The Bridled Tongue
By Catherine Meyrick
England 1586.
Alyce Bradley has few choices when her father decides it is time she marry as many refuse to see her as other than the girl she once was--unruly, outspoken and close to her grandmother, a woman suspected of witchcraft.
Thomas Granville, an ambitious privateer, inspires fierce loyalty in those close to him and hatred in those he has crossed. Beyond a large dowry, he is seeking a virtuous and dutiful wife. Neither he nor Alyce expect more from marriage than mutual courtesy and respect.
As the King of Spain launches his great armada and England braces for invasion, Alyce must confront closer dangers from both her own and Thomas's past, threats that could not only destroy her hopes of love and happiness but her life. And Thomas is powerless to help.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
Book Title: The Bridled Tongue
Author: Catherine Meyrick
Publication Date: 1st February 2020
Publisher: Courante Publishing
Page Length: 358 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction
MY THOUGHTS!
When whispers become accusations, then your fate is in God's hands – at least you hoped it would be. But every word uttered can be spun in such a way that the verdict is reached before all the evidence has been gathered, and the evidence, the crucial evidence that would prove a woman's innocence can suddenly go missing. Only a miracle can save her now.
From the moment I sat down to read this novel, I became utterly captivated. This is the story of one woman who is falsely accused of being a witch. It is a heart-wrenching story that left me in tears. It is also a tender romance, which made the narrative all the more real in the telling. Alyce Bradley is a character that I really came to care about, and I really feared for her life on more than one occasion. Her vile family, in particular her sister, demonstrated the wickedness of jealously and the desperation of someone whose own life has not turned out the way she had hoped. Isabel is not happy, and she cannot abide that her sister is. It is a very tragic situation and one that saw me reaching for the tissues.
I thought the historical setting of this novel was masterfully portrayed. It did feel like I had stepped back in time to Elizabethan England. The ordinary citizens' everyday life has been depicted with such care and attention to detail that I felt I was living in the moment with these characters during this time. It is an extraordinary achievement on the authors part, to write such a brilliant backdrop in which to tell her story.
Aside from a wicked witch hunt, this is also a novel about unexpected love. I really enjoyed reading about Alyce and Thomas's relationship and watching the love blossom between the pair of them, and I was hoping they would have their happy ending, despite all the seemingly insurmountable barriers that were in their way.
I thought this novel was a wonderful book from beginning to end. I enjoyed every minute of it.
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Catherine Meyrick
Catherine grew up in regional Victoria, but has lived all her adult life in Melbourne, Australia. Until recently she worked as a customer service librarian at her local library. She has a Master of Arts in history and is also an obsessive genealogist. When not writing, reading and researching, Catherine enjoys gardening, the cinema and music of all sorts from early music and classical to folk and country and western and, not least of all, taking photos of the family cat to post on Instagram.
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I enjoyed this novel as well. You've done a wonderful review.
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