The Porter's Wife

Sarah Berry’s Legacy #1

by Lisa Brown

In 1901, Manchester, England, is a place of despair, where hunger, filth, and disease are inescapable, and the line between subsistence and poverty is frighteningly thin. After the death of her beloved husband, Sarah is left on her own to care for her five young children in this harsh and unforgiving place.

Sarah is strong, fiercely determined to see her family right, but her blinding pride gets in the way, to disastrous result. Life soon offers Sarah an unexpected gift, one that allows her to rethink their future, and she makes a decision that will alter the course of their lives forever. Sarah and her family leave the grit and grime of Manchester behind to start life anew; but leaving isn't always letting go, and she is forced to face all that has held her back from truly moving on.

The Porter's Wife is a touching story about love and faith in the face of adversity, and is a celebration of self-discovery and the resiliency of the human spirit.

Genres: Historical Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 14, 2014

About the author

As a writer, I am intrigued by the results of life's random and unexpected events and how they can echo down through the generations. Digging into the past has led to the discovery of a wealth of fascinating people, places, and events, and a desire to tell some of their stories. The ones having to do with my native Canada are the ones I am most passionate about.

Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lisabrownbooks

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from the author on LibraryThing.

This is the story of the Berry family who immigrates to Canada after suffering many hardships in the industrial and dirty city of Manchester, England. The narrative is comprehensive and gives us the entire story of the family as it begins with Sarah and Thomas and their meeting, courtship and marriage. Thomas, like many others in Manchester, works long hours at a physically demanding job in a textile factory. Thomas is determined to find a better way to earn a living to support his family and becomes a successful porter at a local train station. His untimely death leaves his wife and their five children in dire circumstances. The life that Thomas and Sarah share together and his heart wrenching death is written in beautiful prose and is one of the best parts of the book.

The eldest daughter, Margaret, at a very young age must work to help support the family after the father dies. She works as a maid in the household of the factory owner. The story of Margaret's employment is touching because, although she suffers from the cruel torment of the Mistress of the house, she meets many friends who teach her important life lessons.

In the second half of the book a tragedy makes Sarah realize that she needs to get away from the painful memories and hardships of Manchester and seek out a better life for her children. She decides that the Berry family will move to Canada and live with her older brother, Bertie. The author vividly describes the harrowing journey across the Atlantic on a steamship. It was evident that the author did quite a bit of research for this novel.

The final part of the book describes the Berry family settling in to their new lives as they make new friends, reconnect with family members and begin to move on from the tragedy of their past. Lisa Brown does a masterful job at creating a large family with whom you cannot help but fall in love. THE PORTER'S WIFE is a wonderful read for anyone who loves historical fiction. I am very eager to read Lisa Brown's next book that continues the story of the Berry family.

[Yelena Bosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I haven't read that many Historical Fiction books before as I love reading my fair share of YA and new adult. For that reason, I did find it only a little hard to keep reading from the point that Sarah's husband died not a spoiler since it happens within the first few chapters. That was the only negative factor that I found whilst reading this book.

This story went from interesting down to amazing.

It had amazing since of writing. WONDERFULLY and BEAUTIFULLY written which was the best feature of this entire story. That and the fact that Lisa Brown managed to capture every single one of the characters by giving them their own very different personalities. It made me love those that were lovable and it easily made me hate those that were such horrible human beings within the story. It was definitely an emotional ride from the first page - which I absolutely adored.

I couldn't tell you how much I loved the way each of the chapters melodically fit together. It was such a heartfelt story that I couldn't stop reading and one of the things that I look for in a good book is for the way the writing can sometimes show not tell...and this was definitely one those. It's enchanting writing pulls you in and you better have time on your hands since I'm sure it wont let you go.

There were many joys but also quite a few sorrows and depressing moments that occurred within the characters life, and the way the author managed to capture not only their thoughts but also, the way she described the surrounding environment in sync with whether a person was sad, happy, depressed, joyful, excited, emotional....

Everything you could think of in terms of falling in love with the characters and feeling as if you were there, was included from the first page to the last of "The Porter's Wife .

