history and characters of Marblehead. Honestly, I just couldn't get that enthralled with Hesper's story; it just wasn't that interesting for me. I recommend you get this from the library first, and then if you love it, buy it. Three stars, but a gorgeous new cover.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely a wonderful book!, June 20, 1998

By 

Nancy E. Barr (burbank, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hearth and Eagle (Mass Market Paperback)

Anya Seton outdoes herself. This book is so beautifully written. It takes us from the sixteenth century to the 20th century. Sailing from England and arriving in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The heartaches and the pathos .. the wonderment of a new place. She shows Marblehead as the wonderful place it is and how it survived through fires...how the men were lost at sea and we see the poor families and the wealthy...all interwoven into a book one cannot put down.