Truly [Mass Market Paperback]

Mary Balogh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996

Although they believe that their love is meant to be, a wealthy, privileged aristocrat and a minister's daughter find themselves divided by social convention, a fate that sparks the fires of rebellion in their hearts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After a couple-dozen pages of sluggish narrative, Balogh (Heartless) hits a brisk stride with this romance set in mid-19th century Wales. Once branded the bastard child of the Earl of Wyvern, Geraint Penderyn returns home to Tegfan after a 10-year absence to find toll gates across public roads and many of his farmers living in squalor. As a ragged impoverished boy, he had been one with the villagers. Now, as the new Earl, he's met with hostility and resentment, especially from his childhood sweetheart, Marged Evans. To make things right with his people (and to win back Marged), he masquerades as a "Rebecca," one of the bewigged, white-cloaked leaders of the 1842 riots against Welsh toll roads. Disguised as a man, Marged rides as one of Rebecca's "daughters," and, as to be expected, falls in love with the man behind the mask. For readers who really want both history and romance in their historical romances, Balogh is truly a find.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 343 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; First Edition edition (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425153290
• ISBN-13: 978-0425153291
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #497,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Balogh is the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Slightly novels: Slightly Married, Slightly Wicked, Slightly Scandalous, Slightly Tempted, Slightly Sinful, and Slightly Dangerous, as well as the romances No Man's Mistress, More than a Mistress, and One Night for Love. She is also the author of Simply Love, Simply Unforgettable, Simply Magic, and Simply Perfect, her dazzling quartet of novels set at Miss Martin's School for Girls. A former teacher herself, she grew up in Wales and now lives in Canada.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another stunning masterpiece from Balogh, November 20, 2001

By 

Dr W. Richards "wmr-uk" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Truly (Mass Market Paperback)

I love it when I can find my favourite authors' back catalogues! I picked this book up secondhand recently, and even with the transatlantic postage charges it was well worth the money. This is an example of the kind of story Balogh does best.

Truly is one of her 'Welsh novels', and it follows a similar pattern, at least in terms of setting and 'A-plot', as Longing. (Incidentally, I think the reviewer who mentioned Tangled is confusing that book - another Balogh classic, by the way - with Longing). A theme of both of these books is that of a wealthy aristocratic landowner who is made aware - usually by the heroine - of how rents and tithes and other unfair policies are resulting in his tenants starving and being ground into poverty. In these books, in addition, the heroine is not of the hero's class; she's one of the villagers, perhaps a schoolteacher or the minister's daughter.

The similarities of theme don't matter one bit to me; both stories are very different, and all unmissable, in my opinion.

One of the big differences in Truly is that the Earl of Wyvern, Geraint Penderyn, actually grew up among the village people; he was the son of a governess, whom everyone thought was an unmarried mother. She'd been driven out of her home and lived in a hovel up in the hills. Geraint, until the age of twelve, was a village child, to some degree an outcast, but he was befriended by Margred and by Aled. Then papers were found which confirmed that Geraint's mother was married to his father, and Geraint - now the heir to the earldom - was taken away to London to be brought up in a manner befitting his status. He never saw his mother again; she died when he was 18.

The book starts as he is returning to his Welsh estate after ten years away, now the owner of the area in which he grew up, and landlord of all his former friends and neighbours. On his last visit, things had been awkward between him and his childhood friends; he and Margred had begun to fall in love, but he'd handled it badly and she'd been hurt. Now, he's looking forward to seeing her again, although he is pretty sure that she'll be married.

What he isn't prepared for is the hostile reaction he gets from all around, and the anger and bitterness Margred throws at him. What he soon finds out is that his agent, in his absence, has behaved like any other landlord and has raised rents year after year, and evicted those who couldn't pay. And changing matters isn't that simple; other landowners in the area are resistant, and he is viewed with suspicion.

From Margred's perpective, Geraint is the man she used to love, but whom she now hates with all of her being. For her husband was arrested for trying to help their friends and neighbours, and sentenced to transportation. She wrote to Geraint to beg him to intercede, but he never responded. And since her husband died as a result of his treatment, she blames Geraint for his death.

So Geraint has an impossible task in front of him: how to win back the trust of his tenants, how to improve conditions for them - and how to prove to Margred that he still loves her and that he never deliberately betrayed her, even if his neglect caused her pain. His one remaining friend - Aled, now the village blacksmith - plus the continuing Rebecca Riots in the area might offer a way forward...

But even if he succeeds in breaking down the barriers between himself and the villagers, there's no guarantee that Margred will be interested. She realises that her feelings for Geraint are conflicted, but that soon becomes less important once she finds herself falling for 'Rebecca', the man in disguise who leads the Rebecca Riots against unjustified tollgates.

This is a wonderful story about the importance of loyalty, belonging, the effect of class differences on relationships and ultimately, how love and friendship can overcome differences. It's an unforgettable love story, but it's as much a story about a community and about friendship. Don't miss it!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Mary Balogh's best, September 20, 2004

By 

a-wish-upon-a-star (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Truly (Mass Market Paperback)

"Truly" is not the type of book to be gulped in one sitting, its a book that you have to read slowly, to savor the setting, the people, and the country. Wales, which I am reading here is Mary Balogh's native country, truly comes alive in "Truly". And better yet, I like all the people that I meet, and that's saying alot, because I usually don't like all the people in a romance novel - sometimes they're mean, silly, stupid, etc. But in "Truly" Mary Balogh shows us the "inside" of the Wale people of the last century, and, as in any country, there are good people and bad, but mostly you admire them for their grit, for their simple yet graceful way of life, and for their commitment to their land and to each other.

The hero and heroine of "Truly" are probably the first h/h I have met that really fit the image presented by the words hero and heroine. We get to meet Marged and Geraint at their best, although the story narrates the part where they both make mistakes, when this books begins they are both mature and grown up, and therefore their romance has more depth than if they were two silly, immature youngsters. Not only are they grown-up, but by flashbacks, we get to see how they both got to that point. I particularly loved the character of Marged, to me she seemed the perfect embodiment of a true heroine, she's truly outspoken and brave, but not as foolishly so as some other "heroines" are wont to be. In other words, while she acts with spirit and courage, she does it not because she wants to make a dramatic statement, or to act more like a man, or out of spite; she's not really full of hate, but rather, in everything she does she acts with courage, fire, spirit - and also with forethought. A real heroine!

"Truly" also has more of a plot, with real twists and turns, than some other Baloghs. Against the historical backdrop of the Rebecca Riots, complete with the masked "Rebecca", there is alot of tension as we wait to see what will happen with the riots? And will "Rebecca" be unmasked? How will everyone react? Definitely a page turner.

I even loved the ending. It seemed to me to be exactly how a romance should end. Although Geraint is a little on the stiff side, it does fit in very well with his character - I wouldn't change a word if I could. Of course, there is always that question - what happens afterwards? How does everyone adjust to their new roles? Ah, but for that we have our own imaginations! All in all, if you like Mary Balogh, you will love "Truly"!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Story - A Keeper!, January 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Truly (Mass Market Paperback)

I like Balogh's writing - I usually rate her historicals at 4 stars, but this one, to my mind, stands out. First off, it is a satisfyingly complex story of relationships and how they develop and change over time and with self-discovery. Secondly, it is a good adventure story that had me staying up WAY past my bedtime; I had to finish this book in two days, because I was curious as to how the tangled web of deceptions and danger would be resolved. Some people might find the ending not quite tempestuous enough, but I found it extremely realistic--as were Balogh's comments on love relationships, passion vs. marriage, and hatred. I would recommend this book to anyone--an excellent read, and definitely a keeper for me.