Feathers in the Fire
by Catherine Cookson
Blurb:
My Reaction:
Every once in a while, circumstance traps a group of people in a pattern of tragedy and violence from which they struggle vainly to fight free. Thus it was with the Master of Cock Shield Farm, Angus McBain, a man too easily tempted to sin, and those in and around his household.
My Reaction:
This was my first time reading anything by Catherine Cookson. She clearly knew how to write a gripping historical tale. I wouldn't say it's "literary quality", but it's perfectly good entertainment and has more depth than you might expect. Though I didn't love the story, personally, I can't deny that it's extremely readable, with plenty of character development. (Also a fair bit of scandal, if that's your thing!) These aren't two-dimensional characters, and they are interesting to read about, but the drama and unending bad fortune became frustrating to read, especially when it felt avoidable with an ounce of common sense and a decisive action or two.
I wouldn't label this as primarily a romance, incidentally. Though there are elements of romance, that's not how I'd describe it. It's more of a drama and character study than a typical romance. If you come looking for a straightforward romance, I'm afraid you may find it a slog!
I'd consider reading another of this author's novels, but not immediately. I need a chance to recover from (or possibly forget) my issues with this one!
(The version I've linked here in my blog has a different title. The alternate title, Her Secret Son, and description are a bit odd, in fact. I'm not sure what they were thinking when they came up with this. There is no "secret son" in this novel! But at least it's available. Some of this author's books apparently have been difficult to access after going out of print.)
