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The Ambassador's Women
In November 1930 two strangers meet in St James's Park. Geraldine Penrose is the wife of an aristocratic British diplomat. American Ginny Clayton belongs to a family whose name commands influence. From this chance meeting grows a friendship that will link the two families.
537 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1986
About the author
Catherine Gaskin
93 books72 followersCatherine Gaskin (2 April 1929 – 6 September 2009) historical fiction and romantic suspense.
She was born in Dundalk Bay, Louth, Ireland in 1929. When she was only three months old, her parents moved to Australia, settling in Coogee, a suburb of Sydney, where she grew up. Her first novel This Other Eden, was written when she was 15 and published two years later. After her second novel, With Every Year, was published, she moved to London. Three best-sellers followed: Dust in Sunlight (1950), All Else is Folly (1951), and Daughter of the House (1952). She completed her best known work, Sara Dane, on her 25th birthday in 1954, and it was published in 1955. It sold more than 2 million copies, was translated into a number of other languages, and was made into a television series in Australia in 1982. Other novels included A Falcon for the Queen (1972) and The Summer of the Spanish Woman (1977).
Catherine Gaskin moved to Manhattan for ten years, after marrying an American. She then moved to the Virgin Islands, then in 1967 to Ireland, where she became an Irish citizen. She also lived on the Isle of Man. Her last novel was The Charmed Circle (1988). She then returned to Sydney, where she died in September 2009, aged 80, of ovarian cancer.
She was born in Dundalk Bay, Louth, Ireland in 1929. When she was only three months old, her parents moved to Australia, settling in Coogee, a suburb of Sydney, where she grew up. Her first novel This Other Eden, was written when she was 15 and published two years later. After her second novel, With Every Year, was published, she moved to London. Three best-sellers followed: Dust in Sunlight (1950), All Else is Folly (1951), and Daughter of the House (1952). She completed her best known work, Sara Dane, on her 25th birthday in 1954, and it was published in 1955. It sold more than 2 million copies, was translated into a number of other languages, and was made into a television series in Australia in 1982. Other novels included A Falcon for the Queen (1972) and The Summer of the Spanish Woman (1977).
Catherine Gaskin moved to Manhattan for ten years, after marrying an American. She then moved to the Virgin Islands, then in 1967 to Ireland, where she became an Irish citizen. She also lived on the Isle of Man. Her last novel was The Charmed Circle (1988). She then returned to Sydney, where she died in September 2009, aged 80, of ovarian cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 14, 2014
this is one of my favorites i have had for years and reread every couple of years!
March 16, 2025
Dieses Buch ist eine Historie-Romanze/ Familiendrama. Dafür, dass dieses Buch seinen Fokus auf persönliche Beziehungen und den Werdegang einer erweiterten Familie legt, ist die Cheakterarbeit nett ausgedrückt schwach.
*Spoiler* Eine der Protagonistinnen hat im Laufe von 20-30 Jahren eine Fehlgeburt, es stirbt ein anderes Kind von ihr, ihre beste Freundin und 3 ihrer Ehemänner sterben und die Frau scheint mit 55 fast die selbe Person zu sein wie mit 20.
Ein weiteres Problem, welches aus oberen Beispiel ersichtlich wird ist, dass das einzige Mittel zur Konfliktschaffung anscheinend der frühe Tod von 50% der benannten Charaktere ist. Nach dem 5ten Tod wird es langweilig.
Positiv gesehen ist die Geschichte interessant und es wurde ein guter Job getan Charaktere einzuführen. Wie es zum Genre passt ist dieses Buch auch mit den oben genannten Nachteilen ein Pageturner. Jedoch ein schlechter.
3/10
Nicht zu empfehlen
*Spoiler* Eine der Protagonistinnen hat im Laufe von 20-30 Jahren eine Fehlgeburt, es stirbt ein anderes Kind von ihr, ihre beste Freundin und 3 ihrer Ehemänner sterben und die Frau scheint mit 55 fast die selbe Person zu sein wie mit 20.
