Fortune's Wheel

The Meonbridge Chronicles #1

by Carolyn Hughes

How do you recover when half your neighbours are dead from history’s cruellest plague?

June 1349. In Meonbridge, a Hampshire manor, the worst plague in England’s history has wiped out half its population, among them Alice atte Wode’s husband and Eleanor Titherige’s entire family. Even the household of the manor’s lord and his wife, Margaret de Bohun, have not escaped the horror.

Now the plague has finally left Meonbridge, the community is trying to return to normal life. But it’s a struggle, with so much to do and so few left to do it. Tensions mount between the de Bohuns and their tenants, as the workers realise their scarceness means they can demand higher wages, go wherever they wish, dictate their own lives. It’s what they’ve so long waited for!

Though his lordship takes a very different view…

When the tensions deepen into violence and disorder, and the men – lord and villagers alike – seem unable to achieve any resolution, the women – Alice, Eleanor and Margaret – must step forward to find the way out of the conflict that is tearing Meonbridge apart.

“Completely intriguing, fascinating and surprisingly emotional…more please!” @thebookmagnet

If you enjoy well-researched, immersive historical fiction, set in a turbulent and challenging time, with strong but credible female characters and a real sense of authenticity, you’ll love Fortune’s Wheel, the first of the Meonbridge Chronicles. Discover for yourself the compelling story of Meonbridge’s survival.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Medieval, Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Ebooks

324 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2018

About the author

Carolyn Hughes was born in London, but has lived most of her life in Hampshire. After a first degree in Classics and English, she started her working life as a computer programmer, in those days a very new profession. It was fun for a few years, but she left to become a school careers officer in Dorset.

But it was when she discovered technical authoring that she knew she had found her vocation. She spent the next few decades writing and editing all sorts of material, some fascinating, some dull, for a wide variety of clients, including an international hotel group, medical instrument manufacturers and the Government.

She has written creatively for most of her adult life, but it was not until her children grew up and flew the nest, several years ago, that creative writing and, especially, writing historical fiction, took centre stage in her life.

She has a Masters in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University, and a PhD from the University of Southampton.

Reviews

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the sound of this book, as I remember learning about the plague while I was at primary school and was fascinated by it. I remember decorating oranges with cloves, as they were used to disguise the smell of death in the streets and houses. I honestly cannot imagine how awful it must have been to be alive during that time. That’s if you stayed alive, of course. It must have been truly horrific!

Set during a time when the plague wiped out entire families, this book was somewhat emotional in places. A village community devastated by personal grief, as well as the loss of important tradesman and vital knowledge. Having to use the local butcher to deal with a badly broken leg is not the ideal scenario for anyone.

This book was visually descriptive, atmospheric and felt authentic. I was taken back in time to a place where death devastated generations of families, work related hazards were overwhelming, and people were struggling with starvation, due to lack of people well enough to work and harvest food or tend to their livestock.

Fortune’s Wheel is very much a character led novel, filled with a great mix of strong characters, especially the women, so if you enjoy historical fiction led by a variety of well-developed characters, entwined with death and murder this may be the book for you.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carolyn Hughes has chosen to set Fortune’s Wheel, the first in her Meonbridge Chronicles series, in the aftermath of The Black Death (referred to by the villagers as the ‘mortality’). This is a time of terrible bereavement – husbands have lost wives, wives have lost husbands, couples have lost children, children have been orphaned and, in some tragic cases, whole families have perished. Fields lie untended, cottages lie empty and the surviving villagers face straitened times and an uncertain future. Not least because if the ‘mortality’ was indeed sent by God to punish sinners, as their priests tell them, what’s to say it might not return? But, if it was sent by God, why were some known to be sinners spared and others – innocent babes, godly men and pious women – taken?

I really felt I became part of the village of Meonbridge and totally immersed in the lives of the villagers. There are a lot of characters to get to know initially so I appreciated the helpful list at the beginning of the book. However, it would be an unusual and rather uninteresting village if it didn’t have a varied population and, since the story has three main protagonists, I never felt overwhelmed. The three protagonists are all female and I really enjoyed the independence of spirit they shared, given the constraints of society’s expectations at that time. There is Alice, sadly widowed by the ‘mortality’ but determined not to remarry and to retain her independence. There is Eleanor, a freewoman thrust into the role of managing her own lands by the death of her parents and resolved to remain unmarried until she is ready for matrimony. And there is Lady Margaret, wife of the Lord of the Manor, who subtly seeks to mitigate the stern justice meted out by her husband on the tenants and workers of the manor.

As the inhabitants of Meonbridge struggle to overcome the ravages of the ‘mortality’ and rebuild their lives, Alice and her son, John, continue to be troubled by the disappearance of Alice’s daughter, Agnes, shortly before the ‘mortality’ struck. They’re both convinced that others know more about Agnes’ disappearance than they are saying. Is she dead, or alive and, if she still lives, why did she run away?