I absolutely loved reading and needing to find out what happened next. Though I did wish I had more time within the day to keep reading this book, if it wasn't for everything else going on in my life...typical readers thoughts right?! If you love reading, especially amazing stories that you can't put down, having to go back into reality may sometimes seem daunting. But it has to happen right...I mean, the occasion 'hello' to family & friends is expected...not to mention food... These are only a few of the problems books can do to us *sadly* :)

So yes! I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book and I am so glad Lisa Brown was able to send a review copy as I now have new & honourable appreciation towards Historical Fiction. I am looking forward in reading more of her books! I cannot wait to read more of that genre - any recommendations?!

Read this book if you are looking to be absorbed into an amazing new world...well not really new since it is set in 1901 but you know what I mean. It is also a fresh breath of air for those that have been reading series's non-stop...and YA novels of all kinds...you know who you are - *puts hand up* Yes I am one of those that loves her YA series, so it was great to get the chance to read this very different but definitely a keeper and to be read again type of book!

Hope you found this review helpful :)

[Louise White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical portrayal of a woman's struggle kept me riveted as the story unfolded. Lisa Brown has clearly researched her subject very well as the descriptions lent an authenticity to her novel that made me feel as though I was actually experiencing life during the early nineteen hundreds. My interest was captured and held throughout this well written piece and I look forward to reading more from Lisa Brown. I would recommend to all lovers of historical works.

[Saravanan Pandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Novel "The Porter's Wife" is finely described Historic Fictional story. The story revolves around the Sarah's life and her family.

The novel's first chapter begins with the death of Thomas,Husband of Sarah and Sarah's reminiscences about her love and life with her beloved husband,also introductions of their children,her only close friend Eleanor,Eleanor's brother William and industrialized Manchester city where they live.

Elder daughter of Sarah,Margaret's life at Amberley House for work to support her family and dire situations faced by this young Margaret caused by Catherine's (mistress of Amberley house)and her daughter,Anabel's venomous,inhuman characters towards her that lead to tragic,near death circumstance to Margaret.Fortunately Margaret survives.

But the death of Eleanor,Sarah's only moral Support in a fire accident gives them another heavy blow which makes them to move from Manchester to Winnipeg in Canada where Sarah's brother Bertie resides with his wife Jane. After their somber farewell to William, takes on a voyage towards Canada by Ship.On board they share room with the pregnant Hannah Nightingale and her two year old child Florence who are destined to the same place. Unfortunately Hannah dies during early labor and so Florence has to be taken care by Sarah until Florence is delivered to her Father,John working in Winnipeg.

After disembarking from ship,Sarah and her family including Florence takes train to Winnipeg. They meet Mr.Sam Warman who happens to be neighbor in Winnipeg.The remaining story is how everyone's life changes in their new city.

Author Lisa Brown has done a wonderful,vivid narration till the end of the book. Each individual character in this story makes their own impression for which they were intended to. One would start trusting oneself,resilient nature of human,hope in god even during very worse state after reading this book and the best advice to everyone that "Accept the help when it is offered by your beloved and do not let Pride come in the way when you're in need of help desperately".

I totally enjoyed and happy for reading this book!!!

I wish Author the best for the sequel to "The Porter's Wife" and for her future endeavors!!!

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered and was a silver medal winner in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:

Title: The Porter’s Wife
Author: Lisa Brown
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 26
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 26 readers:
26 would read another book by this author.
26 thought the cover was good or excellent.
26 liked the title and thought it fitted the book.
5 thought the pacing of the story was the best part.
9 felt the writing style was the best part of the book; in particular, the way the author described setting.
9 liked the descriptions of Manchester at the beginning of the century.

Readers’ Comments
‘A fabulous read. Gritty and thoroughly entertaining.’ Male, aged 41
‘I enjoyed following this women’s struggle. She’s (for the most part) a strong character and worthy of the story. As historical novels go, this is a good one.’ Female reader, aged 56
‘The author shows of her writing talents in this historical novel. It is a very character-driven story but by far the best is the descriptions of Manchester. The author seems to know the time and place well, from the way they dressed to how they travelled. Excellent ending too. Very good indeed.’ Female reader, aged 45
‘Such a good writer. Lively, flowing style; she knows when to speed things up and slow things down.’ Male reader, aged 66

‘Fascinating! Powerful! And pretty unputdownable. A SILVER MEDAL WINNER.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[H.M. Flath · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Review - The Porter’s Wife by Lisa Brown

Through Goodreads, I received a copy of The Porter’s Wife by Lisa Brown in exchange for an honest review.

