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William & Lucy

by Michael Brown (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 17 ratings · 12 reviews

Michael Brown Pens Outstanding Novel of an Untold Romance between William Wordsworth and the Lucy of his poems.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Michael Brown’s remarkable work, William & Lucy, takes place in England at the end of the 18th century, which marked the dawn of the Romantic Era in poetry. Wordsworth, at 28 years of age, encounters a mysterious young woman named Lucy and...more Michael Brown Pens Outstanding Novel of an Untold Romance between William Wordsworth and the Lucy of his poems.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Michael Brown’s remarkable work, William & Lucy, takes place in England at the end of the 18th century, which marked the dawn of the Romantic Era in poetry. Wordsworth, at 28 years of age, encounters a mysterious young woman named Lucy and both are smitten. Rather like Dante and his Beatrice, William and Lucy become one of the more captivating relationships in literature.

Romanticism in poetry, as personified by Wordsworth, was marked by meditation, worship of nature, and the decision to abandon classical verse by composing poems for the common man. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge led the way with the second edition of their book “Lyrical Ballads,” which became the single most important book of poetry in the history of English literature. The Lucy poem in that volume, “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways”, one of five Lucy poems he composed during his lifetime, presents Lucy living in rural Somerset and charts her “growth, perfection, and death” according to literary critic Geoffrey Durant. Lucy’s unresolved identity has intrigued literary historians for ages. Who was she? Where did she come from? Did she ever exist? No one knows. This is William and Lucy’s story…

The drama plays out during a time when young Wordsworth and Lucy are beset with personal, political and financial challenges: Lucy, a governess and artist, must fight off the unwanted sexual advances of her employer and he won’t be denied. Her troubles only worsen when she is accused of stealing by the lady of the house. For his part, William’s revolutionary style of poetry is labeled by critics as ‘mere doggerel’; William finds himself due to this and other factors, fast approaching abject poverty. To make matters worse, England is at war with France and the poet is accused of being a French spy due to his outspoken political views, the punishment for which is death by hanging.

At long last Michael Brown, through dedicated research and imaginative storytelling, has released the poet laureate from the bondage of his dour portrayal in history and has given us the flesh and blood Wordsworth, a man of adventure and passion. And for the first time ever the author originates the identity of LUCY in a love story that has never been told.

To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact publisher at tarnpublishing@gmail.com.
To purchase this book log onto:
Amazon.com, Kindle.com and most eBook outlets.

About the Author
Michael Brown has won 3 Emmy Awards, an ACE Eddie Award and a Lifetime Career Achievement Award as a film editor. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America & the Writers Guild of America and has sold ten scripts to ABC, CBS & NBC. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Holly. This is his first novel.
William & Lucy * by Michael Brown
A Tale Of Suspicion And Love
Official Publication Date: April 12, 2012 Available now as an eBook & POD
Trade Paperback; $15.95; 358 pages(less)

Paperback, 358 pages

Published December 9th 2011 by tarn publishingh]

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May 05, 2013 Jean Gill rated it 4 of 5 stars

My big problem with this book is that I believed it completely and so will forever see Wordsworth and Lucy the way Michael Brown showed them to me – great storytelling and blending of fiction with historical fact. Lucy stays in your mind as a real historical character, more than ‘a violet by a mossy stone.’ Overall, the period feel is very well-created in its detail of everyday life. I loved the Coleridge household, with its marital tensions.

I know Wordsworth’s poetry well, but not his life, an...more
My big problem with this book is that I believed it completely and so will forever see Wordsworth and Lucy the way Michael Brown showed them to me – great storytelling and blending of fiction with historical fact. Lucy stays in your mind as a real historical character, more than ‘a violet by a mossy stone.’ Overall, the period feel is very well-created in its detail of everyday life. I loved the Coleridge household, with its marital tensions.

I know Wordsworth’s poetry well, but not his life, and I was completely caught up in the story of William’s relationship with the Lucy of his poems. As no-one knows whether Lucy was real or imagined, the mystery of the love affair is an ideal premise for a historical novel and Michael Brown does justice to the period and the varied characters.

The story is engaging and although the ending is inevitable to anyone who has read the Lucy poems, interest in how it will happen takes over from the suspense of wondering what will happen. How will Wordsworth get off the charge of being a foreign spy? Without giving the plot away, I thought Michael Brown’s answer to that lifted the whole novel to a higher level, with a pleasing rightness. The play on words, however, was too contrived for me to buy into but that’s a minor criticism. What will be Lucy’s fate? Again, the answer was dramatically satisfying.