The ‘mortality’ is bringing other changes to the village, with some using the economic realities of a reduced population to challenge the feudal system that has ruled their lives for so long. However, there are those whose position would be threatened by any change in the balance of power.  Who knows to what lengths they will go to protect the status they currently enjoy?

One of the many interesting things I learned from Fortune’s Wheel was that there was a hierarchy amongst the peasantry as well as between the peasants and the landowners. The book contains fascinating detail about the feudal system: the obligations demanded with limited rights offered in return, the restrictions with few freedoms given in exchange and the many payments that could be demanded with refusal risking loss of home, property or livelihood.  The book also really brought home to me how little the ordinary villagers knew of life outside the confines of the village, often living and dying without ever travelling more than a few miles from their birthplace.

I loved all the detail of village life which gave the story such an authentic feel. Clearly, the author has done an incredible amount of research, introducing me to new terms – merchet, legerwite, heriot – and the many different roles necessary to village life – bailiff, steward, reeve and (my favourite) ale-taster. A glossary would be a fantastic addition to the book and I’d also love to have a map of the village.  There are many fascinating articles on Carolyn’s blog, including this one about life after The Black Death.

As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed Fortune’s Wheel and thought it was an accomplished, fascinating historical fiction novel – and an impressive debut. I was thrilled to learn the author is working on a second book in the series, A Woman’s Lot, and that this is due for publication in 2018. I’ll certainly look forward to reading more about the lives of the people of Meonbridge.

I received a copy of Fortune’s Wheel in a giveaway organised by Brook Cottage Books. I’d like to thank Carolyn for providing the book as a prize and for signing my copy.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the Medieval period the plague went by several names, the most common being "the Pestilence" and "The Great Mortality". Theories about the cause of the disease were numerous, ranging from a punishment from God to planetary alignment to evil stares. Not surprisingly, many people believed that the horrors of the Black Death signalled the Apocalypse, or end of time.

This then is the backdrop of Carolyn Hughes' "Fortune's Wheel", the first in a series set in a fictional town of Meonbridge in Hampshire in 1349. Widow Alice atte Wode, finds herself trapped in a plague-village; there is growing conflict between the lord of the manor and his tenants; murder has reared its ugly head; and there is still the un-answered question of Alice's missing daughter. Here, it is the women who tell this multi-layered story - Alice, Lady Margaret, and freewoman Eleanor - and it is a story of the people - those with the most to lose and now the most to gain.

The second in the series is "A Woman's Lot" followed by "De Bohun's Legacy", with a fourth on the way; and I look forward to reading them all. "Fortune's Wheel" is a fine debut - something a bit different for those wishing to expand their historical fiction.

read more here @ Melisende's Library

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The worst plague in England’s history has decimated the population, its wrath knowing no difference between the wealthy, the poor, the powerful or the weak. Like so many of her neighbors, Alice atte Wode has lost her husband and eldest son to the “mortality.” Unlike her neighbors, just days before the plague her daughter mysteriously disappeared and Alice is determined to find her or at least find the answers to where she went.

As the villagers struggle to rebuild their lives after the plague has gone strife has come as tenants are pushed beyond their limits in their work for the manor. And they realize their value as labor has just gone up. Will the manor deny them the right to better lives in order to keep them under the manor’s thumb?

Carolyn Hughes’s depiction of fourteenth century England in FORTUNE’S WHEEL is rich with detail, yet does not get mired in concentrating on the nuances of the old language. Contemporary dialogue does not take away from the story, but actually makes it a more pleasurable experience as we are allowed to concentrate on the mental images of the world these people lived in.

Certainly a well-written historical novel, the pace is not rapid-fire but steady and strong. An easy to read historical novel with strong characters that many times seem contemporary.

I received a complimentary Review copy from Silverwood Books!

Series: The Meonbridge Chronicles - Book 1
Publisher: SilverWood Books (November 7, 2016)
Publication Date: November 7, 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
Print Length: 273 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction at it's best! This was a very enjoyable read and very well written. The author certainly knew her subject and had obviously spent a great deal of time in researching. It's just a shame when i came to the the last page. This is a book that i would quite happily read again one day, but meanwhile i intend to read Carolyn Hughes next book is this excellent saga, 'A Woman's Lot (The Meonbridge Chronicles 2).

I do highly recommend 'Fortune's Wheel'.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortune’s Wheel is a historical novel set in Hampshire in 1349. I chose to read this because Hampshire is my county, so I was delighted that many of the place names were familiar. The story revolves around a year in the life of the villagers of Meonbridge.

So what was life like in 1349? Bubonic plague had just swept through Britain, and Meonbridge lost at least half of its residents. The village was overseen by Lord and Lady de Bohun of the manor, who owned lands rented to tenants. I was very interested to learn that the village consisted of a mix of villeins (peasant farmers legally tied to the manor), cottars (lowest form of peasant) and freemen and women. There was also the miller and blacksmith. The author showed us how the villagers were expected to pay the manor rents for land, businesses and death duties. They were also expected to work for the manor; boon work, giving time freely to bring in the harvest. During the week they would do ploughing, hedging etc. The manor in turn provided housing, a court to oversee disputes, and elected men to carry out duties within the village: a reeve, a bailiff and constables.