The Porter’s Wife is a well written love story beginning in 1901, set near Manchester, England. The historical picture of the common worker in the factories during the early 1900s is well painted by the author in which one can only imagine the life that was endured.
“He shoveled coal into the ovens.”
“His eldest son ............. carted away factory waste and sewage.”
“Mr. Arbuckle, a large man with an angry disposition, a man who respected no one. His laborers worked under continual threat of abuse, both physical and verbal.”
“The courtyard was overrun with filth and communal cesspits.”

This is the story of kind, thoughtful, loving, gentle Sarah, a pillar of strength. It spans her teenage years, her love for and marriage to Thomas, the birth of several children, the early death of her loving husband, the nurturing and caring of five young children, the immigration to Canada and finally the letting go of a life and the memories of England which then enabled her to love again. The story takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster encompassing joy, anguish, love, compassion, sorrow and tragedy.

The several other characters in the story just so naturally evolved. William and his sister Eleanor, who was Sarah’s best friend, were fountains of kindness and benevolence, with no discriminatory thoughts of the ‘have’ and ‘have nots’ of that society. Sarah’s children were strong and loving - a true reflection of their loving home and family life.

One criticism I have is that the tone of the story changed dramatically following Sarah’s immigration to Canada. In England, life was hard, cruel and tragic. In Winnipeg, Canada, life seemed just too easy. Perhaps the author intended that change in feeling for the reader but I found it to be somewhat disconcerting as I expected some hard challenges in this new land which simply did not happen.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Porter’s Wife and I would recommend it as a very good read, especially to those who enjoy historical fiction.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it ! Love Lisa Brown !
I am a huge fan of historical fiction novels, I love the weaving of history throughout the story line. I have a such admiration for women of that era. Women like the main character Sarah, they soldiered on with such courage & faith in every aspect of their lives. As many of our ancestors, lived in England, Ireland etc, they lived with very little there, and came to this vast country, with only what they could carry. Such endurance.
I will not reveal story details, because you must read for yourself. I will say, I didn't want the story of Sarah and her family to end.I felt like I knew each person so well, Lisa is excellent at character development. At times I had to put the book down, to let the events of the story settle. But, I would / will recommend this book to my reading pals.
Thank-you Lisa ! I love a memorable book...

Katherine Burton

p.s. I couldn't wait to crack open The Seeds of Sorrow, the sequel..

[Priscilla Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads for my honest opinion.
The Porter's Wife is great historical fiction. Brown makes you think you are living the story just like the characters. The description of life, at that time (1901 England and Canada) added so much realism to the story.
Sarah is a strong main character who overcomes one hardship after another. I found myself cheering her on and, at times, wondering why she did what she did!
I like books that not only entertain but teach. The Porter's Wife does both very well.
Not to be out shined by the historical aspect of the book, there is also romance and adventure.
The Porter's Wife is the first in a series of two books. I look forward to reading more about Sarah Berry and her family.

[Muriel Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I went to a residence for one week for respite care owing to a problem with a sciatic nerve attacking my left shin. Fortunately, I took The Porter's Wife with me and read it every day there, almost to the end (I finished at home) and couldn't put it down.

I loved the story of Sarah's long life’s journey and her multiple sorrows and her joys. The ocean voyage from Manchester to Winnipeg (my birthplace and hometown) was perilous and heart-rendering.

The Porter's Wife shows the depth of the human spirit, and I am eagerly looking forward to Lisa Brown's next entrancing story.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won the second book but Lisa Brown was gracious enough to send me this book also so I would have the complete story of the characters. I loved it. Her writing style was matter of fact, practical, much like the character Sarah. I enjoy historical fiction and this book does not disappoint. Only part that was a little "off" was the writing became choppy in the chapter where Thomas died. Otherwise it was great. I also read The Seeds of Sorrow (book 2) and loved it.

