"Tidelands: neither land nor sea, but wet and dry twice a day, never drowned for long but never drying out."

This setting for the newest Philippa Gregory novel is a character in and of itself. A brand new series for Gregory (The Fairmile #1) lures the reader to the Saxon shore in the mid-17C as a civil war (King vs Parliament) is in full swing. Love, injustice, discrimination, and loyalty take center stage as themes running throughout this novel. The set-up to the series keeps the pace controlled (some may say slow) but speeds up significantly in the second half.
".... the ugliness of these people’s lives on the very edge of the shore, with their loves and hates ebbing and flowing like a muddy tide, with their anger roaring like the water in the millrace, with their hatreds and fears as treacherous as the hushing well." There are joys and triumphs as well, and a surprising betrayal which kept this reader guessing until the final pages.

I have enjoyed Ms. Gregory's writing since "The Other Boleyn Girl", but took an unintentional reprieve from the Tudors more than a few years ago. It's wonderful to be back, appreciating her smooth dialogue and lyrical prose, in what I'm sure will be a historical fiction favorite.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

The harsh and precarious life of a poor midwife, who is also an abandoned wife is contrasted with the circumstances and lifestyle of her neighbors in the surrounding area: the household of the lord of the manor, the prosperous miller and the independent landowner farmer. Against this background glimpses of King Charles I and his family and royalist supporters versus the Cromwell supported parliament members serve to bring the contrasts even sharper. Alinor is a hard working single mother who is well respected for her talents as a healer but viewed with underlying suspicion that she maybe too talented and perhaps employing the dark arts. She helps a visitor find his way to the royalist lord and over the course of the summer a secret forbidden romance develops. Alinor may be able to declare her husband legally dead in a few years and be free to marry her secret lover, her daughter Alys will be able to marry her beau, the farmer's son with the money for a proper dowry and her son will be apprenticed to an apothecary. All will be better with the family and then everything goes wrong. I was biting my nails at the end of the book and am eagerly waiting the next installment to the tale.

I was a huge fan of Philippa Gregory's historical novels, which burst with intrigue, bold characters, and historical mayhem. I was less a fan of the romance series, like the Wideacre books and Meridon. "Tidelands" fits into the latter series, and is planned as a series.

For Philippa Gregrory, "Tidelands" is a 3.5 read. I was feeling that it was going to turn into a women-and -potions tale with some poor herbalist harried for her ability to heal. It does turn into that but with a little more polish and action.

Alinor is a very poor (but beautiful) woman who lives in the shifting tidelands of the Saxon shore, eking out a living as a midwife and herbalist. Her husband left on a fishing trip and never returned, so now Alinor, her daughter Alys and son Rob, struggle not to starve and live in limbo, hoping their nasty paterfamilias with wash up on the shore so Alinor can be an actual widow and hoping equally that he'll just never be seen again.

It's during the English Civil War, and Alinor offers shelter to a mysterious man lost on the shore. He's a priest on a mission to help King Charles I escape to France. Once he's connected to the lord of Alinor's area, her life changes. Her son get's a job at the manor, the Lord offers to pay his apprentice fees, and she has fallen in love with James, the priest, and he with her.

Gregory is masterful at revealing the conflict between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, the old religion and the new. The there's no glass to total misery of the majority of the population. Alinor's daughter Alys works dawn to dusk in the fields and her younger son earns a pittance scaring crows.

The denouement is over the top, much like her other romance series. But is it satisfying? You bet. And will I read the next installment in Alinor's saga? No question.

~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader

I don't think it's possible for Philippa Gregory to write a bad book. I was hooked from the first page and loved every moment I spent in the past she so eloquently described.

Philippe Gregory is a fantastic author whose writing is wonderful. His books are detailed and the characters are well developed. A must read.

4.5 stars! I have started making my way through Philippa Gregory’s fabulous books, and I was so excited to read her newest series and novel, Tidelands.

In this story, the reader is taken to 1648 England, in the midst of the Civil War between King and Parliament.

I loved the research that went into this book, and I’m always amazed at Gregory’s storytelling talent to retell history. I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction, and can only imagine what life for a woman would have been like during the 1640’s!