I found the dialogue generally well written, especially the rural dialect, but there are occasional snatches of modern American, which jar on my British ear. Sometimes emotions were delivered too openly and easily; the reader is never in any doubt what the characters think and feel, and rarely has to read between the lines. Sometimes, the plot teetered on melodrama (for example, the scenes with the wicked employer) but the story was well-structured and I always wanted to read on. As this is Michael Brown’s first novel, I hope he leaves a little more for readers to figure out themselves in his future books, but I would definitely read more of his work.

I have a personal preference for longer chapters, with merely stars or spaces to indicate changes of viewpoint, but that’s just a formatting choice.(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Amber Easton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Some novels are able to transcend the boundaries of imagination where they touch our hearts in gentle ways that leave us nostalgic when we turn the last page: such is the impact of William & Lucy. The characters are brought to life with grace and intelligence. More often than not, I found myself smiling in writer kinship with Wordsworth's pain of finding the right word and his panic when a journal of precious work falls into water. He became more than a name of a famous poet, more than a cha...more Some novels are able to transcend the boundaries of imagination where they touch our hearts in gentle ways that leave us nostalgic when we turn the last page: such is the impact of William & Lucy. The characters are brought to life with grace and intelligence. More often than not, I found myself smiling in writer kinship with Wordsworth's pain of finding the right word and his panic when a journal of precious work falls into water. He became more than a name of a famous poet, more than a character in a novel...he became a man I wish I'd known.

Bringing forth a tale based on history is no easy task and I applaud Michael Brown for mastering the feat. The story of William Wordsworth and Lucy Sims flows seamlessly and eloquently. Never once did I feel that history intruded on the story; rather, it served as a solid foundation from which the author's imagination soared. I found myself transported back in time, imagining poets lamenting about their freedom to speak out against the aristocracy, feeling Lucy's helplessness at being a girl during a time when that didn't present many options and experiencing the excitement of love when it's all about discovery and hope.

The author credits the poem She Dwells Upon the Untrodden Ways for his inspiration. After reading the novel, I went back and read all of the Lucy poems by Wordsworth hoping to share one with you all in this review. That's not happening. Even if you've read them and are familiar with Wordsworth, do yourself a favor and read this novel before re-reading the poems because they will have much more impact. Trust me.

If you love history, read this book. If you love brilliant writing, read this book. If you love romance, read this book. If you love a page turning ending, read this book. Yes, even though it's based on historical facts, William & Lucy delivers an ending that will have your heart pumping.

Excellent job, Michael Brown. Not only did I enjoy your novel, I believe I learned a thing or two along the way. I can't rate this book high enough--I'll say five stars because that's the norm, it seems, but it's worthy of a ten.(less)

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Mar 04, 2013 Susie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, romance

This can be found on my blog: http://susreviews.blogspot.com/2013/0...

A penniless poet struggles to keep him and his sister afloat in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. A young orphaned woman takes a position as a governess to two children whose father is entirely too friendly. An agent for the crown is sent to a small town to investigate allegations of a traitor, maybe even a spy, posing as a poet. Their lives will intertwine to change one another permanently...

William Wordsworth isn't having...more This can be found on my blog: http://susreviews.blogspot.com/2013/0...

A penniless poet struggles to keep him and his sister afloat in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. A young orphaned woman takes a position as a governess to two children whose father is entirely too friendly. An agent for the crown is sent to a small town to investigate allegations of a traitor, maybe even a spy, posing as a poet. Their lives will intertwine to change one another permanently...

William Wordsworth isn't having a very good week. His landlord is kicking him and his sister out, the local town bullies are after him, he's received news that he's being investigated by the crown and he's lost his muse. Then he meets a young woman, Lucy Sims, and his words are able to flow forth again. He needs to see her again. But how can he try to win her heart when his whole world is so tumultuous?

18th Century England doesn't have many choices for orphaned 17 year old girls, but Lucy Sims is going to make it in the world. She is going to be a governess until she is 18, then she is going to sell her paintings and take the world by surprise that a female has painted such wonderful landscapes. But a stranger puts a kink in her plan when her heart falls for him. And she may have to leave her position sooner than she expected if the Squire, the man whose children she teaches, doesn't stop his attempts to force her into his bed.

