The Master of Measham Hall
Anna Abney
Category: Historical Fiction,
1665, London. The scars of the English Civil Wars are yet to heal and now the Black Death engulfs the land. Alethea Hawthorne is a lady’s companion to the Calverton household, but when she suddenly finds herself cast out on the plague-ridden streets of London, a long road to her family home of Measham Hall lies ahead.
How will this determined country girl navigate a perilous new world of religious dissenters, charlatans and a pestilence that afflicts peasants and lords alike?
The Master of Measham Hall is the first book in a page-turning historical series. In lyrical prose, Anna Abney portrays the divides at the heart of Restoration England in a timeless novel about survival, love, and family loyalty.
Reviews
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‘It’s rare for a historical novel to feel so timely’ Jo Baker, Sunday Times bestselling author of Longbourn
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‘Exciting and immersive. It took me straight into the heart of Restoration England in all its rich and vivid detail. I was gripped! Such beautiful writing too - Anna is a stunning new talent’ Nicola Cornick, international bestselling author of House of Shadows
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‘Impeccably researched and wonderfully atmospheric, with a heroine you can’t help rooting for’ Frances Quinn, author of The Smallest Man
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‘A thoroughly engaging romp… By turns entertaining, surprising and thought-provoking, this is an impressive debut’ Jane Johnson, author of The Sea Gate
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‘A gripping depiction of what people will do to survive, the long-held beliefs and scruples questioned and cast aside as well as the unexpected kindnesses and unusual alliances made. In elegant prose, this enthralling novel puts a human face to the trials, terrors and enduring hopes of the plague years’ Catherine Meyrick, author of The Bridled Tongue
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'A thrilling and original tale of reinvention! Death in a time of plague is expected. What happens to Abney's heroine Alethea is not. The Master of Measham Hall is a vivid and extraordinary journey of survival, and ultimately an exploration of what we gain and what we lose as we pass through this world' VL Valentine, The Plague Letters
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‘A powerful and engaging story, full of good characters, satisfying plot turns, and excellent scene-setting. With all the details and insights on offer, it feels like a rich and rewarding panorama of English culture in the 1660s. The transformation of Alethea was wonderful to read, and genuinely gripping’ Richard Hamblyn