There was a large cast of characters which at times were hard to keep track of. However, the main story weaving its way back and forth is about the mysterious disappearance of Agnes atte Wode. Agnes is the daughter of Alice, a villein friend of Lady Margaret de Bohun and well respected village woman. Her son, John, is held back from searching for Agnes by his new appointment of village reeve. Both John and Alice are sure the Lord’s children knew more about the disappearance of Agnes that was first thought.

A second strong theme runs through the story, that of the potential for a peasants' revolt. There were now fewer people to work the land, the workers were needed for longer hours to fulfil the jobs. There were calls for higher wages and or land offered to the cottars to farm. Both the bailiff and the Lord were against this, quoting laws from the King to cap wages, but with few “free” farmers in the country to invite to the manor lands, a stalemate occurred. Unlike today, when most of us can change our jobs as and when we please, in medieval times peasants were “tied” to the manor of the village they were born into, the law forbidding them to leave.

I liked this story, as it covered a time period where less is known about the everyday life of ordinary people; it created a picture in a way a modern reader could understand. There was a fair bit of medieval terminology, most of which I could make a reasonable guess at and, because I was interested, I didn’t mind confirming the definitions later. There is also a list of characters at the beginning of the book to help with the large cast. The storyline does have drama and a satisfactory ending, but for me the interest was more in the everyday life of the characters and the way they lived in this period of history.

[Vinaya Raghavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

June 19 is observed as Reading Day in Kerala, the little south Indian state where I come from. What could be a better day than today to comment on a beautiful book I finished finally. Reading Fortune's Wheel has been a beautiful journey into the lives of a community who stayed strong with immense willpower against one of the biggest natural calamity that affected Europe. I was greatly touched and inspired by the women characters in the book, who broke the norms, decided for themselves, stood up against the order that prevailed and made their way, strong, with their heads high. Also the rise of the toiling labor class portrayed in a subtle way in the book is also very inspiring. After all life is about people and the inter-personal relationships tested by time and natural calamities and social changes. And this book is about life and people. Recommend it if you like fiction and history.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a Hampshire village shortly after the Plague has finished decimating the population. The Lord of the Manor is much troubled by the unrest among the working classes who, realising that there are now considerably fewer of them to carry on with all the essential work, start to push for higher wages and better conditions. Naturally this upsets the very few powerful men in the village who run things. However, the heart of this important tale, are the women, supposedly firmly under the thumb of father, husband or master but actually, as women have always done, quietly and, by and large, efficiently, making the men see reason.

A lovely, thoughtful book which I strongly recommend but, be warned, if you do choose to read Fortune’s Wheel, I can almost guarantee you will be researching the period for the rest of the winter, just to find out more about this fascinating period. This will be particularly the case if, like me, you have never really considered the Middle Ages as an area if interest.

[J.B (Debbie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was reading this book I could simply not get my head around the fact that this is Carolyn Hughes first published novel. Its exceptionally well written and is an astoundingly well researched book. I initially found it difficult to get my head around the huge cast of characters but helpfully Carolyn had provided a list of all the important characters at the beginning of the novel and I soon acquainted myself with them all. Although the novel doesn't race along at breakneck speed, it is at a pace that is both comfortable and kept me interested and engaged throughout.

Set in the 14th Century, Meonbridge has been ravished by the Great Plague, or Mortality. With half of its inhabitants meeting a painful demise at the hands of the plague, many find themselves mourning the death of their loved ones, with entire families often being wiped out. Alice atte Wode is one such villager who has lost much. Not only has she lost family members to the plague, but the mysterious disappearance of her daughter Agnes has left her in her own personal purgatory, unable to mourn for her daughter, unsure whether she is in fact also dead. Agnes is sure that those at the Manor know more about the strange disappearance of her daughter than they are admitting to. But, how does someone like Alice and indeed her son John, now under the employ of Sir Richard question the master and his family?

With life starting to return to semi normality after the plague has stripped families of loved ones, there is much unrest between the villagers and the Lord of the Manor. The workers want a fair days pay for a days work and time to tend to their own land. However, Sir Richard refuses to listen to the pleas of his people and the counsel of his wife and the villagers and labourers threaten to revolt, which will leave the harvest to rot and not enough food for anyone unless matters can be resolved. And, all through this, Alice is trying to find the answers she seeks. She is supported in her quest by her son and her friend Eleanor, who was my favourite character!

There are lots of great little sub-plots woven into the story and the reader is given the opportunity to find out a little bit more of the back stories of the other characters in the book. Each told a story of love, loss, insurmountable grief and bravery. It also told a tale of what life was like during this particular period and plague or no plague life was pretty damn hard, with workers afforded little rights to the lands they worked and many living in poverty.