Geoffrey Walsh has been assigned to investigate William Wordsworth on the grounds of being rumored a French spy. Walsh must come back with evidence that Wordsworth is a spy or his job is on the line. Rumors are abounding, but without concrete evidence, he has nothing. Is a job worth fabricating evidence to put a rumored spy on the gallows?

This book is so well written. Considering that the topic of the book is one of the most famous British poets, the writing would have to be nothing short of beautiful, and it is. Brown weaves this sweet, lovely love story while showing the (sometimes) awful conditions people lived with in the late 1700s. Having known next to nothing about Wordsworth (honesly, all I knew was that he was a poet - I could tell you nothing else), I found this to be educational since it does include lines from his poetry. The story is the author's imagining of what had happened to inspire Wordsworth's "Lucy" poems, and it is bitter sweet and touching.

But don't assume that the book isn't fast-paced. The end in particular will have you turning the pages as the characters race to their destinies. There are bad guys a plenty, and even a Detective Javert type to break up the love story.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys an innocent love story with a twist and a good plot.

This book was provided to me by the publicist for my honest review.(less)

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Jun 26, 2012 Charline Ratcliff rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading the fictional novel “William & Lucy” by author Michael Brown. Wow, what an amazingly well-written and moving story! Brown has taken an intriguing and unexplainable poem; written centuries ago by William Wordsworth and has used it as the foundation for an incredible book. “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways” seems to be a heart wrenching poem about love found and then lost.

Who is this Lucy that Wordsworth speaks of in “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways?” Whoever she w...more I just finished reading the fictional novel “William & Lucy” by author Michael Brown. Wow, what an amazingly well-written and moving story! Brown has taken an intriguing and unexplainable poem; written centuries ago by William Wordsworth and has used it as the foundation for an incredible book. “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways” seems to be a heart wrenching poem about love found and then lost.

Who is this Lucy that Wordsworth speaks of in “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways?” Whoever she was, she was important enough to Wordsworth that she merited five poems and yet we can find no trace of her in his life. This is where Michael Brown steps in with his fictional tale “William & Lucy...”

The year is 1798 and England and France are once again at war. William Wordsworth is just twenty-eight and lamenting the fact that he seems to have lost his ability to write poetry of any substance. He is currently being investigated because there are accusations of him being a spy and collaborating with the French. He is being evicted from his residence due to his outspokenness about social and political issues. He was left an inheritance after a close friend’s passing but the money has been tied up in the courts for two years now. And...to add insult to injury he cannot find anyone to purchase his poems and so he is living practically penniless.

This is where we, the reader, meet Wordsworth and coincidentally this is also the point in his life where he meets the infamous Lucy. It was a chance and inelegant meeting to say the least but Wordsworth was drawn to her much as the moth is unwittingly drawn to the flame. He came out of their encounter with nothing to show for it except for a ruined pair of trousers and a complete and total inability to concentrate on anything at all from that point forward. Of course this overwhelming feeling was not one-sided, Lucy felt the same way, and to quote a rather memorable character: “She be doodle-headed.”

Unfortunately fate decided that it couldn’t leave well enough alone and the end result, while not unexpected, was shocking nevertheless.

In summary, a five-star read...(less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Cynthia Mcarthur rated it 3 of 5 stars

This novel imagines the love affair between William Wordsworth and his muse Lucy Sims as the inspiration for his poem “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways.” William and his sister are next to destitute when the story opens; William’s poetry earns them a sporadic and meager income, and William learns he is under investigation for being a French spy. He’s depressed and wallowing deeply in misery when he happens upon a beautiful meadow. He stops to admire the scenery when he is suddenly accosted by...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, global-ebook-awards, england, indie-author-friends, historical-fiction

"William & Lucy" is a somewhat speculative piece of historical fiction about William Wordsworth, based on his poem "She dwelt among the untrod ways." The woman in the poem is called Lucy, and Brown fleshes her out in the person of one Lucy Sims, a governess who is also an artist.

