I so loved the Woman of Substance and all the books that followed about this family but I think it’s been too many years since then as I didn’t enjoy this title as much as the others. The first half I thought dragged and then once Emma and Laura were introduced the story got better. Fans of Bradford should give this a read as I’m sure they will enjoy it more than I did.

A Man of Honor
by Barbara Taylor Bradford (Goodreads Author)
39272121
Marilyn Kurtis's review Dec 10, 2021 · edit
really liked it
bookshelves: marilyn-s-challenge

I had read A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford many years ago and although I could not recall all the details about it I remembered really enjoying it. It was no wonder then that I was excited when I saw the audiobook, A Man of Honor. It was described as the prequel to A Woman of Substance. It was well narrated by Aidan Kelly. The characters were rich, full of depth and satisfying. It took place five years prior to the beginning of where A Woman of Substance began. It gave good insight into Blackie O’Neill’s character. His ambition, determination, thoughtfulness and sincerity shone throughout.

Blackie O’Neill was just thirteen years old when his whole world came crashing down on him. He had already lost his mother and father and several siblings when his only remaining sister fell ill and also died. Blackie had become an orphan living in the most dire of times. His home was in rural County Kerry in Ireland. He lived in true poverty and always wondered where his next meal would come from. Blackie was tall and very good looking. He was called Blackie because of his black hair and eyes. It was a nickname that everyone who knew him called him. Luckily for Blackie, his mother’s brother, Patrick, offered to move Blackie to Leeds, England where he lived with his wife and become his guardian. Uncle Patrick offered to bring Blackie into his building business and teach him everything about it so he could eventually partner up with him and they could run the business together. Blackie had had a very hard life up until this pointe but he was determined to learn the business and make his uncle proud of him. His biggest ambition in life was to become a builder of houses and make lots of money. Blackie was on his way to accomplishing all that and more when he was commissioned to a home on the Yorkshire Moors to make some improvements for the gentleman that lived there. That winter morning, Blackie found himself trying to navigate the moors when he feared he was helplessly lost. Luckily, Blackie spotted a figure ahead of him and hoped the figure would help him find his way. The figure that Blackie spotted was a kitchen maid who worked at the home he was trying to get to. That was how Blackie made the acquaintance of Emma Harte. Their lives would be interconnected from that point on. Both would stop at nothing until they had become “a woman of substance and a man of substance”. Their reasons for doing so were very different but neither one of them would stop until they had accomplished that goal for themself.

I enjoyed listening to A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Now I feel like I must read or listen to A Woman of Substance again. I wonder and kind of hope that Ms. Bradford writes more about some of the lesser characters she included in this book. I am hoping for more books to follow A Man of Honor. It was an inspiring book and I recommend it very highly.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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I have read all of Barbara Taylor Bradford books but struggled with this one. I realize that it is before A Woman of Substance, but I felt that I was constantly having to remember characters. It may be the difference in how long it occurred after the first book. A Man of Honor begins with 13-year-old Blackie O’Neill facing an uncertain future in rural Ireland. He is orphaned and alone, just burying his sister, Bronagh, and now has to leave his home for England,. He is going to live with his uncle in Leeds. Blackie learns a trade and begins to build his life when he meets a kitchen maid named Emma Harte. Blackie is ambitious, driven, disciplined, and determined to make it to the top, but is also fundamentally a good man.

This is the first book that I’ve read by Barbara Taylor Bradford and I can see why the Harte Family Saga series is so popular! I am grateful that this is the first novel that I am reading as A Man of Honor is set five years before A Woman of Substance begins, so when I am able to start this novel I will have a good foundation to the series.

A Man of Honor is the story of Blackie O’Neill, starting when he’s thirteen, after burying his sister. He’s now an orphan, but he’s willing to fight for a better life in England with his uncle, and shows his ambition and wonderful personality. Blackie’s character shines through the pages, and it is truly a joy to read, watching Blackie develop.

