‘The Second Mrs Thistlewood’ by Dionne Haynes is a historical fiction book that is set in Regency England.
A time when men ruled over their women and some ruled more viciously than others. Susan Thistlewood is a prime example of an abused woman. Her husband Arthur is a revolutionary. Targeting the government in any plot he can find. A horrible man and we see that in how he treats Susan daily. She, on the other hand, dreams of a day she can escape Arthur and be her own woman. The only comfort she has is food, the beautiful descriptions of the food at this time had me wishing I could sit with her and share her food! I was rooting for Susan throughout the book, feeling like I could spur her on.
This is an intriguing story which takes us back to the time when women were the property of men and had no right to think for themselves. Susan is a strong-minded woman who tries to escape and we see if she does or not. This story is based on real events and there was an Arthur Thistlewood! Almost mindblowing!
I am really happy to be born in a time when women are, of not always treated equally but it is a massive improvement on the time of the Thistlewoods. Thanks to Rachels Random Resources for the book to take part in the blog tour today.
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