The best historical books that don’t confuse ‘strong women’ with ‘hard hearts’

Being a Devon girl, I have really enjoyed this series, and this book in particular resonated with me on a number of levels. Grace is such an ‘everyday’ kind of character at the beginning, albeit with ambitions towards working in a ‘man’s world.’ But, as circumstances force her to take on new roles, and her life takes unforeseeable turns, she grows in character and strength. Both ‘sections,’ if you like, are equally compelling, and the research is impeccable, but never screamingly obvious. Having written WW1 books myself, that era was always going to be the part that interested me the most, but I was happy to find the whole story equally absorbing. Dartmoor and its surrounds are, as ever with this author, painted subtly, but with love

I picked up this book (twenty-odd years ago) because it was set in the same area where my parents were living, and the estate is even mentioned by name. I was immediately drawn to its main character, Claire, and fascinated by the situation in which she finds herself; Scotland in the days leading up to the ’45 Rising and the battle of Culloden. The way she, a doctor, is initially reduced to simply being the chattel of whichever male currently rules her, is frustrating, but as she searches for a way home, her courage and resilience grow. Just as importantly, the way she adjusts her own thinking to account for the differences in attitude commands respect, too. The story is now famous, but it still feels like an old friend.

This is book one of a wonderful series: The Spindrift Trilogy. Because it’s set in Cornwall, where I grew up and where I set most of my books, it naturally drew me in quickly. The series features a rich cast of characters, mainly female at the start, although as male children are born, and grow up, the balance shifts a little. It follows the fortunes of an artistic community that springs from a personal crisis, and the rich mixture of characters keeps the story lively and optimistic while still dealing with the darker side of human nature, and the uncertainty in any new venture where so many almost strangers are brought together. This sense of community is something I myself try to convey in my work, and here it’s done beautifully.

This book took me on a (completely unexpectedly) emotional ride. Leading up to the Irish Easter Rebellion in 1917, the story is blended so easily with historical fact, that you don’t realise you’re (probably) being educated as you immerse yourself in the lives of Maggie and Daniel. They’re characters who stay with you long after you’ve closed the book, and you can’t help but think of them: Patriotic Maggie in Dublin, fighting for her rights every bit as ferociously as the men and boys, and Daniel in Gallipoli. But the author doesn't try to impose their own politics on the reader; the force of these characters’ personalities makes every decision they make unquestionably the right one at that moment, no matter what the consequences. A truly remarkable story.

I first began reading this just as background research, in an attempt to get the character ‘voice’ right for my own WW1 series, but, as with many other books I was pulled in against my expectations. Vera’s decision to become a VAD nurse, and her determination to do the best possible job under unthinkable circumstances, made me want to learn everything about this era and the people who lived it. It threw a cold light onto what had, until then, been a sort of fuzzy half-knowledge, and it’s an example of the best in humanity, wrapped in what could easily be an extravagant fiction; knowing it was an autobiographical account made it so much poignant. It shows how powerful the drive to help others can be, despite the hardships endured.