The main vein throughout the book was the incredible strength of the female characters which is ironic given that at that time women and their opinions and wishes were not considered by their male counterparts. As well as a really entertaining read, the book provided me with invaluable insight into this period in history. Of course there were items and other things in the book that I did have to go and look up the meaning of but that was ok. It just gave the story more credibility and screamed out that Carolyn Hughes very obviously had done her research. This was a book that I really enjoyed and for those lovers of historical fiction I'd recommend you grab yourself a copy and get lost in an altogether different time.

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The world is divided into three estates: the rulers, the prayers and the labourers. In this world each man knows his place and obeys God’s Commandments.”

But that was before God sent down a pestilence upon his people. A pestilence that did not differentiate between the righteous and the sinners. It was before the absolute desecration of the populous.

The Angel of Death had done his worst, and he had moved on. For Alice atte Wode, she would have to learn to live without her beloved husband and son, but there were worse off than her, although at times it did not feel like that. Take Eleanor Titherige, who had lost her entire family bar a step-brother, or the Miller’s who had lost five of their six children.

However, now that the crises were over. The residents of Meonbridge had to find some semblance of normality. After all, there were debts that still needed to be paid, obligations acknowledged, and the crops would be in need of harvesting soon.

Yet, things had changed in Meonbridge. If Sir Richard de Bohun expected his tenants to work three times as hard for the same wage, then he had another think coming.

From the tragedy at the estate’s mill to a spark of rebellion by the tenants, and a gruesome murder just off the road from Winchester, Fortune’s Wheel: The First Meonbridge Chronicle by Carolyn Hughes is a Historical Fiction masterpiece.

Oh, this book had all the feels. I was thoroughly enchanted from start to finish and the time flew by as I lost myself in this incredible work of fiction.

There is a vast cast of colourful characters in this book — from a Baron to the lowliest villein and everything else in between. Initially, I was concerned that I would not be able to keep up with who everyone was and what their place would be in this story. Although Hughes provided a comprehensive character list at the beginning of the book, I am the type of reader who is loathed to use it. I want the characters to be enough to carry the narrative. I don’t want to be confused or bewildered by too many names, and too many storylines. Thankfully, my concerns fell by the wayside very early on in this book, for Hughes has crafted some genuinely endearing and unforgettable characters, whose stories were endlessly fascinating and beautifully told. I did not once look at the character list in the front of the book. Kudos, Ms Hughes. Kudos, indeed.

Hughes has depicted rural life in the 14th Century with a lyrical narrative that is not only bold but wonderfully successful. The Black Death’s legacy was that there was suddenly not enough labourers to farm the land. Through the depiction of Sir Richard de Bohun, Hughes has demonstrated the sheer sense of entitlement that the Barons and Knights felt, and their complete lack of empathy for the villeins in their charge. They expected to pay the same wages to a man who had to work three times as hard as he had before the Black Death, which was not only arrogant but also absurd. Suddenly the villeins found themselves in a position they had never been in before. They could negotiate, regardless of the laws laid down by the King, for a better wage and a better life. This, Hughes demonstrated with all the care and verse of a historian who has done her research and a writer who knows how to paint a dazzling portrait of a hard-up hardworking community. However, Hughes has given her readers a scrumptiously balanced view, showing both sides of the argument, which I thought was incredibly insightful.

The sheer poverty of the villeins was portrayed with a keen sense of time and place. Despite having nothing, the women in this novel still want their homes to be clean and tidy, but on top of this, Hughes described how hard these women worked. They laboured in the fields alongside their husbands and their children. Often, with historical fiction, we witness the lives of the nobility in all its pomp and ceremony, so it was a very welcomed change to read about the less fortunate folk instead. If nothing else, it gave Fortune’s Wheel: The First Meonbridge Chronicle, integrity.

There is not a protagonist, as such, in this book, for there are too many characters and too many interlocking stories for that. However, Alice atte Wode, Eleanor Titherige and Lady Margaret de Bohun certainly drove this story forward. For this is a story of an estate and the people who lived there and worked the land. As I have already stated, this approach worked really well, but there were two very notable characters that I would like to talk about.

Firstly, I must mention Alice atte Wode. Alice is a very frank character, but also a very loving one, who sees what is going on around her with a crystalline understanding. I thought Alice was absolutely fabulous and she was without a doubt, my favourite character in this book.

Lady Margaret de Bohun also piqued my interest. She is like a bird who has had its wings clipped. Margaret is intelligent and canny, she is sympathetic to the plight of the villeins, and yet, she dare not speak out in their defence, for both her husband and her son believe she has no understanding of the situation because she is a woman. They conveniently forget that she ran the estate while they were at war, with great skill and diligence. Margaret may have title and wealth, but she does not have the freedom of expression when talking with her menfolk as Alice does, and she certainly cannot do her own thing the way Eleanor (a freewoman) can. I thought the contrast between Margaret, Alice, and Eleanor was very thought-provoking.

