In Still and Stormy Waters

by Reay Tannahill

Two women, raised at the opposite ends of the Victorian British Empire, struggle for one man and one inheritance that each considers her birthright

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

520 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1992

About the author

Reay Tannahill was born on December 9, 1929 in Glasgow, Scotland, where she brought up. Her forename was the maiden name of her mother, Olive Reay. She was educated at Shawlands Academy, and obtained an MA in History and a postgraduate certificate in Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow. In 1958, she married Michael Edwardes but the marriage ended in divorce in 1983, he died in 1990. Until her death on November 2, 2007, she lived in a smart terrace house in London near Tate Britain.

Before started to write, she worked as a probation officer, advertising copywriter, newspaper reporter, historical researcher and graphic designer. She published her first non-fiction book in 1964. The international success came with the novel Food in History, her publisher suggested a companion volume on the second great human imperative, Sex in History. For her 2002 revised edition of 'Food in History, she won the Premio Letterario Internazionale Chianti Ruffino Antico Fattore. She also wrote historical romance novels, and in 1990, her novel Passing Glory won in 1990 the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. She belonged to the Arts Club and the Authors' Club, and was chairman of the latter from 1997 to 2000.

Reviews

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set over three decades, and between Hong Kong and Scotland, this is an epic novel, quite old-fashioned and outdated, but I did enjoy it.

[Marihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently on page 486 of this book and I've had it!
I have fairly mixed feels about this book and I will only (isa) finish it because I want to know what happens to Juran.Like, I know Reay Tannahill is the author of a very inappropriate book for my age, The history of sex, but she doesn't have to integrate intercourse in every damn book she writes! I absolutely love and admire the fairly old writing style and perfect time era the book is set in. However, towards after the middle of tge book by a bit every charcter becomes horribly horny and sexual. And what's up with that absolutely horrendous abusive marriage of shallow little Sophie to that Richard guy, 50 shades of grey much? ughhh if this book just wasn't so explicit and sexual it would have been a four stars for me. Plus I can really only sympathize or appreciate few character like Ellie Vallette/ Rachel Macmillan (I love the story of her childhood so much!), Ah Foon, Ondine, Daniel the lawyer guy,Tom Turner (I love him so much lol!), Hogg (yes I appreciate his character), and maybe a few more that I missed. But thats about it! Every other character is so damn annoying and freaking shallow and just a pain to read about (especially about their sex lives, that was disgusting) I also really like the suspense with everything that happens at Juran and how the turns of events are so unexpected (death of Belinda!!!! and others) yeah, I only really really care about Juran because the descriptions are wonderful and I really want to know with whom it will end up and that's why im still reading this extremely unnecessarily long and prolonged book.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best stories I have read in a while.

[Kerry Hillier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg what a story I loved it

[Maricrisparico · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first ever book that i currently read, i'm in page 47 and the story is amazing, i hope my classmate and my teacher read this. I never regret that i buy this book

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as A Dark & Distant Shore, but still a great read.

[Juli · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Ross-Barry Barcock. · Rating 5 out of 5]

2015-4-11. This is a book from the cheap shelves - ￥100 - but, like in the past, whats inside may be a priceless story.