We also get to meet Emma, who is searching for Blackie in Leeds, and we see the relationship between Blackie and Emma grow into fruition, which is quite enjoyable. I admired the ambition and drive of both leading characters, and how they overcame the obstacles put before them. My curiosity is piqued as far as the rest of the series, as I feel connected to these characters, and would love to find out where the author takes them in the future.

After reading this I learned it was the prequel to A Woman Of Substance. I have never read that one, published many years ago. Man of Honor is about a 13 year old Blackie. He was orphaned and taken in my a relative. This was an excellent book. Reading about Blackie growing from a lost teenage boy to a real Man Of Honor. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read this book.

This was such a great prequel and made me miss the sagas of the 70s! We all loved Emma and Blackie so truly fun to read about him pre-Emma!

I honestly couldn’t even get into this book. For some reason it was just too difficult for me to read. Nothing really called to my interest.

I struggled between a 2 and 3 stars with this one; it took SO LONG to get into. I have not read A Woman of Substance so maybe that was it? It also seemed to drag on in places, where it seemed like nothing was really going on. My favorite part was part 5 and we get to see more of Emma and Blackie. I think I’ll try to read Woman of Substance because I want to see what happens with Emma…she’s immensely intriguing!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy.

3.5 Stars This is the first book of Barbara Taylor Bradford that I have read. I didn’t even realize it was a prequel until I finished the book and saw it on GoodReads.
While I loved parts of this book, other parts left me confused. The characters were well defined, and I loved them.
The book confused me towards the middle. The beginning part was about Blackie O’Neill and his journey from being a very poor kid with no family to one who travels to England to be with his uncle & aunt. In the middle of the book, it switches over to Lord Lassiter and his family. Then it switches back to Blackie and all of the people he meets.
There are some story lines that left me hanging and am wondering if those will be coming in another book?
Overall, I liked the story and will go on to read the Woman of Substance series.
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book.

Oh Barbara Taylor Bradford! One of my favorite authors. I read a lot of her books and I’ve loved them. She is the QUEEN of the strong woman and family saga.

So…it pains me that I didn’t love A Man of Honor. This is supposed to be Blackie’s story; a prequel to her 80s series, A Woman of Substance, the Emma Harte saga. But, around part 3 she started wandering in her story-telling and I found the story a little chaotic. And some of the storytelling was a little repetitive.

I definitely will revisit A Woman if Substance but I really wish that this story was either left untold or told much better (maybe a series of novellas to really explore Blackie, Robert Lassiter, Moira, Emma’s early story, etc).

Thank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the advanced e-copy of #amanofhonor .

I have got to say, I don't understand the prequel almost thirty years as being needed. I honestly think BTB needed to tell us more about a beloved character of hers. But really it seems too late. There could have been a prequel added to a re-issue of A Woman of Substance. or added it as new content in a revised edition for new fans of BTB, as she is an extraordinary writer who knows what she is doing and is gaining new fans as well as us aging fans.
The Story of Blackie in Ireland would have been better if it lasted longer and I also would have loved to have read more on Emma, which was just given to us at the end of A Man of Honor. But if you are looking for more insight to a character you already love you will not be disappointed, you will just want more.

This was a good story, but too slow and rambling for my taste. It could have been so much better. I really dislike books with abrupt endings, and this one had a very abrupt ending -- so disappointing.

I knew this was a proof copy when I started reading, but I did not expect so very many errors: missing commas, which can change the meaning of a sentence; verb tense disagreement within sentences; redundancies such as stating multiple times that it had been 4 years since Blackie moved to live with his uncle and aunt; passages such as "above the vaulted roof above"-- one "above" is enough; excessive and unnecessary use of the word "that" was very distracting; and my pet peeve: split infinitives. I had never read a book by this author before, but because of her fame, I expected much better prose. I give the story 4 stars, but for the writing, I give 3 stars.

