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7th out of 558 books
—
445 voters
Lady of Milkweed Manor
by
Julie Klassen (Goodreads Author)
As Charlotte drew closer to the looming grey edifice that was to become her temporary home, she could not help but notice the secretive shuttered windows. Then she noticed the milkweeds...
Even a proper vicar's daughter can make a mistake—and now Charlotte Lamb must pay a high price for her fall. To avoid the prying eyes of all who know her, she hides herself away in London...more
Even a proper vicar's daughter can make a mistake—and now Charlotte Lamb must pay a high price for her fall. To avoid the prying eyes of all who know her, she hides herself away in London...more
Paperback, 411 pages
Published
January 1st 2008
by Bethany House Publishers
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This is truly one of the most emotionally gripping novels I've ever read and it is sure to make my best of 2008 list. My heart pounded with anticipation so many times I lost count. Just when I thought I knew what would happen next, something different took place. The author did an amazing job pulling the reader into Charlotte's life. I longed for her happiness. And there were so many powerful subplots that my head is still swimming with amazement, and my heart is still gripped by this strangely...more
First of all I have to say this book's plot surprised me... greatly. Neither the book cover nor the synopsis betray it, though if you pondered the latter a while you might guess it. I however, did not stop to. I personally think the author did it on purpose, because if they knew, most people would probably not pick it up. I confess I would've probably been in that group... and would've never gotten acquainted with the lovely Charlotte Lamb, and her amazing story! I loved this book!!!
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"Romantic" novel set in 1800-something. Girl gets pregnant, refuses to name the father of her child. Father kicks her out and she ends up at a laying-in hospital in London with the destitute. Coincidently, one of the doctors is a man who once wished to marry her. He's now married, to (Jane Eyre, anyone) a woman who suffers from insanity, apparently brought on by pregnancy.
Lots of sacrificing throughout. Fairly well-written, though not exactly surprising story line. Very "earthy" in some ways, wh...more
Lots of sacrificing throughout. Fairly well-written, though not exactly surprising story line. Very "earthy" in some ways, wh...more
Interesting to learn about the practice of being a wet nurse and how they were viewed.
I find it very refreshing to read a book where the main character has a faith in God in which they take comfort, pray, have prayers answered in small ways, but yet the reader is not hit over the head repeatedly with the concept. It speaks a lot more to me and my level of faith than similar books where all problems are solved once the right amount of praying is done. At one point, a character even says that it...more
I find it very refreshing to read a book where the main character has a faith in God in which they take comfort, pray, have prayers answered in small ways, but yet the reader is not hit over the head repeatedly with the concept. It speaks a lot more to me and my level of faith than similar books where all problems are solved once the right amount of praying is done. At one point, a character even says that it...more
One of the best historical/Regency novels I have read in the last five years. The historical details are well-researched, and the characters are defined and dynamic. Charlotte's love for her son as well as the circumstances behind his birth and the consequences thereof brought me to tears more than once. My daughter was three months old when I read it, and I could relate to the young mother and the lengths that she goes to to ensure her baby's future happiness. I couldn't put this book down. I'm...more
Ok I think both the books I have read by this author need 3.5 stars but since I am stingy with my stars this is where I stopped. I have to say after reading the Maid at Fairbourne Hall I did not know what to expect from this author. I mean I know what I wanted to expected but I am usually disappointed in those hopes so...
Let me begin again and say that I have read dozens even hundreds of regency romance novels and the plots tend to be the same with mild diversity. However something that does not...more
Let me begin again and say that I have read dozens even hundreds of regency romance novels and the plots tend to be the same with mild diversity. However something that does not...more
From Publishers Weekly
In this inspirational historical romance debut novel set in 19th-century England, a young pregnant woman is forced to make difficult choices. Twenty-year-old Charlotte Lamb is the daughter of a heartless English vicar, as we discover when she becomes pregnant and he throws her out of her childhood home. Vulnerable and unprotected, she is forced to a lodging place for unwed mothers. Soon, Lamb must make decisions involving true love and sacrifice, providing many powerful tur...more
In this inspirational historical romance debut novel set in 19th-century England, a young pregnant woman is forced to make difficult choices. Twenty-year-old Charlotte Lamb is the daughter of a heartless English vicar, as we discover when she becomes pregnant and he throws her out of her childhood home. Vulnerable and unprotected, she is forced to a lodging place for unwed mothers. Soon, Lamb must make decisions involving true love and sacrifice, providing many powerful tur...more
I really enjoyed the last Julie Klassen book I read, The Apothecary's Daughter. I love this timeframe, as it reminds me of Jane Austen.
This book is very well-written. It's the storyline that I had problems with.
Have you ever watched a movie and thought, they really didn't know where to end this, did they? This book is like that.
