Quick Lit ~ July '19

Linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy, and sharing what I've been reading ~ many of which complete categories in the MMD reading challenge.

The Gown by Jennifer Robson; which I chose for the cover (category) and to ease my impatience while I wait for the next season of the Crown.   While the story did not contain much of the lives of the Windsor's; it was a wonderful story of post WW2 England when rationing was still in effect and Londoners were dealing with survivor guilt and beginning look forward.  Primarily it tells the story of two of the embroiderers while they worked on Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown and how their grandchildren learn of this fascinating past.  I appreciated the stories of female friendship and the ease with which the author moved from the past, to present day and back again.

The Spanish Bride by Georgette Heyer is the story of Brigade-Major Harry Smith and his newlywed Juana. They met and fell instantly in love in Portugal while Major Smith was serving during the Peninsular War.  While I've been reading and enjoying Heyer's Regency 'comedy of manners' books for years this was my first 'historical', and found the balance she found between the details of battles and troop movements and the daily challenges faced by the couple and their friends excellent.  I learned a lot about the war (at least from the British perspective) but didn't feel like the human element was lost.

The Grace of Enough by Haley Stewart is part memoir of Stewart's family's adventure as they down-sized dramatically and moved to a farm in TX for her husband's work; and part primer on how to live intentionally so that your choices fit your values even if they differ from those around you.  Stewart does a wonderful job of sharing what worked for her family while still being open to how those choices might not work in other situations.  She also manages to write beautifully about her value system and how she and her family have chosen to live according to them without coming across judgmental about other approaches to home and family.

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick is the story of William Marshall, a knight and tournament  champion during the time of the Plantagenet Kings.  Fictionalized but based on extensive research of the actual man; Chadwick tells an amazing story of a liege knight who must navigate loyalty and politics as his liege lord shifts from King Henry II, to his eldest son Henry the Young King, back to King Henry and by the end of the book King Richard.  This is the third book of Chadwick's I've read, and continue to really enjoy her attention to detail and character development.

Please head over to Modern Mrs Darcy for more Quick Lit.