A little later than I originally planned, but it’s such a pleasure today to share my review of Sister Rosa’s Rebellion by Carolyn Hughes, the sixth Meonbridge Chronicle: published by Riverdown Books on 4th April, it’s now available for kindle (free via Kindle Unlimited) and in paperback, available via Amazon in the UK and US. My thanks to Carolyn for providing an advance reading e-copy – and apologies again for the wait.
I still can’t believe I turned down the opportunity to review the first Meonbridge Chronicle, Fortune’s Wheel, back in 2017 – I’m now fairly comfortable with Regency, I’ll happily return to Tudor times, but the fourteenth century really did feel like a world apart. But the guest post Carolyn wrote for me, about creating historical authenticity (you’ll find it here), convinced me to read the second – and I was so glad I did, because I really loved A Woman’s Lot (2018 – you’ll find my review here). And the series has continued to delight me – with De Bohun’s Destiny in 2019 (you’ll find my review here), Children’s Fate in 2020 (review here), and Squire’s Hazard in 2022 (review here). And yes, I also enjoyed The Merchant’s Dilemma in 2023 – a companion novel to the series, a really engaging romance, and an insight into the obstacles to following your heart and marrying a woman from a different class and with a dubious past (you’ll find my review here). When Carolyn offered me an advance copy of her latest, I didn’t hesitate – I’ve grown to be an immense fan of both her wonderful storytelling and her meticulously researched and vividly recreated historical world.
Let’s take a closer look…
How can you rescue what you hold most dear, when to do so you must break your vows?
1363. When Mother Angelica, the old prioress at Northwick Priory, dies, many of the nuns presume Sister Rosa – formerly Johanna de Bohun, of Meonbridge – will take her place. But Sister Evangelina, Angelica’s niece, believes the position is hers by right, and one way or another she will ensure it is.
Rosa stands aside to avoid unseemly conflict, but is devastated when she sees how the new prioress is changing Northwick: from a place of humility and peace to one of indulgence and amusement, if only for the prioress and her favoured few. Rosa is terrified her beloved priory will be brought to ruin under Evangelina’s profligate and rapacious rule, but her vows of obedience make it impossible to rebel.
Meanwhile, in Meonbridge, John atte Wode, the bailiff, is also distraught by the happenings at Northwick. After years of advising the former prioress and Rosa on the management of their estates, Evangelina dismissed him, banning him from visiting Northwick again.
Yet, only months ago, he met Anabella, a young widow who fled to Northwick to escape her in-laws’ demands and threats, but is a reluctant novice nun. The attraction between John and Anabella was immediate and he hoped to encourage her to give up the priory and become his wife. But how can he possibly do that now?
Can John rescue his beloved Anabella from a future he is certain she no longer wants? And can Rosa overcome her scruples, rebel against Evangelina’s hateful regime, and return Northwick to the haven it once was.
If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d find a tale set in a fourteenth century nunnery so unputdownable, I’d never have believed you – but this book really was quite wonderful. Through the course of this series, I’ve grown far more comfortable with its historical setting – so vividly drawn, beautifully detailed, a world you inhabit however unfamiliar its conventions – and have certainly discovered that human nature never changes. People have always had their hopes and dreams, their moments of joy and their setbacks – and there have always been individuals capable of behaving particularly badly, and others whose interventions are sorely needed to right the wrongs.
With the death of Mother Angelica, their well-regarded prioress, it’s a time of change at Northwick Priory. Sister Rosa – formerly Johanna de Bohun, of Meonbridge – would appear to be her natural successor, made in the same mould, both firm and fair. But Sister Evangelina feels differently – belonging to a family who have always taken precedence, she’s determined that the post should be hers, and is willing both to blackmail her opponent and offer bribes to make sure she gets her way in the forthcoming election. Rosa withdraws from the contest, fearful of having the secrets of her past life exposed – and when Evangelina becomes prioress, a very different regime begins. Life in the priory has always been focused on the defined roles and regular devotions – far less important to the new prioress than adopting a lifestyle far beyond her means, surrounding herself with acolytes, and fostering an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust. When the priory begins to face financial ruin, Rosa is forced to step outside her vow of obedience, risk her personal reputation, and do whatever may be necessary to save it – to bring to light the prioress’ wrongdoings, and restore the priory as a place of devotion and contentment.
Alongside the main story there’s a particularly engaging romantic subplot. Anabella Sitwell entered the priory as a novice on the death of her husband, to avoid a further unsuitable match being forced on her by her husband’s family, bringing her fortune with her as a dowry. John Atte Wode, the bailiff of Meonbridge who provides support to the priory – someone we know well from the earlier books, and a man who certainly deserves some happiness – finds himself attracted to her on his regular visits, and is delighted to find his feelings are reciprocated. But their hopes for the future are dashed when Evangelina ends his visits, preferring not to have her actions scrutinised – and when the taking of her vows becomes increasingly imminent, the value of her dowry not having escaped the prioress’ notice, some rather desperate action is needed, with some particularly drama-filled moments to follow.
I’ve always been rather fascinated by Sister Rosa, already knowing the detail of her past life – unlike Evangelina, whose threats weren’t based on any real evidence – and finding her a really interesting combination of total dedication to her faith and chosen life, while retaining a degree of worldly wisdom and practicality through occasional visits and ties to her family and former friends in Meonbridge. Her struggle with her conscience, having decided to challenge the new order, was so very well handled – and made surprisingly easy to empathise with and feel at an emotional level. But every individual in this book, sympathetic or otherwise, is equally well drawn – even Evangelina herself, who isn’t pure evil but a particularly complex character, and I even managed to find a (very small) amount of sympathy and understanding for her by the book’s end.
I was so quickly and easily drawn in by the extraordinary level of well-researched detail about day-to-day life within the priory, the differing roles and responsibilities, the pattern of their days, making such an unfamiliar environment feel entirely real. The political machinations were so very well handled too – with an edge-of-the seat tension at times that had me completely glued to the page. The plot is quite complex, but the author has a way of taking you by the hand and leading you through it, making you feel so much a part of it all – I felt real anger about many of Evangelina’s actions, and was completely in Rosa’s very uncomfortable corner and hoping her efforts would succeed.
If you haven’t already discovered this series, this book would be entirely readable as a standalone – although, on the visits to Meonbridge, I did take real pleasure in meeting again some familiar characters and finding out how their lives had moved on. I do think the fourteenth century can be a little frightening for many readers – it certainly scared me off at first – but I can only urge you to give it a try. The struggles for control within a priory might feel even less enticing – but this wonderful book totally engaged me from its opening pages, had me reading into the early hours, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I promise you’ll find the author’s world every bit as accessible as I always do, with storytelling of the highest order – and, along with the series that precedes it, this is a book I’d thoroughly recommend.
About the author
Carolyn Hughes was born in London, but has lived most of her life in Hampshire. After a first degree in Classics and English, she started her working life as a computer programmer, in those days a very new profession. It was fun for a few years, but she left to become a school careers officer in Dorset.
But it was when she discovered technical authoring that she knew she had found her vocation. She spent the next few decades writing and editing all sorts of material, some fascinating, some dull, for a wide variety of clients, including an international hotel group, medical instrument manufacturers and the Government.
She has written creatively for most of her adult life, but it was not until her children grew up and flew the nest, several years ago, that creative writing and, especially, writing historical fiction, took centre stage in her life.
She has a Masters in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University, and a PhD from the University of Southampton.
You can connect with Carolyn (and, perhaps, join Team Meonbridge) through her excellent website: you’ll also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