The main character is Charlotte, who is the daughter of a man who never wanted her. She ends up in "a condition" (read: pregnancy) out of wedlock and is summarily dismiss...more
This book is very well-written. It's the storyline that I had problems with.
Have you ever watched a movie and thought, they really didn't know where to end this, did they? This book is like that.
The main character is Charlotte, who is the daughter of a man who never wanted her. She ends up in "a condition" (read: pregnancy) out of wedlock and is summarily dismiss...more
Julie Klassen writes well in a technical sense, but I found this story disturbing. Charlotte's predicament, the way she got into it, her miserable family situation, and all the strange and sad and sinister circumstances around her didn't make for a very pleasant tale. The period details were probably the most interesting part. Suspension of disbelief was too much work to be worthwhile. The ending was both predictable and extremely awkward; to jump from the heart of a dramatic climax to a garden...more
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This first novel by Julie Klassen published by Bethany House is not nearly as good as her second, The Apothecary's Daughter, which is a much better read. The main character, Charlotte Lamb, goes through some interesting and even potentially harrowing times, but something always seems to come to her rescue before she is left completely destitute--not always through her ingenuity or in a credible way, given her situation compared to others in her situation. Charlotte is sweet and lady-like, and so...more
In general, a well written and interesting book which clearly showed the research that Julie Klassen obviously did on the state of lying-in hospitals and wet-nursing in the 1800's. I did not realize that it was a "regency romance" or "christian fiction" (which I assume mean similar things) until the end of the book and until I read some of the reviews after reading it. For those of you who, like me, are not religious, the book does not actually beat you over the head with religion, despite the l...more
Miss Charlotte Lamb made a mistake and now the well-educated gentleman's daughter finds herself at a home for Unwed Mothers, cast out from her childhood home by her unforgiving father. Unwilling to name the father of her child or to disgrace her family further, she takes on a new surname. Much to her surprise, one of the doctors is a former suitor who now has a family and secrets of his own. The lower-class London establishment holds many eye-opening experiences for Charlotte, learning among oth...more
Many authors today, seem to think a historical romance is this stereotypical tale involving another byronic hero, and a good-for-nothing heroine, with hardly any plot, and nothing at the center but the love/hate, or the magically-growing relationship between the protagonists. It’s also provoking to see the obvious contrast between the historical setting they choose and the oddly modernized psychology of the characters. I’ve read enough of the genre this year to feel tired of this awful depiction...more
Really enjoyed this book. I gave it 5 stars for being interesting and a totally different approach to a romance novel. My standard is that if a Romance is rated G or PG, I give it an extra star, so technically I would give this a rating of 6 stars.
The story is about Charlotte who is a Vicar's daughter living in the 1800's. After an uncharacteristic mistake, she is disowned by her father and sister and sent to Milkweed Manor, a home for unwed mothers. Once there, she is faced with decisions on h...more
The story is about Charlotte who is a Vicar's daughter living in the 1800's. After an uncharacteristic mistake, she is disowned by her father and sister and sent to Milkweed Manor, a home for unwed mothers. Once there, she is faced with decisions on h...more
This book went on and on. I kept hanging on for a little more romance or things to turn up, but it was sort of random and went ALL over the place, only to have two pages of happiness at the end.
It wasn't terrible, there were parts and things I genuinely enjoyed... but OVERALL it seemed to talk a lot about nursing and physician-related things. I don't have a problem with it (I thought it was sweet) and loved nursing my little son, but if you're not a mother who has nursed, or are not comfortable...more
It wasn't terrible, there were parts and things I genuinely enjoyed... but OVERALL it seemed to talk a lot about nursing and physician-related things. I don't have a problem with it (I thought it was sweet) and loved nursing my little son, but if you're not a mother who has nursed, or are not comfortable...more
I purchased this book online without reviewing the summary of the story. Mistake. (Let me clarify--I have been on a jag of reading Klassen's books.) Had I not purchased it, I would likely have stopped reading it after the first chapter or two. This book dealt with topics like unwed mothers, nursing, wet nurses, labor and delivery, maternity/charitable hospitals, mental illness or at least "mania" associated with pregnancy, syphilis, infant mortality, adoption, social attitudes, medical attitudes...more
When Charlotte Lamb, unwed but pregnant, is disowned by her family, she goes to a home for women in a situation such as hers, and there finds that one of the doctors is Daniel Taylor, who once helped treat her mother--and who was interested in Charlotte but was sent away by her father. With the birth of her child, Charlotte must decide how to give him the best future she can, and Dr. Taylor tries to help her while dealing with the problems his own wife is having.