*Thank you to Atria books for this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of Tidelands by Philippa Gregory. I’ve enjoyed some of her earlier books and was looking forward to her latest outing. Alinor, whose husband has deserted her and their two children, walks a fine line between being a skilled herbalist/midwife and being considered a witch. Tidelands is described as “neither sea nor shore neither wet or dry, and no-one ever leaves”. Stuck, poor and struggling, beautiful Alinor meets a noble priest who questions, “a woman like you in a place like this?”. Set against the backdrop of the struggle between Oliver Cromwell’s supporters and those backing the king, it is an interesting time. Yet all the romance seemed a little too much and I had trouble finding the characters or plot believable. Historically interesting but definitely not a great read. With Gregory’s impeccable reputation for research, this could have been so much better.

Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite authors.She has written another involving novel.A book that transported me back in time with characters that come alive.#netgalley#atriabooks

TIDELANDS by Philippa Gregory is a historical mystery that will transport you back in time to the mid-sixteen hundreds. A perilous time for women, especially women who could easily be pointed out as a witch. I have not read this author’s novels previously. I just love historical thrillers! I could tell right away that the story was setting up a new series that I’m sure will garner many new readers to the story about Alinor and her children. Alinor copes the best she can with a “missing husband” that she would appreciate remaining missing. Lol. Her children mean everything to her. But, despite all of this.. she makes a decision to assist a fugitive of the ongoing religious war that is taking place in Britain. This is during the time that Brits guilty of practicing Catholicism could be arrested and most likely found guilty of whatever and put to death. I enjoyed the story quite a bit! I found it to have quite a bit of set up in the beginning and then the story starts picking up speed. I look forward to reading the next book in the series as I was left waiting to find out more.. much, much more! Good stuff!

Set against the English Civil War, between Parliamentarians and Royalists over the governance.

The Isle of Wight, 1648: The king is imprisoned and rebellious parliament is in power.

Sussex, 1648: Alinor, living on the tidelands of the Saxon shore, is 27 and already very weary. Now, a widow of the missing fisherman and abusive husband. Her path crosses with a priest in hiding. James believes in the old religion and in restoring king to its rightful place. Alinor helps him to pass the treacherous marsh.

The vivid portrayal of tidelands makes the beginning of the story very engrossing. Only the people of the SeaIsea Island know how to tread its waters and tides to avoid getting a foot caught by a quick mud and body snatched by waters.

As the story progresses, there is a suspension of wanting to know where the story goes and what happens between Alinor and James, but the progression of the story is very slow. After a while it catches with you that the story is going hardly anywhere and the front action is Alinor’s feelings for James and vice versa. There are some small twists, but it is not enough to make it an engaging read.

From the beginning, Alinor’s daughter notices a difference in Alinor, her look (after meeting James) or her looking like she is listening for something (Jame’s footsteps). The daughter inherits the vision from mother, and I understand her abilities, but maybe the presentation of it didn’t make it believable.

Also, some accusations of Alinor having her kids with a faerie lord. I understand some old-time believes, but this was another thing that was questionable in this story.

I enjoyed the part with Alinor’s son, who advances from doing menial outdoor work to a meaningful indoor position, thanks to James. He is also good with recognizing herbs and knowing their use, which he inherits after his mom. Alinor, midwife and herbalist, comes from a long line of wise women. And that shows a promising future for him. But his quick advance makes some people suspicious and scheming.

Nevertheless, for such long story, the plot could be better developed, with more conceivable effects and less mystery of unearthly things.

I’ve been a huge fan of Philippa Gregory, but at some point I broke away from her books as her concentration is in English court and I wanted to expend my horizons. I was glad to see something different written by her, but this is not her best book.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by it! The author depicts the town and the people beautifully so that you truly understand the times during a pivotal moment in English history. The romantic tension between Father James and Alinor was juicy and I am quite looking forward to Book 2!