This was a very well written story. The author does a wonderful job describing the characters and the scene and taking you on a journey with the characters as they go through the trials of life. I liked how she told the story and it made me want to continue to read more book by her and about these characters.

One thing that’s evident with Bradford’s writing is her ability to pull you into the story. Its the sequel to A Woman of Substance and in this story, we learn the background of Blackie O’Neill. An orphan, he leaves rural County Kerry to live with his uncle in Leeds and there his life really begins. He learns his trade and in Yorkshire meets a kitchen maid with the name of Emma Harte. If you are a fan of the Harte Family Saga, you will want to read this prequel. My problem with the book is the last half which felt much like a rewrite of A Woman of Substance

This is the prequel to A Woman of Substance which came out before this book. I haven't read A Woman of Substance, but upon seeing this book I was interested in doing so! Thus I decided to read this one before going on to A Woman of Substance..

A Man of Honor opens 5 years prior to the start of A Woman of Substance, and tells the story of Blackie O'Neill. Orphaned and alone this is a story of how he survives amid the horror and devastation he encounters in his life.
His only chance of survival as a 13 year old boy all alone, lies with uncle who lives far away in Leeds. While working for his Uncle, he dreams of throwing off the impotence of poverty, of building houses and perhaps even of becoming a gentleman! Then he meets a kitchen maid called Emma Harte. And as the Victorian world gives way to the freedom of the Edwardian age, so a young man and a servant girl seize a chance, against the odds, to build a better life.

While this was a harrowing read, it was one I kept coming back to. You get invested in knowing how it ends (especially I would image if you are like me and haven't read A Woman of Substance).

I thought A Man of Honor to be a pretty good read. It is my first I have read by this author and will be looking for more by her. Four stars.

Years ago, I had read A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford and remembered enjoying it. This book is the prequel and allows us to discover how Emma and Blackie met. I enjoyed revisiting the characters and finding out the back story. I wanted to love this book but it moved too slow for me. I had to restart many times to get through it.

As a fan of the Emma Harte books, I was delighted to see that this book was about Blackie O’Neill and his past. You do not have to have read the other books as this is good as a stand-alone as well. Blackie is 13 years old in 1899, living with his young cousins, having lost all his family due to the circumstances in Ireland at the time. He has the opportunity to move to England to live with his Uncle Pat, who will train him in his business. His ambition and diligence to hard work are apparent even at such a young age. I found it quite interesting to learn about life circumstances in this period of history. There is also a gentry side to this book with Lord Lassiter and his family. Blackie’s cousins work for the family in Ireland, and Blackie connects with them in England as well. The book follows Blackie’s progression to become the builder that he dreams of, and also touches on his relationship with Emma Harte, whose ambition is no less than his own.

Also reviewed on Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

I have mixed feelings about this prequel to the Harte Family saga with a lot of characters that moved in and out of the story and quite frankly I was confused much of the time. I did like Blackie O'Neill who was ambitious and disciplined and enjoyed his dynamic with the other characters. This is the first book I have read in this series and it may be good for me to read the others for a better understanding of all that is happening. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Great way to start of the New Year! This was amazing. Barbara Taylor Bradford has a way of storytelling, like no other author. Her character development is unbelievable. She transports you to another time of past time. Bradford writes in a way that makes you feel a part of the book. When I finish one of her books, I just have to sit a minute. I feel a little sadness, if that makes since, I feel as though I am leaving great friends behind and hope one day to meet them again.

This is the prequel to the Harte Family Saga. It shows how Blackie and Emma meet. It's mostly about Blackie's early life. His life was rough, until he got the chance to go live with his UnclePatrick and his wife, Eileen. The book covers how Blackie grew into the man he is now. It also shows how Emma Harte began and the luck she had.

I had not read any of the Harte Family Saga, but after this book, I will be looking for them. If you like historical fiction, you must give this book a try. Heck, if you haven't read Barbara Taylor Bradford before, you need to. You want believe the power she has over you as you read one of her books. She is a master storyteller.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Published December 28, 2021.