Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Nobody's Bride By Laura Langdon, Author
Joseph Abernathy stood looking up at the house that belonged to the family of his bride-to-be. He cast his eyes over front of the large white building & they came to rest on one of the upstairs windows, out from which peered a female face. Her expression was one of unsatisfaction & sadness. Joseph knew her to be Nellie, Abigail's unmarried cousin.
As Joseph stands lost in thought he is approached by Prudence, Nellie's rude & overbearing sister who insists on sharing her very unkind 'nickname' for her spinster sister which she finds most unbecomingly humorous. Joseph pays no attention to the uncharitable creature.
One year later, Joseph Abernathy is sitting in his farmhouse taking stock of the last 12 months. He no longer shares his home with his wife as she had taken the decision to leave him six months gone. He casts his mind back to that fateful day, his wedding day, & recalls catching a glimpse of a face in an upstairs window. He reaches for a pen & paper & begins to construct a letter........
So, the author of this wonderful novel actually requested I read & review her book which I was only too glad to do & saw it as a real honour. She particularly drew me in when she asked the question 'would I like to meet Nellie & Joseph,' as I am a very character based literary critic. I have to bond with characters in order to really love a book. I had no such issue with this narrative as Nellie & Joseph really felt like they could have existed back in the 19th Century. It took me back to my childhood watching television series such as The Waltons & Little House On The Prairie & equally had the joy & warmth that were derived from those Sunday mornings sat in front of the television.
The couples lifestyle seemed idyllic, something they both deserved after facing such difficult times. I loved that they found each other & made a life together. The narrative takes you through a wide range of emotions where you are relaxed witnessing their day-to-day life on the farm & their love & passion for one another, to anguish for Nellie the evening when the secret is revealed at the Bishop's House, feeling frightened for Nellie when she delivers Clara's baby & horrified when Beatrice is faced with the terrifying Mr Shanks, I was on the edge of my seat. Not to mention the anxiety when Nellie struggles out to the barn to find Joseph in a snowstorm.
The humour is largely provided by Mrs Pratt, one half of Nellie & Joseph's well-to-do neighbours. Mrs Pratt's obvious disgust for her neighbours & their lifestyle make for some entertaining exchanges between the two women. The way Nellie conducts herself in the face of a very nasty & sizeable Mrs Pratt as she attempts to assist the heavily pregnant woman deliver her baby from her 'womanly parts' raised a chuckle. Mrs Pratt did indeed put me in mind of Corbeth Walton-Godsey.
When reading this novel, I was torn between reading hastily to find out 'what happened next' & maintaining a steady pace to prevent the end from coming too soon. It really was a pleasure to meet Nellie & Joseph. Thank you Laura. I look forward to reading more of your literature in the future. xx
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