Great read! I've been a fan of Philippa Gregory's previous work, and this one does not disappoint. While still taking place in England, royal life is no longer the focus. Tideland's protagonist, Alinor, is a midwife and herbalist living in poverty along the marshy coast against a backdrop of England coming out of civil war with a king in exile. Alinor meets and falls in love with a gentleman loyal to the king and on secret mission to rescue the king. Societal classes dictate that this gentleman would never consider a woman such as Alinor. These societal tensions provide further richness to the story.

I was lucky enough to win an e-galley of Philippa Gregory's TIDELANDS in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look at this title!

Thank you to Atria Books for sending me a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Gregory once again delivers a beautifully-wrought, historically-accurate love story. But instead of a tale of famous kings and queens, this time Gregory takes us into a life of poverty in 1648.

If you enjoy historical fiction, be sure to check out Tidelands when it publishes on August 20.

Natural Ability To Recall An Age Long Lost

The beauty of Gregory’s work is her ability to invoke and capture the past. I find that historical fiction authors will often bring modern sensibilities to a historical setting, which causes me no shortage of frustration. Not Gregory. And certainly not Gregory in Tidelands.

The setting is 1648, and superstition rules the day. Even the most educated, wealthy characters suffer from the flaws and fears of the time – intense superstition, sexism, and fear of social mobility. AND THEY SHOULD! This is not the world of television, internet, and scientific invention. Women were burned alive for being witches with regularity. So I APPRECIATED that Gregory did not make some superior hero character that defied all conventions. Because realistically, that person would not have existed.

The pacing in this book is exceptionally well-done. Tidelands revolves around the themes of poverty and social change. It is not non-stop action because these people’s lives were not non-stop action. I found that the plodding, methodical nature of the plot lent a certain historical veracity to the novel as a whole. It is a clever device employed by an author who has been around the block a time or two or fifteen. Granted, it does means portions of the story are slow, but again, this adds, not detracts, from the overall story.

But Gregory also brings enormous, impactful historical moments to life with grand detail. In one scene, we witness the trial and execution of Charles I (not a spoiler because this is historical fact) in exceptional detail. Before beginning this book, I brushed up on my details of the time period through Wikipedia. I learned Charles I had a trial and was executed. Interesting, I think. Good to know. But, I am not moved – it is a purely factual transaction between Wikipedia and me. But then Gregory describes the same events in Tidelands, and I am transported. Because these were PEOPLE, living their lives in the best way they knew how, beginning to question the power of their sop of a king. And THAT, more than anything, displays Gregory’s true skill as an author – her ability to transcend the blur of history, to make it relatable to readers today.

The Sharp Lines of Poverty

Tidelands is an interesting break from Gregory’s War of the Roses work. The focus is not royalty, but rather on the sharp divides of poverty and wealth in 1600s England. Our main character is a poor midwife, recently abandoned by her husband. She falls in love with a wealthy noble, turned Roman Catholic priest. The divide between these two is stark and obvious. He lives a life of privilege with time to engage in espionage and pursue interests beyond his next meal. His greatest wish is to aid Charles I. She lives a life of poverty, always looking for her next coin. Her greatest wish is to obtain a fishing boat.

But the more interesting contrast is actually between Alys (Alinor’s daughter) and Richard Stoney (her betrothed), the sole heir of a nearby farm. Seemingly, both characters are relatively low on the social ladder. But realistically, in this day and age, they are world’s apart. Richard’s family owns a farm, free and clear of the local lord. And so, his family looks down on Alys, demanding a high dowery that Alinor will struggle to provide. This contrast between the land-owning farmer and the non-landowning tenant, struck me sharply, even more than Alinor and James, who were a more obvious mismatch.

And again, this is not a time of social mobility. If you were born poor, you died poor. If you were born wealthy, you died wealthy. I anticipate in the coming books of this series, we will see Alinor defy convention and move up the social ladder, but Gregory convincingly sets the groundwork of the time in Tidelands.

Beautifully Rendered Love Story

I’m a sucker for a good love story. And this one between James and Alinor is top notch. Now, granted, it’s quick – these two do not dance around the idea of love for very long before plunging head first. But despite this quickness, Gregory renders it with total believability.

