The Master of Measham Hall by Anna Abney

Synopsis

1665,It is five years since King Charles II returned from exile, the scars of the English Civil Wars are yet to heal and now the Great Plague engulfs the land. Alethea Hawthorne is safe inside the walls of the Calverton household as a lady’s companion waiting in anticipation of the day she can return to her ancestral home of Measham Hall.

But when Alethea suddenly finds herself cast out on the plague-ridden streets of London, a long road to Derbyshire lies ahead. Militias have closed their boroughs off to outsiders for fear of contamination.

Fortune smiles on her when Jack appears, an unlikely travelling companion who helps this determined girl to navigate a perilous new world of religious dissenters, charlatans and a pestilence that afflicts peasants and lords alike.

Review

The Master of Measham Hall is the debut novel from Anna Abney. Set in 1665, where the Great Plague is sweeping over England, not discerning between rich or poor, young or old, man or woman, but filling all with fear. Althea Hawthorn finds herself in London, far from her family home of Marsham Hall in Derbyshire, with the Calverton family, as a companion to the daughter Julia. When circumstances turn and Althea finds herself alone on the streets of London, she knows she must try and get home to Measham Hall. With an unlikely travelling companion in Jack Fleet, they start their journey north and find themselves navigating Restoration England with its different religious factions, and the fear of the Plague. Althea sees a different world and whilst on the physical journey also finds herself on an emotinal and educational journey that will change her life forever.

I was interested to read that Anna Abney has a personal link to this story in that her family are the last descendants of the family that owned the Measham Hall in the title of this book. The house itself is almost a character in its own right in this book. For Althea it is home, the one place where she will feel safe, and the dream of getting there is what keeps her going. But as always, the dream is not always the reality, and like other characters in the book, Measham Hall has also been effected by the Plague and by the Civil War that divided England. Althea is at the centre of The Master of Measham Hall and is a brilliant heroine who you just have to root for. She is well brought up, but shows a resourcefulness of character when many other young women would have given up. Life on the road is difficult, but when and and Jack meet a group of religious descenders led by Samula Byrd, they find themelves living in Epping Forest as part of a small community. Althea has no problem adapting to manual labour, learining to fish, forage, wash clothes in the river and help with daily taks. I also liked that she was open to the religious doctrine of this group even though she was Catholic, not as dismissive as Jack was. Her growth in character continues when she gets home to Measham Hall, but you will need to read the book to learn more as I dont want to give anythng away about the plot line. There is a fascinating cast of supporting characters, all with their own story to tell.

What I found fascinating about The Master of Measham Hall was how the experiences of the Great Plague mirrored what we are facing now with Covid. Althea and Jack have to have papers to leave London to prove they don’t have any Plague symptoms and to show where they are going and why, and fear of this disease also sees vigilantes stopping people from entering villages and towns to prevent the spread of the Plague. Anna Abney really captures the feeling of uncertanty of this period in English history, not only with the Plauge but also with the fall out of the Civil War and the religious divide that still exists. Through the characters who are lvivng in Epping Forest, Anna Abney is able to give a voice to these issues and the details of the Civil War, and how it continues to effect the lives of those who fought in the war and lived through it.

I absolutely loved reading The Master of Measham Hall, and nearly read it in one sitting. Althea is the perfect heroine, brave, resourceful, kind, wanting to help others and someone you cant help but root for. Anna Abney writes such a beautiful story that went in a different direction to what I expected, making this such a fascinating and intriguing read. The main theme that came from this book for me was the strength we show in times of adversity, and how far we will go to survive and protect those we love, human or home. A compelling, intelligent and an entertaining read of Restoration England; a must read for fans of historical fiction.

I would like to thank Duckworth Books and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for the invite to be part of this Blog Tour.