Ein weiteres Problem, welches aus oberen Beispiel ersichtlich wird ist, dass das einzige Mittel zur Konfliktschaffung anscheinend der frühe Tod von 50% der benannten Charaktere ist. Nach dem 5ten Tod wird es langweilig.
Positiv gesehen ist die Geschichte interessant und es wurde ein guter Job getan Charaktere einzuführen. Wie es zum Genre passt ist dieses Buch auch mit den oben genannten Nachteilen ein Pageturner. Jedoch ein schlechter.
3/10
Nicht zu empfehlen
September 7, 2025
wonderful to reread after many years
I’ve love reading Catherine Gaskins since I was a teen. The Ambassadors Women is one of my favourites. I was interested to see if I would still enjoy it as much after so many years, and reading many more modern historical novels- but it still got me just the same as ever.
I’ve love reading Catherine Gaskins since I was a teen. The Ambassadors Women is one of my favourites. I was interested to see if I would still enjoy it as much after so many years, and reading many more modern historical novels- but it still got me just the same as ever.
August 26, 2021
A lengthy tome
Not for me. I nearly abandoned the book a couple of times but was waiting for it to get going which, for me, it never really did. Very long drawn out and wordy . I was glad to finish it
Not for me. I nearly abandoned the book a couple of times but was waiting for it to get going which, for me, it never really did. Very long drawn out and wordy . I was glad to finish it
March 1, 2022
just dragged on
A story with great promise, yet page after page droning on with peoples thoughts and very little happening. The story could have been told in half the number of pages, only got half way.
A story with great promise, yet page after page droning on with peoples thoughts and very little happening. The story could have been told in half the number of pages, only got half way.
January 15, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book....up until the very end. The story veered off in another direction which was convoluted and uninteresting and also rather bizarre... A shame as, prior to that, it was very compelling and enjoyable with excellent characterization ... but that ending... made zero sense and really ruined the book.
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August 10, 2025This is the worst book I’ve ever read! To say it was boring is an understatement. I was determined to finish it, but it was a chore. It’s also full of misery, main characters dying or being badly injured.
It reminded me of Jude the obscure. I would not recommend it.
It reminded me of Jude the obscure. I would not recommend it.
Read
July 5, 20191910-1960 USA, England, story of 2 families
January 2, 2021
A saga to go with the best
Very enjoyable story eclipsed with the twist at the end. Superb descriptive writing. Will read more of the author's books
Very enjoyable story eclipsed with the twist at the end. Superb descriptive writing. Will read more of the author's books
February 5, 2022
Great character development within a wide range of characters. Started as a bit of a chick novel but developed and had a really interesting ending.
April 10, 2022
C+. fiction, romance, from stash, discard
January 18, 2023
an epic read
This is an enthralling read. I have read it many times over many years and love it every time. It never ceases to move me to tears. A wonderful book .
This is an enthralling read. I have read it many times over many years and love it every time. It never ceases to move me to tears. A wonderful book .
August 20, 2023
Es war sehr gut. Leider hat sich Frau Gaskin sich hier mit ihrer Charakteren Anzahl etwas übernommen und der Anfang war sehr langatmig. Aber auch hier steckt viel Drama und viele Tragödien drin.
July 8, 2025
I loved every minute of this story. Couldn't put it down. A real page turner. A bit unhappy with the ending. Is there a second book in the future???
February 12, 2026
Read this before, but wanted to again. It didn't disappoint.
March 10, 2026
WOW,,!.
One of the best stories I have read in a long time.
Reading in bed for an hour before I go to sleep,2 am the clock said the next time I looked
One of the best stories I have read in a long time.
Reading in bed for an hour before I go to sleep,2 am the clock said the next time I looked
August 14, 2015
I love this saga. It begins set in pre-WWII England and it's about a lifelong friendship between two women and the people in their lives. I re-read it every few years and I'm now buying my 3rd copy of it...I literally read it until the pages fall out! A great book if you love historical fiction, friendships that last a lifetime, deeply embedded love of family and friends, and wonderful twists.
August 11, 2021
This is my favorite book ever. It has every imaginable emotion in this story!
April 26, 2017
Every one of her books grips you and draws you in. This was a long book and I had 4 late nights in a row reading it.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews