Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor
Charlotte Taylor lived in the front row of history. In 1775, at the young age of twenty, she fled her English country house and boarded a ship to Jamaica with her lover, the family’s black butler. Soon after reaching shore, Charlotte’s lover died of yellow fever, leaving her alone and pregnant in Jamaica. In the sixty-six years that followed, she would find refuge with the...more
Paperback, 432 pages
Published
February 12th 2008
by Vintage Canada
(first published 2007)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
441)
There are things I loved about this book and things I didn't like at all. Let's start with the good stuff.
The book is set in New Brunswick, Canada where I have lived all my life, so I recognized the place names, the weather conditions, the season changes, etc. I absolutely love reading about local history and this book is full of it. It tells the story of Charlotte Taylor (an actual historical figure) from the time she arrives as a young woman in the unsettled wilds of 1700's New Brunswick thro...more
The book is set in New Brunswick, Canada where I have lived all my life, so I recognized the place names, the weather conditions, the season changes, etc. I absolutely love reading about local history and this book is full of it. It tells the story of Charlotte Taylor (an actual historical figure) from the time she arrives as a young woman in the unsettled wilds of 1700's New Brunswick thro...more
This book is based on the life of a real person, Charlotte Taylor, who fled her upper class family in England with her lover, the family's black butler in the late 1770's. She eventually ends up in northern New Brunswick. Most of the book occurs there and it relates her life with 3 husbands,and 11 or 12 children fathered by 4 different men. Although the book is based on a true person, it has been "fleshed out" with fictional facts. It was a turbulent time with the American Revolution, changing l...more
1 like · like · see review
view all 4 comments
Setting moves from England,1774, to Jamaica, as Charlotte leaves her staid family with her lover, the family's black butler. He dies in Jamaica leaving her pregnant and defenseless. Intrepid, she finds her way to northern New Brunswick, a remote, undeveloped outpost and is caught up in the French/English politics of the time. One of her saviors is Native, and life in a native community teaches Charlotte survival skills. The author is a journalist and Charlotte is her own forebear. Stories have c...more
This is a fictional story that wants to be a true story. Sally Armstrong certainly turned every stone in an effort to tease out the facts of her ancestor's life. It is really too bad that these details no longer exist. The story Armstrong has constructed to fill in the gaps between facts is hugely entertaining. How Charlotte survived in the late 1700's the birth of 10 children, all of whom she successfully raised to adulthood, and the deaths of all 4 of the men who fathered these children, is as...more
Loved this book. A historical fiction/biography book that was written by the great, great, great grandaughter of the main character. Sally Armstrong eloped from a weathly English home with the family's Jamaican butler travelling to Jamaica. Her fiancee died within 10 days of their arrival. She discovered she was pregnant and decided she had to travel to another area more suited to her needs. She books passage on a ship travelling to New Brunswick and there she spends the rest of her life. She wa...more
Good books intrigue and keep you turning the pages. Great books draw you in and and wrap their soul around you until you feel that you are part of the landscape, and one with the characters of the story. The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor is just such a book. The fact that Charlotte is a historical rather than fictional character makes each aspect of her story that much more poignant. You read the book and immediately wish to reread it for fear you've missed some small detail. When you come to t...more
This was a nice read about the settling of New Brunswick. Charlotte runs away from her family in England with a black servant and lands in Jamaica. He dies and she desperately wants to get away from the tyrant that she's working for so when the opportunity arrives, leaves for Canada (this is the 18th century). She is pregnant and gives birth, then marries a man because it's very hard for a single woman to make it on her own with Indians and other dangers about. The history of New Brunswick was i...more
I became so involved with Charlotte Taylor, that I felt I was living her life. The author, Sally Armstrong, created a fascinating glimpse of part of Canada's past, with her clever use of history combined with fiction. I am glad that she decided to write the book in that fashion, taking 'liberties' with the historical facts by injecting her own imaginings of her great, great, great grandmother's day to day life. She created a real person by doing that...so much so that I cried for Charlotte at th...more
While a work of fiction, Sally Armstrong has woven a lot of real history (and documents it) throughout the tapestry of her tale. At times it might get a little slow but otherwise reads quite well. It gives a glimpse into the lives of early New Brunswick residents through the eyes of a very stubborn and strong willed woman. I thoroughly enjoyed the book but I may be biased since Charlotte is one of my ancestors.
A compelling story based on a real person -- Charlotte Taylor was a black sheep in her UK family but an independent woman who represents the best of North America's immigrants.
She was rugged and independent, and incredibly strong. Her reliance upon and link to native Americans was truly interesting to read about. I wish I'd read this with a book club so I could talk through the complexities of the novel.
She was rugged and independent, and incredibly strong. Her reliance upon and link to native Americans was truly interesting to read about. I wish I'd read this with a book club so I could talk through the complexities of the novel.
It's not a terribly well-written book, from a literary perspective, or from a straight plot perspective either. But I did enjoy it because it's the first time I've read even a half-decent fictional story about my heritage, my home, my history. I grew up in Bathurst New Brunswick, on the Baie de Chaleur, and I really did love reading about all these places I'd grown up around - Tabusintac, the Miramichi River, even the passing mentions of places like Burnt Church and Neguac.
Even more than that,...more
Even more than that,...more
Fiction, based on true life of Charlotte Taylor, who fled England in 1775 with her lover and ended up alone in New Brunswick. Written by one of her descendants, its an engrossing story of how a woman survives the wilderness of the New World, all while being widowed three times and giving birth to ten children. This woman had spirit!
A good example of historical Canadian fiction. A nice change from UK and American choices. Strong female protagonist who must battle inner torments alongside unrelenting landscapes,tragedies and choices. Gripping at parts but a lot of attention to setting details that often led my mind astray. A good solid read nonetheless.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about this novel when a family friend gave it to me but i ended up really enjoying the book and even got my mother and a friend interested in reading it. By the end of this novel, i felt like it had a place in my heart because it was dealing with the people that live where I do now and the extensive history behind the province of new brunswick...would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction
Although this book was not exceedingly well-written, I enjoyed it - it's a very interesting account of the life of one of the early women settlers on the Miramichi (in NB). Much of it is based on historical fact, although some parts are fictionalized. It would definitely appeal to anyone interested in the early history of New Brunswick.
This was a second time reading it for me---and I loved it again. Such a remarkable and interesting life (based off a true story)that Charlotte Taylor led. It's hard to put the book down once you start reading.
An interesting voyage along the partly fictional and partly true account of the lives of one of the settlers of northern New Brunswick. I enjoyed it very much.
Great historical fiction novel that really gave insights into Canada during that time/place. Nice to read the story from a woman's perspective. A real heroine!
I loved this book. What a strong women Charlotte Taylor was and what an amazing story teller and historian Sally Armstrong is...I couldn't put this book down.
I liked this book, although it took me a while to finish it because I read a couple of other things in the meantime that interested me more. In the end, though, this book was a really enlightening view of an early settler. I can't imagine the life this woman must have lived.
My main quibble with this book is that it's a fictional account of a real person's life. Because there are so many details that can't be known, it's necessarily embellished and, while the story is good, that's really all it...more
My main quibble with this book is that it's a fictional account of a real person's life. Because there are so many details that can't be known, it's necessarily embellished and, while the story is good, that's really all it...more
This book is based on true events but done in a fictional manner.Charlotte journneyed to the Miramichi by boat in the early 1700's and was a true pioneer, in that she helped clear land and built a home while having a family.The book gives many details of the areas river systems tncluding the Restigouche.it was a good read.
loved the comparison to the community and the names of locals, I could even see resemblence in my family.
Nice Story
Nice Story
inspiring, informative fictionalized tale of the first woman settler of the Miramichi, New Brunswick.
Excellent book! It was fascinating to read about people and events that took place right where I'm living?
I really enjoyed this book. I especially liked that the book talked about where I live.
Strong women and the pioneering spirit in an area of the country I recognize.
Excellent research into early pioneer days in NB. Easy to read with lots of good details.
Great... could not put it down......What a woman.....
A good historical novel about a truly remarkable Canadian settler. It was wonderful to read about a gutsy, independent woman who triumphed over incredible obstacles while raising a family on the east coast of Canada during the 1700's.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