[R.J. Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sank so deeply into this book that, when she described the illness of one of the characters, I felt as though I were ill, too. The behaviour of rich towards poor was caught beautifully. I wanted to give it five stars. I couldn't do that because what the book lacks is a professional edit and I was left with too many small things I felt unhappy about. For all that, an excellent read.

[Lauren Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was swept away by the imagery. I really felt like I was there. The book does a good job of making the difficulties of that life seem almost bearable. I wish there was more historical fiction like this.

[Tina Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about Manchester and what life was like and didn't feel like I was watching a documentary. I found the characters engaging and really liked Sarah and what the author does with her. If you like the grit of Charles Dickens then this would be a good choice.

[Reena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a well written book. Through such descriptive language the author draws us in. Such a sad story that turns into one that shows the spirit of a human being that learns to hold her head up high. Can't wait for the second book.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Berry and her family live in Manchester, England and have faced a series of disparaging events. Sarah lost her husband Thomas and is left with five young children. As working class in 1901, Sarah and her older children must work to make ends meet. After several more devastating events, Sarah is encouraged to start anew in Canada with her brother. After a harrowing ocean crossing, Sarah and her family settle in Winnipeg with open arms and Sarah finally decides to embrace life and the happiness that comes her way.

The Porter's Wife is a heartfelt story of perseverance in the face of adversity. The Porter's Wife covers a large portion of time for the Berry family and focuses on Sarah and oldest daughter, Margaret's points of view. I admired Sarah's ability to carry on, her practicality in all measures and most of all, her hope. It was interesting to see Sarah evolve from someone simply surviving with everything life threw her way to fully embracing the good in life. Covering such a large span of time and events, I feel like the book could have been split in two with more details of some events, but it is the first book in a series.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts of this story that I really liked and other parts that just didn't work for me. On the positive side, I enjoyed the setting in early 1900's England and all of the historic details. I liked the characters in the Berry family. I also liked the details of the sea journey from England to Winnipeg, Canada. On the negative side, a lot of the action felt disjointed and not fully developed. I felt like the ending of the story was particularly abrupt.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was sent to me as a GoodReads book by Lisa Brown to read and share my thoughts about it.

As an historical romance book it was not only a good story but educational .It reminds the reader of how lucky we are not to live in the poverty and class system of the early 20th century in England.

Sarah the main character has struggled all her life and eventually meets someone and marries.They are fortunate to be able to have a better house because her husband has one from his employer.Four rooms and a privy/toilet down the back,a pump close by and with a garden was considered to be better off.

When her husband leaves his employment after becoming ill they need to find other accommodation which is much less clean and healthy .The conditions were very bad for the tenants in those days and illness spread quickly.

When Sarah's beloved husband passes away we see her left with 5 children to bring up,little money but fortunately working for a very dear friend she has known since childhood.

Life is tough for them but Sarah manages to keep their spirits up and the family survives.

Sadly this changes through a terrible fire and they are forced to leave their home and everything they have known to emigrate far away to stay with Sarahs brother.The journey is not without hardship and they once again suffer another dramatic change in their life.

On finally arriving at their destination they find things are different there and are welcomed with open arms .

Gradually they learn to adapt though Sarah finds it is hard to forget her beloved husband and a special friend left behind.


Her continual fortitude,determination help her find work again and she learns to lessen her expectations of herself to find happiness.

(I have deliberately avoided too many spoilers)

I know this is book one and after reading the ending I look forward to starting the next book.It was an enjoyable read and thinking back to my great grandmas history know this is good representation of the times.

The Porters wife is a good book for the older reader or those who do not wish to read the explicit romantic novels and also the younger reader who will learn how lucky they are today.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Porter's Wife" tells the story of Sarah Berry and her family, at the dawn of the 20th century. Living conditions in Manchester, England, are bleak but the family counts themselves fortunate to be employed, to be living in one of the better flats, and to have hope for bettering their position. Things go array when Thomas falls ill and dies. Then Sarah must make ever larger decisions about herself and the future for her family.

Where this novel shines is in author Lisa Brown's use of details. She describes Manchester living conditions, funerals and burials, an ocean crossing, and immigrant train travel in Canada in such vivid detail I could really see all of this. Brown's research was excellent and it shows in her writing.