Hughes covers a vast array of topics in this book — from the plague to the power and influence of the Church. Alongside this, is a fascinating glimpse into the life of a small estate in Hampshire, a compelling murder mystery, and a search for a missing person, which made this book next to impossible to put down. Hughes, it seems, has a visceral understanding of what makes history worth reading while having a novelist eye on what makes a book entertaining.

I cannot say enough good things about Fortune’s Wheel: The First Meonbridge Chronicle by Carolyn Hughes, it had everything I want from a book, and then some. If ever a book deserved to be made into a television series, then it is this one. Lovers of Flora Thompson’s Lark Rise to Candleford will find something endlessly fascinating with this story and the characters that grace the pages.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 2 out of 5]

“It was hard to understand where God’s love was in all this desolation...”

So many tenets had died in Meonbridge with the Plague, that the entire town is different. There are those who want to keep the status quo, and those who want more. Was the mortality- as the people call it, G-d’s wrath? If so, why didn’t “the sinners” die and the good people, especially the children, succumb?

Every family was affected in the Village, either by illness or it’s aftermath. What happens now?

The problem with this book is that it is really slow and verbose, and I found myself so looking forward to it. When the chapters simply begin to sound the same even through another chracter’s Eyes, I began to avoid reading it, or fell asleep reading it. It dragged. I so wanted it not too, but it did. I do not recommend this book. 2/5

[Joanne Leddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story picks up after The Great Mortality and takes place in a village where most of the residents are tenants of the grand estate. Interesting social structure with the villagers indebted to the Lord and Lady. Some live in peace while others are embittered and desire more pay, land, and respect. I struggled a bit keeping up with all the characters and their relationships to each other. There is intrigue, murder, and stealing of laborers from neighboring estates and more. The reading is easy and not bad for a first novel. Something about the characters storylines has me reading the next book of this four part series.

[Roxanne Rampage · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got to 70% in this book and I gave it up. I was expecting a Ken Follet-style historical yarn full of intrigue, tangled webs of deceit and eyebrow-raising descriptions. I'm sorry to say that I found it long-winded, repetitive and tedious, going backwards and forwards over the same thing.

There were a lot of characters and I began to lose track of who was who. I didn't think it had much depth and the constant use of 'The Mortality' annoyed me. At the point where I really didn't care what happened, I decided it was time to quit.

[ChillwithabookAWARD With · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fortune's Wheel had been honoured with a Chill with a Book Readers' Award.
www.chillwithabook.com

[Brook Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I figured Fortune’s Wheel would be a fascinating read, but I had no idea it would become one of my TOP favorite books this year. Think Ken Follett on a slightly smaller scale, combined with the authenticity of Sharon Kay Penman.

That—is Fortune’s Wheel.

Hughes uses a variety of fascinating characters; people who make the fictitious village of Medieval Meonbridge believable. But several characters stand out, because Hughes focuses on WOMEN. And her main character is a middle-aged widow named Alice. Alice is truly the strong heart of the story. Others look to her for comfort, strength, and advice when a series of tragedies rocks the tiny town—first and foremost, the Black Death. However, several other female types grace Hughe’s story, and are fabulously fleshed out in detail: Lady Margaret, spouse to Meonbridge’s lord and knight, Sir Richard, Eleanor, who seems to undergo a true character arc in the book, and though she’s not actually a POV character, Matilda—a teenage bride forced into a horrific marital union.

Everything about this book was plausible and so very well-penned that I truly cannot critique it easily. So much plot-outlining had to have happened to put this entire story together, with character development at the heart of the novel’s construction. Carolyn Hughes is a writer that in every way rivals greats like Follett and Penman, both with individuals the reader will bond with, and the historical knowledge needed to create a story with such meticulous detail regarding a period.

Fortune’s Wheel is easy reading, not at all ponderous with fact-sharing. It’s no information dump, but instead a formidable book full of information of how people lived, worked, and died during one of history’s most difficult times. Get it and READ it! I am utterly hooked and have already downloaded the second book.

[John Petro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather slow. Almost put it down. Too many irrelevant characters to remember. Getting better but not great. Finished the book last night. If this was her first novel, nice job! I enjoyed the time period, setting, etc. There were several plot lines which were thinly played out. I am still on the fence as to recommending. An easy read. I would grade the book, 'B'. Something about the book tells me to continue with the 2nd book in the series. Maybe!

[Jen McCabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book, I'm missing the characters already. I thought there were another two books in the series, but it seems there is now another four. Can't wait!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this quite hard going at first with many characters and rather confusing but, stuck with it and found it a very enjoyable historical novel with lots going on.