Brown draws fascinating characters and has clearly done his homework. He has taken actual events in the life of Wordsorth (investigation by the Crown as a spy, for example) and interwoven them into a tale that hows u...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Michael Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars

Michael Brown Pens Outstanding Novel of an Untold Romance between William Wordsworth and the Lucy of his poems.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Michael Brown’s remarkable work, William & Lucy, takes place in England at the end of the 18th century, which marked the dawn of the Romantic Era in poetry. Wordsworth, at 28 years of age, encounters a mysterious young woman named Lucy and both are smitten. Rather like Dante and his Beatrice, William and Lucy become one of the more captivating relationships in li...more Michael Brown Pens Outstanding Novel of an Untold Romance between William Wordsworth and the Lucy of his poems.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Michael Brown’s remarkable work, William & Lucy, takes place in England at the end of the 18th century, which marked the dawn of the Romantic Era in poetry. Wordsworth, at 28 years of age, encounters a mysterious young woman named Lucy and both are smitten. Rather like Dante and his Beatrice, William and Lucy become one of the more captivating relationships in literature.

Romanticism in poetry, as personified by Wordsworth, was marked by meditation, worship of nature, and the decision to abandon classical verse by composing poems for the common man. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge led the way with the second edition of their book “Lyrical Ballads,” which became the single most important book of poetry in the history of English literature. The Lucy poem in that volume, “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways”, one of five Lucy poems he composed during his lifetime, presents Lucy living in rural Somerset and charts her “growth, perfection, and death” according to literary critic Geoffrey Durant. Lucy’s unresolved identity has intrigued literary historians for ages. Who was she? Where did she come from? Did she ever exist? No one knows. This is William and Lucy’s story…

The drama plays out during a time when young Wordsworth and Lucy are beset with personal, political and financial challenges: Lucy, a governess and artist, must fight off the unwanted sexual advances of her employer and he won’t be denied. Her troubles only worsen when she is accused of stealing by the lady of the house. For his part, William’s revolutionary style of poetry is labeled by critics as ‘mere doggerel’; William finds himself due to this and other factors, fast approaching abject poverty. To make matters worse, England is at war with France and the poet is accused of being a French spy due to his outspoken political views, the punishment for which is death by hanging.

At long last Michael Brown, through dedicated research and imaginative storytelling, has released the poet laureate from the bondage of his dour portrayal in history and has given us the flesh and blood Wordsworth, a man of adventure and passion. And for the first time ever the author originates the identity of LUCY in a love story that has never been told.

To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact publisher at tarnpublishing@gmail.com.
To purchase this book log onto:
Amazon.com, Kindle.com and most eBook outlets.

About the Author
Michael Brown has won 3 Emmy Awards, an ACE Eddie Award and a Lifetime Career Achievement Award as a film editor. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America & the Writers Guild of America and has sold ten scripts to ABC, CBS & NBC. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Holly. This is his first novel.
William & Lucy * by Michael Brown
A Tale Of Suspicion And Love
Official Publication Date: April 12, 2012 Available now as an eBook $9.95 & POD
Trade Paperback; $12.95; 358 pages

(less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Diane Moyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story was about the inspiration behind William Wordsworth poem "She Dealt Among the Unbroken Ways".

The author did a great job of developing the story. It was very engaging and kept me wanting to keep reading to find out what happens.

Michael Brown is a very masterful story teller. The story flowed together from beginning to end. All the loose pieces of the story were all tied together by the end as in any well written story.

I was totally engrossed in the book. I wanted the star-crossed love...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Dad rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: To anyone who likes historical novels

I recently won this book in a contest, and wasn't sure if I would like it since I really prefer mysteries. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this very fast read. I love reading for pleasure, but this was also a learning experience. I found out things I didn't know about William Wordsworth, even though it was a novel.

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Oct 19, 2012 ROMANTIC HISTORICAL REVIEW BLOG rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19th-century-regency-napoleonic, heat-rating-moderate, romantic-biographical-fiction

Reviewed by Celtic Lady at Romantic Historical Lovers:
http://romantichistoricallovers.wordp...

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Apr 10, 2012 Jeremy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Review here: http://www.themundanemuse.blogspot.co...

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Feb 24, 2013 Colleen Turner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-tapestry-2013-challenge

Review to come soon!

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About Michael Brown

An acclaimed film editor, Michael Brown has won three Emmy Awards, an ACE Eddie Award and a Lifetime Career Achievement Award for feature and TV work. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America. As a TV writer, his credits include “CPO Sharkey” (NBC), “Brothers and Sisters” (NBC), “A.E.S. Hudson Street” (ABC), “Three for the Road” (CBS) and “Piper’s Pets” (NB...more

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