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This was a gentle family 'saga' spanning multiple generations of the Bolitho family from WW1, through WW2 and onto present day. My other frustration with the book is that one of the central themes is how women are stronger than men, and they're the ones who consistently hold everything together while the men run off and leave them. While I enjoy a good feminist historical novel, this one came across as slightly more male-bashing than was necessary. The women in the novel seem bent on sleeping with whoever comes near, even if they're warned over and over that they're bad news. I hardly think it's fair to blame a guy for abandoning you when he never even came close to promising he'd stay...
The read is gentle, charming and engrossing. The detail of the landscapes in Cornwall, Kent, London, Penang and France whisk you away to different points in time in a way that feels authentic and makes you read on. There are many characters in King Lear, but some of the most important are Lear himself, his three daughters, and his loyal servant Kent. Lear is the aging king who decides to divide his kingdom among his daughters, but when one of them refuses to flatter him, he banishes her. This sets off a chain of events that leads to tragedy. Lear’s three daughters are Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. Goneril and Regan are the older daughters who flatter Lear and are awarded a portion of his kingdom. Cordelia is the youngest daughter who refuses to flatter Lear and is therefore banished. Kent is a loyal servant who tries to help Lear see the error of his ways but is eventually banished as well. The characters in King Lear are complex and their interactions with each other drive the plot of the play. This one is not one of her Cornish series but it is based in Cornwall. It is a family saga set during war time (wars I and II) and post war in the late 50s. It is about one daughter finding a trunk and uncovering the lives of the generations of women before her. Caroline's own mother Hannah and Hannah's mother Clara Bolitho. Hannah has always been curious about her mother’s mysterious past, but the outbreak of the Second World War casts everything in a new light. As the bombs begin to fall, Hannah and her brothers are determined to do their bit for the war effort – whatever the cost. Edmund admits that he attempted to commit suicide by cutting his arm, but that he and his men were still able to escape. Furthermore, he claims that he was not really afraid of Edgar, but rather wanted to fool Gloucester. Edmund apologizes for his actions and asks Gloucester for forgiveness.
Set between two world wars and beyond the Daughters of Cornwall is a family saga spanning decades and follows the lives and fortunes of the Bolitho family, with Clara at the helm. I have read and enjoyed several of Fern Britton's books before and like the others, this is very firmly set in Cornwall (with a diversion to Ealing), but that's where the similarities end. This book is rather different to her other books as it is set over various time periods and has multiple narrators. This change of direction though has worked really well and I enjoyed following all the different yet connected storylines.
Shakespeare’s pen name is also known as Cornland, and his play about the life of Cornwall is regarded as one of the best plays written during the Elizabethan era. Why Did Cornwall Gouged Out Gloucester’s Eyes?I will declare my bias from the beginning of this review. I like Fern Britton as a writer and read all of her books. Caroline lives a quiet life on the Cornish coast. But a devastating discovery threatens everything she holds dear… This secret could break her family, but only if they let it. The Bolitho family faces many up and downs over the years and despite the predictability which I would expect from any Fern Britton novel it is a worthwhile read. Certainly you appreciate the author’s love of Cornwall, clearly a place that occupies a huge place in her heart. The reason why she delights so many readers is because dipping into one of her books is like coming home, comforting and reassuring whilst offering a pleasant escape from everyday life. In a change from perhaps what I was expecting from Fern Britton, I am transported to Cornwall as is to be expected but I am submerged into the past in this excellent piece of historical fiction.
However, it was not all good! I had really been looking forward to this book, having thoroughly enjoyed a previous novel by this author. Sadly, this one did not live up to expectations. It was OK, but I was neither enchanted nor gripped by it. In fact there were times when it was so slow-moving that it was dull and I was a bit bored. I often found the generational relationships confusing and the jumping timelines took a bit of getting used to. Although the plot twists did redeem it to some extent, overall I thought it was rather too pedestrian. What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the emphasis on the strength of the women. Every one of the Bolitho women has had challenges to face up to and every one of them has dealt with them in the best way they could. They are all determined that their own children should be protected from their past mistakes and that they should have opportunities to better themselves. I had particular admiration for Clara and all she went through although there was one particular decision of hers I didn't agree with at all. I won't say what it was of course, as it is one of the big secrets of the book, but it was an emotional part of the story when that was resolved.This book is truly remarkable. There are no holds barred when we are introduced to the horrors of the trenches, of the death, the rats, the bodies, the mud. The thing I most enjoyed about this book is the wonderful, strong women characters the author has created. It was very interesting to follow them throughout the story and see the challenges they face. I liked their determination that their children wouldn’t experience the same problems. I might not have always agreed with their decisions, which sometimes had me wishing I could shout at them, but I always wanted to support them.
As a result of his treason, Cornwall gouged out both of Gloucester’s eyes, which Regan encouraged him to do. A member of Cornwall’s staff tried to prevent Gloucester from being harmed by the king. Who Kills Cornwall In King Lear? Both Clara and Hannah are strong women, their determination to lead their lives on their own terms is the basis of the story, with Hannah’s daughter Caroline unravelling their secrets. You are never in doubt which of the three are speaking. I felt that the ending was rather rushed, it needed another chapter to round it off properly, to perhaps emphasise the points that the author was making. In 2006, the song, “The Fern Britton Experience”, which featured in the album, Hang The DJ was named after her by the UK DJ Shitmat. She hosted the reality television show, Soapstar Superstar, and the British Soap Awards 2006. At the Royal Albert Hall, on 31 May 2007, Fern Britton presented the Classical BRIT Awards and also co-presented the British Soap Awards that year. Daughters of Cornwall is a multi-layered time-slip. This book grabbed my interested from the beginning when in the present-day Caroline receives an old trunk sent to her from Penang. As she looks through the personal effects, she slowly discovers the stories behind the women in her family who came before her. The novel, written by the woman who was King lear’s mother, is named Learwife, and it takes place entirely within the mind of the woman who was mother to Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia: Berte, Queen lear‘s wife. The Tragic Downfall Of King Lea
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The characters are so well drawn and it is Clara, a strong and determined woman, whose actions might not always be understandable, but who continues to care for her family at a time when her secrets could have left her with very little, who stands centre stage. Caroline lives a quiet life on the Cornish coast. But a devastating discovery threatens everything she holds dear... This secret could break her family, but only if they let it.
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