[L.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Audiobook***

"Fortune’s Wheel," the first book in Carolyn Hughes' Meonbridge Chronicles series, is set in the aftermath of The Black Death. The story depicts the village of Meonbridge, where survivors face bereavement and uncertainty as they rebuild their lives. The plot follows three main female protagonists: Alice, a widow determined to remain independent; Eleanor, left to manage her lands after her parents' death; and Lady Margaret, who subtly opposes her husband’s harsh rule over the villagers.
As the villagers strive to put their lives back together, desperate poverty leads to unrest and causes greater rifts between the haves and the have-nots. Running alongside this unrest is the mystery about the disappearance of Alice's daughter, Agnes. Combined, these plots bear witness to the challenges of the feudal system as greater demands are made by the villagers for a fairer life. This is history made clear with very typical tales of very typical people.

I've read many of the books in the series and am used to - and appreciate - Carolyn's immersive writing, rich in historical detail and authenticity. Yet to hear the story being told brings a new perspective to the hardships of those times. The narrator, at first I admit to finding "breathy" but as the story developed, the subtle changes in voice brought the whole period to life. I felt like I was witnessing the scenes, even sometimes part of the community as the depth of emotion, of injustice, of hope and despair drew me in. I knew to expect a lot from Carolyn's books, and this audiobook did not disappoint. I look forward to hearing more of the Meonbridge community, whether in written or spoken word.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into this book. But once I did, I was fully immersed. I became a member of the community and mourned with them as the death toll rose and new tragedy befell the community. I rejoiced with them when the tides seemed to turn. And most of all, I was really bummed when I reached the last page.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carolyn Hughes first book is a historical fiction focusing on the small village of Meonbridge in aftermath of the plague in England. There are too few people to do all of the work and those who are left feel that they should get higher wages for their labor. Of course the ruling class sees no reason to bow to the wishes of the working class.

Hughes focuses particularly on the women and how strong they are during difficult circumstances. A primary character, Alice, has lost her husband Philip and has two sons to deal with. One of Alice’s previous love interests develops a mean streak making life in the village difficult. Everyone agrees that his behavior is difficult to understand.

I am attracted to books with action. I find Hughes does an excellent job of describing people but her descriptions of events are lacking. Murders occur, but they are only mentioned. People disappear but little is done. Murderers are identified but their motives are vague and, in my mind, poorly described. I found I was bored at times.

This book is about change. People are forced to approach life through a new lens. Citizens need to cooperate if villages are going so survive. Of course this leads to murder and mayhem at first, but people must adjust if they are going to survive. It’s a good story and I recommend this book to those looking for in depth character development.

Net Galley kindly provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, enough that I might read its sequel, but it has weaknesses. What I liked are its rich details of medieval life. The village, the characters, and their concerns felt real to me. The novel also has strong characters, particularly the women. It turned out to be a fast read, but only after a slow start.

It starts slowly because many names are tossed out as the author establishes the background. We're introduced to a host of characters in the early chapters, many of whom have died in "the mortality." They are mentioned only by name but don't actually appear. The roll call sometimes confused me. For example, two different Edwards (neither of whom is significant) are mentioned on the same page: Why? I felt as though the author went overboard on details, to the point of naming deceased characters who aren't mentioned again. It might have been better to say merely that someone had lost a husband without adding the husband's name to the list.

My main criticism, however, is that the novel doesn't have a plot. It moves from event to event, but there isn't a main issue that needs to be resolved. If asked, I couldn't say what the novel is about, other than that it takes place in medieval England during the plague. To be fair, there are significant events that affect the characters and that grabbed my interest, but there isn't an overarching plot point that carries throughout. So, overall, while I liked the novel, I can't go so far as to say I loved it.

[Mckenzie Stairs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t want to dnf this but I had to. I just could not get around the repetition of the chapters, the premise is good and the writing is good, but I can’t handle the same thing so often. TLDR: everyone is sad and dead

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:

'...a promising novel from a debut author. Being set in a fascinating period and centring around some engaging characters... for an insight into a different-to-the-norm period this is a story worth reading as it is obvious that the author knows her period very well.'

Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs

[Mikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good whodunnit with an interesting view into the medieval period. I was hoping it would be more like Ken Follett’s books, but the two types are very different, even though set in the same time frame. Perhaps I should have given it a better rating, since it wasn’t the author’s fault. Still, I had to read until the end, to find out how it all ended!

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost from the very first page, it is clear to see that Meonbridge, this little village we’re visiting, tucked away as it is in the rural heartland of medieval Hampshire, is a place of contradictions.
The mill, the essential, ever-beating heart of the village, the place where folk take the chance to exchange news and to gossip with old friends while they wait for their grain to be transformed by the massive stones into flour for their daily bread, seems as busy as it ever has been – and yet it is here, too, that we are reminded, almost immediately, how tentative life can be for the folk who live here.