I felt like this book was much m...more
I felt like this book was much m...more
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What a strange mixture this book is. Sometimes you get a book that is all factual and lots of history, but little story, plot or characters. This story mixes both nicely. It does take a very long time to get there but the journey is very interesting. But I just want to lay it out there for anyone who has not picked up this book, It is about breastfeeding, plan and simple. There is sooo much about the breast and how to feed a baby and the time periods views on it and how they went about the whol...more
I loved, loved, loved this book. Although this is Julie Klassen's debut novel, her writing speaks to the heart. It reminds me of Austen and Bronte and of course after visiting her website it didn't surprise me that they are an inspiration to her. I always enjoy books that teach me things about history. Little facts thrown out to the reader that leave them wanting to know a bit more about the period of time the story was set in. Saying that, I can't can't in good conscience share exactly what the...more
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Once I started this book, I seriously could not put it down. Charlotte Lamb pays heavily for a youthful encounter with her adored Charles Harris when she finds herself pregnant with his illegitimate child. Charlotte is disowned by her vicar father and finds temporary residence a decrepit lying in manor for expectant mothers. Hardly charity, the women are unmerciful outcasts whose offspring rarely fare better than the Foundling Home….yet, for their shameful confinement, the manor house is a neces...more
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Wow, this may be a long one, but if you're in it for the Christian part... this one shouldn't be missed. Yes, there is romance, but that's not the highlight. There is much pain and suffering in this book. There is much to celebrate as well. But you have to read until the very end and not let the sadness weigh you down. It's a book about a young lady who foolishly lets her lust and youth get the better of her. One decision has made her a fallen woman with child. She redeems herself over and over...more
Oct 29, 2012
Mandi Ellsworth
added it
I think an alternate title to this book could be "Ode to Breastfeeding". Seriously. If you've ever breastfed and would like to remember exactly what it's like, you have but to read this book to relive it. If you have yet to experience the joys and pains, this will give you a good idea of what to expect.
Aside from that, I found the whole hidden history of the fallen woman intriguing. It's not something most authors talk about during the regency period. I enjoyed the story, but not as much as some...more
Aside from that, I found the whole hidden history of the fallen woman intriguing. It's not something most authors talk about during the regency period. I enjoyed the story, but not as much as some...more
For some reason this took me a long time (9 days) to get through. hah! A few boring parts, but it was a nice book. I liked the plot, especially. I've heard good things about this author, and this was her first novel, so I'll probably check some of her others out.
Overall, it was a decent read. I don't think I was ever completely in to the book until around the 250th page or so, though.
I also noticed she seemed to switch the names around as the narrator - i.e. one sentence would say Daniel Taylor,...more
Overall, it was a decent read. I don't think I was ever completely in to the book until around the 250th page or so, though.
I also noticed she seemed to switch the names around as the narrator - i.e. one sentence would say Daniel Taylor,...more
Oct 10, 2012
Naomi Quinonez
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who love clean, historical romance
This is one of my favorite novels. I am an admirer of the Regency Era, and when I was looking around at my local Christian book store, I found this. It seemed perfect: romance, Regency Era, and faith-based. I have read this book three times now, and I will never forget Miss Charlotte Lamb. The little quotes at the beginning of each section and part are delightful. Though I do not think that the work itself as far, as writing, is exceptional, it is a wonderful little treat to pass the time. If yo...more
I wasn't expecting this book to be as good as it was. It is on a subject that I didn't know much about. Wet nurses during the 19th century. It was something I had always heard of, usually in an offhanded comment or referring to a servant of some kind. It was very interesting to learn more about it.
The story is a very simple one, something that has been told before. A young girl gets herself in trouble and leaves home to have her baby. It starts off as she is leaving to go to the home for unwed m...more
The story is a very simple one, something that has been told before. A young girl gets herself in trouble and leaves home to have her baby. It starts off as she is leaving to go to the home for unwed m...more
I thought that the few chapters dragged just a little and I have to admit that usually when the premise for the book is an unwed and cast off mother I get irritated but as I kept reading I found that I really liked it. The book was very clean for starters and there was a lot of Regency England research the author did that was inserted although not in a pushy kind of way. It seemed like there were no real villians in the book or even any true heroes. All the characters had mistakes they made or w...more
Julie Klassen is one of my favorite authors and I have yet to be disappointed by her storytelling and style of writing. In this historical fiction we are introduced to Charlotte Lamb and her family. Charlotte made some difficult choices early in life, some made for her. She lands herself at Milkweed Manor and meets Daniel, one of the resident doctors, who has himself a past of choices to limit him, yet the compassion and grace to deal with his patients caringly. The two work together to restore...more
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Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She has been an advertising manager, fiction editor, and now works as a full-time novelist. Her 3rd book, The Silent Governess, won the Christy Award for Historical Romance, and was also a finalist in the Minnesota Book Awards, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, and the RITA Awards. Her latest books, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall...more
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