Where the novel didn't work as well for me was in the use of an omniscient narrator and the lack of dialogue in the early chapters. Through the first half, the narrator tells us what happens. As a result, I saw everything at arm's length and never got close enough to the characters to care about them. The omniscient narrator also created a few POV problems as we switched from character to character, sometimes in the same paragraph.

It was only after Sarah's daughter Margaret takes a job working for a wealthy family that the author begins to use dialogue and draw readers into the action. Only then did I begin to care about these people and their lives.

In some ways this felt like two books. The first half is scene setting and events told to us by the narrator. In the second half, we live the events with the characters as they happen. I enjoyed the second half much more.

The Pilot's Wife is worth reading for the look at life in the early 1900s.

One technical issue. I read this novel on my Kindle. The Table of Contents was not enabled making it impossible to move around in the book.

I received a copy of this book in a LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Porter's Wife was given to me by Lisa Brown, the author, when I won its sequel through a First reads giveaway. The first thing I noticed was that the book did not have a warm tone to it. Descriptive, yes, but not warm. I enjoyed the book more as I got further into it. I did grow to care about the characters, and was amazed at the tenacity of the main character Sarah, and what a wonderful job she did at raising her children in the midst of poverty. I also adored the relationship between Sarah, who was so poor, and her friend Eleanor, who was born privileged, but was a hard worker who lived simply.

Here was the amazing thing about the writing in this book: As the family emigrated from England to Canada it felt like they were going from darkness into light, in spite of the difficulties of the journey.

What I didn't like was the difficulty in time transitions. I really wish that the passing of time would have been indicated by fleurons, vignettes, or at least through line breaks. It was confusing to suddenly have time pass without any written or visual indication. That is the main reason that I gave this novel 3 stars rather than four.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes historical fiction feels off balance -- the modern prose reminding me constantly that the story I'm reading was written much more recently. When I read The Porter's Wife, my impression was quite the opposite. It is not just a novel about the past, it's one that feels like it belongs to the past. Lisa Brown cleverly uses language and sentiments that perfectly match this turn-of-the-century story.

Brown also shows admirable research talents as she narrates this story -- from life in industrial England to crossing the Atlantic in steerage and, ultimately, to settling her characters in early twentieth century Canada.

I understand that Brown is planning a sequel to The Porter's Wife, due sometime this year. If you are a fan of historical fiction and appreciate attention to the kind of details that make the past pop off the page, I recommend The Porter's Wife.

[Andra Ivanyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book, filled with incredible detail. Lisa Brown has a real gift for capturing the language, attitudes and nuances of a time, and THE PORTER'S WIFE is a perfect example of this.

I qualify my review by saying that fans of historical fiction are most likely to enjoy it. THE PORTER'S WIFE tells its story at an unhurried pace, employing beautiful language and well-drawn, likable characters (whom I believe are actually based on her family from that era). It's quite romantic, too.

Note: Ms. Brown's novel A CASUALTY OF GRACE uses the same exquisite writing skills in service of a plot that moves a bit faster.

I highly recommend both!

[Kaitlyn Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

This was my first historical fiction novel. I really enjoyed it.

The book focuses around Sarah and her 5 children. Sarah's husband has died and she must do what she can to help her family survive. After her friend passes away, Sarah receives money from her to go travel to Canada to live with her brother. Along the way, Sarah encounters many memorable people and falls in love. Sarah finds it hard to move on and to accept love into her life from another man. This book showed Sarah's personal transformation. I enjoyed this book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written story

I truly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next book. Lisa Brown makes you feel like your really there and personally know the characters. I fell in love with them and was sorry it had to end. It was an emotional ride for me. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a heartfelt story about love, family, friends, and starting over. I look forward to more books by Lisa Brown.

[Lisa Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

"THE PORTER'S WIFE is the most realistic 'crossing over' story I have read...Lisa Brown succeeded in hooking me and I wait eagerly for the sequel to THE PORTER'S WIFE..." - Karen Dahood, BookPleasures.com

For full review go to http://goo.gl/xVgKvf

[Jennifer Ricks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't really get into it. Maybe I'll try again someday.