Meonbridge is a place of contradictions. As we are introduced to our neighbours and are allowed glimpses into their circumstances, it becomes increasingly clear that the Meonbridge that we have entered is not as it once was. There is stability here, a product of the many generations who have lived, worked and died here, and yet there is instability also – everywhere are signs of the aftermath of the mortality that struck so hard and so quickly over the few months before we arrived. We learn that the mortality arrived unbidden, despite the fervent prayers of the villagers, and struck deeply into their lives. It affected everyone, randomly plucking away old and young, men and women, sinners and saints, and leaving those who survived unscathed shocked and reeling from the loss of so many friends, family and neighbours. Some of those infected by the plague lingered, in agony, for days. Others simply took themselves to bed and didn’t wake up in the morning. Sir Richard, lord of the manor of Meonbridge, issued orders which he hoped might prevent the mortality from taking hold in his village. None were to enter, and none were to leave. But, despite this, arrive it did.

Those who survived, then, have little choice but to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, surrounded as they inevitably were by constant reminders of their loss – empty cottages, left behind when whole families succumbed; orphaned children, left to fend for themselves; spouses left alone without the families who had been their whole world; fields left untended because there were too few left to work them.

The agony doesn’t end there, though – in this deeply feudal society, there are fees and fines to be paid to the manor for the deaths of all those who perished; there are fees to be paid for the transfer of tenancies from dead husband to widow or children; there are rents to pay for crofts and fields and cottages, and there are all the problems of trying to balance their obligation to work the manor fields as well as tend their own – in a world where those left behind by the mortality must do the work of two or three just to survive, it seems small wonder that the cottars, those with no fields of their own, and who therefore labour for daily payment, are seeking more money for their efforts, and small wonder that surviving tenants are seeking respite from their manorial obligations in favour of looking after their own plots.

So, against the apparent backdrop of ancient, carefully nurtured feudal stability, the first seeds of instability are allowed to take root – nurtured by a growing sense of social and economic unfairness, and watered by mutterings from the lowest ranks….those with most to gain, but still a great deal to lose.

And then, throughout, we have wondered what might have happened to Alice atte Wood’s daughter Agnes. The girl had simply vanished, shortly before the mortality arrived, and the inability to look outside the village for her under Sir Richard’s closure of the village has more than doubled the grief Alice feels following the death of her husband and one of her sons. One thing is certain - Alice's worries, hopes and dreams are infectious. The more we are drawn in to her story, the more we share them.

So many questions, so many threads – all skillfully tangled and untangled by a wonderfully gifted author….but for me it is the details, sometimes large and important, more often small and intimate, that mark this book out as superb. The characters we meet are beautifully rounded and lovingly drawn….and are allowed to quietly emerge from the page at just the right level of detail, and at just the right moment. The book is saturated with expertly researched descriptions which capture the essence of medieval life, and we are quickly exposed to, and absorb, the feel of slippery mud squelching underfoot on the road between the village and the manor, and the comforts and discomforts of rural living; of cold, damp homes with little furniture, minimal lighting, and the almost universal reliance on a diet of home-grown potage for sustenance.

I loved this book. It’s one I’m sure I’ll return to in the future - and I really look forward to further books in the Meonbridge Chronicles series. Just brilliant!

[Alan Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, was this ‘Merrie England’?
‘An everyday story of country folk’. No, not Ambridge but Meonbridge. And not in recent times either, but in the middle of the fourteenth century. A tale covering a single year; one of twists and turns. The Black Death has recently passed over the village reaping a harvest of dead adults, children, and infants; tearing holes in the fabric of village life, as well, of course, as causing holes in the ground – so many the old churchyard cannot take them all.
There’s a theme running through this tale of a turbulent year. The epidemic has destroyed the pattern, prevalent for at least the past two hundred years, of rural life – the only kind of life for the majority of the population. There aren’t enough people left to farm the soil as intensively as it has been, and still needs to be even for the village to feed itself, never mind pay its way by selling its surplus. Those who have survived and who provide the labour are only too aware that their labour is scarcer than it was, and therefore worth more to those who need it. The ‘establishment’, national and local, but also the traditional and conservative among the lower orders, see the disintegration of their society; and for some, who believe ‘God made them high or lowly, and ordered their estate’; demanding more and climbing up the social ladder is not just greedy but sacrilegious.
This is all well brought out and provides the essential background conflict for the dramatic event that dominates this violent and unsettling year.
The reader can therefore expect to be entertained. The pages ask to be turned over quickly and there’s some new development in every chapter. Those ignorant of the social conditions in England circa 1350 will also find much of it informative. There is, though, a large cast, for all that the epidemic carried off at least half of the population, and this reader found it hard to feel particularly strongly about any of them.
The author has faced a real challenge. Thomas Gray’s ‘short and simple annals of the poor’ struggle to compete with tales woven around Kings and Princes, Lords and Ladies, whose histories are, if patchy, known and supported by records. To be fair, no one has the slightest idea of how the rural English spoke at that time, nor how the different levels of society would have addressed each other, let alone what kind of relationships might have existed among them. The author has made a fair shot at it.
Those who tune-in with anticipation to Radio 4 at six-thirty in the evening, will probably love this book.