James told Alinor he could not believe he found a “woman like her in a place like this.” *sigh* But Alinor’s poverty soon begins to affect her decisions and her willingness to take risks. And as Alinor’s reality begins to affect James in everyday life, his tune changes. And in one moment Gregory writes, “He wanted her to be the lover of his fevered dream, not the woman who struggled in this sordid world.” And this just really resonates, doesn’t it? James wanted her to be HIS VERSION of her. It’s painfully relatable because it is HUMAN. We still form similar thoughts and opinions today, wanting people to change, imposing our own desires onto others. The takeaway, of course, is that while the times may change and technology may develop, the basics tenets of humanity remain ever in place.

Conclusion

Tidelands publishes on August 20. If you enjoy historical fiction, check it out. But honestly, if you do not enjoy the genre, then skip this one. While I enjoyed Tidelands immensely, it is unlikely to be a genre-transcending type of book.

Also, Ms. Gregory, that ending was intense and amazing, and I simply cannot wait to read the second installment in this series!

This review, and others, are on my blog at www.deargentlebookworm.com and my instagram @deargentlebookworm (less)

This book is set during the 1600s in England in an area known as the Tidelands, a marshy ever changing land where poverty is the norm. It follows the family of Alinor, an abandoned wife who serves as the village midwife. When she comes upon a stranger one night and offers him refuge, she has no idea how this will change her life. The stranger, a priest who serves the exiled King Charles, initially helps Alinor's son to obtain a better position in thanks for her help but the feelings that develop between him and Alinor put everything in danger. This story had a slow beginning, but the pace and action sped up as the book went on. While I am a huge fan of this author, this book is not my favorite from her. I will probably continue to read the series to find out what happens to Alinor's family. Gregory's books that are set at court tend to be more engaging than those set elsewhere.

As a big fan of Philippa Gregory, I was excited to get an advance copy of this book. Tidelands is the first in a new series that takes place in rural England in the mid-1600s. I had a really hard time getting into this story and getting through it. Gregory certainly does her research -- fully immersing you into another time and place. It picked up steam with a suspenseful (cliffhanger) ending, but for me it was too little too late. Maybe I just really missed reading about the Tudors! Fans of Gregory will still want to give this a try, but I am undecided if I would want to read book #2.

Being my first Philippa Gregory novel, Tidelands was a lovely surprise. The writing style is fluid and readable, and the descriptions of the landscape and daily life are beautifully detailed, transporting the reader effortlessly to the 17th century. With well-developed and believable characters, It has the perfect balance of historical and imaginative components. The romance is at times a bit of escapist soap opera, but in the end the book, balances out into an excellent relaxing summer read. Highly recommended.

Tidelands by Philippa Gregrory is a departure from her most popular books. This story centers on Alinor a poor, abandoned, fisherman's wife living on the edge of a small village during the time of England's Second Civil War. As always, Ms. Gregory fills this novel with carefully researched details. This time the focus is the life of poor women and their options rather than those connected to the royal court. Politics still plays a part in the story, but it is a more minor role, not a major focus. For me the story was very slow to develop. The first half of the book is full of detailed descriptions and details that become important later, but it wasn't until the final few chapters that their importance is realized and the action really picks up. At the end, I could appreciate all of the details that built up to the climax. The publisher and NetGalley provided me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Philippa Gregory, with her detailed knowledge of history, brings us beautiful characters and storylines that are both heart wrenching and relevant. I could not put Tidelands down. As I read, I felt every ache and fear that each of the characters experienced. Gregory has done a phenomenal job with this novel. She gives us a true picture of the slave trade from the African's point of view, from the slave trader's perspective, and all those who were affected by this horrible practice of England's history.

I've read and enjoyed almost all of Philippa Gregory's books. This one was no different and when I saw an opportunity to read an advanced copy through NetGalley I jumped on it. What is different is that it isn't centered around royalty, but a poor woman living in 17th century England. Alinor is a poor woman who is trying to raise her two children after her husband goes fishing and doesn't return. All this is happening at a time when a woman being alone wasn't acceptable. It's a story of love and intrigue. It's the first of a series of books and I can't wait to read the next ones.