A Woman's Lot

I read and enjoyed the first book in the Meonbridge Chronicles, Fortune’s Wheel, a few months ago, so was pleased to hear from the author last week that it was available on NetGalley. A Woman’s Lot is set about three years after the first book, and again spans a couple of years, but this one, as the title suggests, had an even bigger focus on the lives of the village’s women. It’s rather like a medieval soap opera, and I mean that affectionately, with a mix of drama, family strife, romance and local politics, but also covering serious topics such as domestic violence, inequality and abuse of power, misogyny and male resistance to any change in women’s roles.

Beginning in 1352, the story is told mainly from the point of view of four women - relatively wealthy Eleanor, who has been building up her flock of sheep with the help of her trusty shepherd, Walter Nash, would like to marry but there is a shortage of eligible men since so many died during the Mortality (plague). Her assistant Emma is now happily married to Ralph, having lost her first husband in the previous book, but resents being paid less than a man for the same work, and wonders whether better opportunities might await outside the village. Susanna, also remarried, should be happy in her comfortable role as the miller’s wife, but misses working outside of the home, and worries that her once cheerful and kind husband has become morose and moody. Finally Agnes, daughter of Alice Atta Wode, one of the heroines of the first book, also resents her husband for preventing her from developing her carpentry skills, and struggles looking after her boisterous sons.

While it would help to have read Fortune’s Wheel, there is a helpful character list at the beginning, and plenty of recap with a fairly lengthy exposition taking up much for the first third, so isn’t essential. It’s well written and I loved all the details of 14th century life - the author has clearly done huge amounts of research, and I found Google images helped to visualise things like clothing - although there is also a glossary at the end. The women’s struggles against the unfairness of their patriarchal society, and powerlessness against male envy, pride or even malicious cruelty was at times hard for a modern day feminist to read - I would not have made a good medieval wife, that’s for sure. Happily, they do each get a hopeful if realistic ending, and there are more books to come to continue some of the other characters’ stories.

Many thanks to Carolyn Hughes, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review, which was given voluntarily. A Woman’s Lot is available now.

This is the second in the Meonbridge Chronicles, and like the first one it's a series of small stories which revolve around a mysterious death. Many of the characters from the first book feature, but with different people brought to the fore this time, which gives an opportunity for a range of voices and stations in life.

Meonbriddge, a small town in Hampshire, is recovering from the Plague a few years before and the impact that has had on society - particularly the women. Some women have more freedom and wealth as a result, and their independence isn't always well received in a society where women are expected to stay at home and have children. Others have married, but are chafing at the restrictions that puts upon them. The detail of those restrictions and expectations is deeply frustrating as a 21st century reader - not because of the writing but because it feels so unfair, and it's good to see how the characters react (it's not obviously anachronistic which is good). The historical detail of how eg the justice system works is also very well done. The book can be a little slow paced, but it fits very well with the rhythm of life in the town so it feels intentional rather than a lack of pacing. It's an enjoyable read all round, even the bad guys are sympathetically drawn, and it would also be a good book for book groups - plenty to discuss about women's role in society and how it's changed!

After the plague/Black Death, around 1352, families are still trying to find a balance. Women in the village start to take on more opportunities which is met with some resistance. The book takes you into the day to day lives of four women, Eleanor, Agnes, Emma, and Susanna. Although it was a man’s world, theirs is the story of women who tried to change it bit by bit. This is the second book in the series but don’t worry if you haven’t read the first, this book gives you a list of characters and descriptions at the beginning of the book that allows you to have the background before reading. It was very interesting reading and learning about medieval England and the ways of the common life they experienced. I now plan on going back and read the first book in her series.

I've been a fan of Carolyn Hughes since Fortune's Wheel and now this book just makes me lover her as a writer even more! This is the second novel in the Meonbridge Chronicles. In this novel you see that as always times are changing. This time you see husbands who have lost their wives, wives who have lost husbands. The sheer grasp of mortality that hangs in the balance. Women are finally coming into their own and desiring that so yearned for independence. This novel focuses on four different women and gives us internal look into their daily lives, thoughts, and emotions, all set among this backdrop. I highly recommend this novel!

Thank you to #netgalley and Carolyn Hughes for giving me the opportunity to read #awomanslot in exchange for an honest review.
Now that I am familiar with the characters of this 14th century English village from reading the previous novel, Fortune’s Wheel, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale continuing the story of many of the characters involved. It was interesting to see the increasing importance of women and women’s work and importance in society especially after the Great Mortality.
If you are interested in medeival history and like fictional accounts this should be right up your alley. Ms Hughes does a very nice job of making the story interesting and accessible to modern readers. I look forward to the next volume in the Meonbridge Chronicles.

The book paints a beautiful story of redemption and forgiveness. The story starts out with a boy stealing sheep and ends with redemption of a new life for the boy who committed thief.

Throughout the characters, author expressed love, forgiveness, community, and justice within the lives of women. It's a beautifully crafted story that completes the theme.

Its definitely a 5 star read.

I have just spent a pleasurable few hours revisiting the village of Meonbridge and its inhabitants in the second part of this series of books. It was like revisiting old friends, catching up with their lives in the aftermath of all the inhabitants who died during the Black Death. There is a shortage of men to fill all the jobs village life requires and many folk are still finding it hard coming to terms with all the loss of life.
The Prologue immediately drew me in with all the wonderful descriptions of two young lads biding their time to steal a sheep in the dark of night.
From there we revisit the lives of many of the main characters from Fortune's Wheel, how they are coping and what is happening to them. It really feels like you are watching events as they happen the descriptions are so powerful and engrossing. Can't wait for the third of this trilogy to be available.
Very many thanks to Netgalley/Carolyn Hughes/BooksGoSocial for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

The second of the series is as well balanced as the first. The development of characters over such a large arc is hard to achieve, but the author managed this well, developing some new characters as well as further illustrating some of the old. A fascinating illumination of a period in history for which information about ‘common’ women’s lives is not often known. A good strong story with the characteristic balance of well researched history that we have come to expect of Carolyn Hughes.

I received an ARC of this book a long time ago and was never in the right mood to do justice to it. I read half at some point and then finally sat myself down this week and finished it.

I am glad I pursued this story till its end because the culmination of the tale and the second half was very fast-paced making it worth the read. This is the second book in the series. The first was a very serious look at a town reeling from multiple deaths and trying to build itself up again. There are a lot of people involved in that tale and we only personally encounter a few of them who predominantly featured there in this installment. The story moves forward to cover more people/lives and troubles. 

I wish the women in this tale all had names starting with different letters, the number os As and Es made it a little confusing at times when reading at a go, this, however, is a very personal issue and might not cause anyone else the same difficulties. Although it took me a while to get around to it, it was a surprisingly easy book to finish. This story involves the overall impact crowd mentality could have on the safety of people or even at ensuring justice takes it appropriate action. We have husbands and wives (both current and possible future ones) as the center of this narrative. It is set in a time and place which is not steady by any means and fraught with troubles especially monetary. The landlords are shown in a more human light after the troubles of the previous book and parts of it were just notes on everyday life around the framework already described to us. I liked the happy endings of a few of the tales (since there are more than one as the story features more than one protagonist)

I would recommend this to serious readers of historical fiction and those who like looking at such books with a feminist perspective since this series continues to focus on the role the women play in this growing new society.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.