The publisher, Silverwood Books, kindly provided me with a review copy.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortune’s Wheel is an English historical fiction novel set in the middle of the 14th century, during the reign of Edward III, a period I know little about since most of the HF I’ve read centres on the Wars of the Roses and the Tudor period. Unusually, this is not about the royals, battles and court politics, but instead describes six months in the lives of the inhabitants of a small village in Hampshire, Meonbridge.

Bubonic plague, known as The Mortality, has halved the village population, taking young and old, rich and poor, good and bad, then moved on, leaving the survivors reeling, unsure how to carry on with their lives. The strict hierarchy of medieval life must continue, however, with villeins (tenants), forced to pay both rent and service to the Lord, Richard, while poor cottars, who own nothing, work where they can, and the Freemen (and a few women) can farm their own land, but still need to make ends meet. With so many working men dead, the balance of power has shifted, and the poor villagers are demanding an increase in pay, but wage rises have been forbidden by the king, an excuse willingly seized upon by those in power.

The story is told mostly from the point of view of several different women, Alice, older widow whose daughter went missing just before the sickness began, her friend Margaret the Lord’s wife, and Eleonore, a free woman who has inherited her father’s sheep farm. There is a large cast of characters and the list at the beginning is helpful to keep track, so worth bookmarking. Clearly well researched, this had a lot of interesting detail about their day to day lives, relationships and occupations, which meant the plot took a while to get going. There are two main mysteries - what happened to Agnes, and who killed one of the protesters, and the reveal is no surprise in either case.

I enjoyed this as a change from all my thrillers, and a way to learn about ordinary life in the Middle Ages. I liked the main characters and the writing.
This book is labelled the First of the Meonbridge Chronicles, and the sequel has been published recently, but this works well as a stand-alone with no annoying cliff-hangers, and a satisfying if slightly cheesy ending. I would be keen to continue the series and find out what happens next.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carolyn Hughes - Fortune´s Wheel
The well-researched historical novel is set in the fictional village of Meonbridge (Hampshire) in the 14th century, in the aftermath of the plague, referred to as „the mortality“ by the villagers, half of whom have perished.
Sir Richard de Bohun, lord of the manor, faces a serious problem, as there arent´t enough villagers left to work on his lands. The surviving villagers see the chance to make use of the lack in peasants by asking für higher wages. Sir Richard isn´t very sympathetic, but especially his son Philip and the bailiff Robert Tyler treat the villagers harshly. After two persons have been murdered, the situation turns critical.
The story is told through the eyes of three female protagonists. Lady Margaret is Sir Richard´s wife, she feels for the harshly treated and exploited villagers and tries to plead with her husband to ease their lot. The widow Alice atte Wode is a friend to Lady Margaret and keeps her informed about the life and the mood of the villagers. She also faces a grave problem of her own, not long before the outbreak of the Black Death her daughter Agnes vanished and hasn´t been searched for so far. Alice is also friend to the freewoman Eleanor Titherige, whom she would like to have for a daughter-in-law.
Although Eleanor likes Alice´s son John, she isn´t ready to submit to a husband´s rule, she wants to make an independent living for herself as a sheep farmer.
The novel is focussed on the life of ordinary people and the hardships they have to face. It shows how the loss of numerous lives due to the plague opens up unheard-of opportunities for the survivors who are now in a position to ask for higher wages and better living conditions.
The characters are mostly very well-developed and well-balanced, only two of them are shown in a very negative light, perhaps too negative to be realistic(?).
„Fortune´s Wheel“ is a very absorbing read, I recommend it strongly to every reader who is interested in the life of ordinary people in the Middle Ages and I would very much like to follow the stories of Margaret, Alice and Eleanor in the second volume.

[Laura Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably in my TOP 5 favorite books this year. I requested this book from NetGalley for review as I was already fascinated by its description. There is a lot of good I want to comment on about this book so lets start with the front of it.

To start with I was intrigued by the cover as you can see it is several people making up a wheel to a ship. The characters on the front all see vastly different and you can already tell that there is going to be many different types of characters to this book all leading very different lives, from what appears to be families to hard laborers, even to children trying to live out their youths. After flipping over and reading the synopsis one can’t help but wonder who among the people are the front will live and who all will perish?

Next up I want to touch how upon opening the book you are given a cast of characters. I really wish more series of books or books that focus around multiple POV’s or even ones with a very diverse line of characters would have these as it sometimes makes the lengthier stories a little easier to follow and gives you a tease of whats to come.

The writing in this novel blew me away! Carolyn has definitely done her research for this book and gives a wonderful spin on history. I actually learned a lot from this book. I found myself rushing to my computer to do my own research just to learn more after I reached this books end. It was interesting to see all the hierarchy’s between the classes and even how some lower classes had such social standings as well.

The characters in this novel were very complex and each one brought their own powerful punch to the book. They were well paced and their own background and family style was intriguing to read, even if not heartbreaking at times.

Overall I give this book 10 out of 5 stars. (yes i know 10 from 5 isn’t possible but that is how high I rate this book)