Elizabeth Carne was clearly a remarkable woman whose contribution to Cornish society, geology and the world of banking and commerce has been admirably woven into this well-researched historical novel. It is a story which truly needed to be told and provides an insight to both Elizabeth's life and to those of her contemporaries in Cornwall during the 19th century.
Elizabeth Carne is torn apart by the conflicts of the English class system: local poverty; her love of Henry, a man from "the lower order;" and her role as an heiress.
As a woman without a college education, she struggles to gain credibility in her father's banks as she tries to maintain her family's long legacy of wealth and philanthropy. Amid lies, murder, smuggling, famine, and restrictive social norms, Elizabeth fights for her love of Henry, the local miners, and fisherman. Meanwhile, the failure of the mining industry looms over her like an ominous storm.
Jill George's meticulously researched and gripping story uncovers the joys and sorrows of a brave and brilliant woman's mission to overcome the class system to create a more unified and prosperous region, country, and world.
'The Light Among Us' takes factual threads of Elizabeth Crane's life, in mid-19th century Cornwall, and weaves together a plausible story of how this banker, social reformer, and geologist may have lived. Readers gain further insights, illuminated throughout the book, into Miss Crane's history, inner thoughts, and vulnerability. Elizabeth Crane, unconscionably, for that time, was raised as her father's heir; she was raised to continue his legacy in both banking and geology. Her father fostered an inquisitiveness that allowed her to question the social norms of that time and taught her steadfastness and single-mindedness to carry on his legacy.
The authors have put an enormous amount of research into this book; not only about Elizabeth's life but also about the history and geology of Cornwall at that time. They have also thought hard on the personal journey that Elizabeth, as a woman and an heir may have toiled on. However, at times, I felt that there was too much detailed information given, unnecessary to the overall story. Further, the 'thoughts' Elizabeth shares, at times, seem 'clunky' and break up the flow of the story - which is already told from her point of view.
'The Light Among Us' is a book that recounts the history of a woman who was single-minded in her conviction of equality and the betterment of people. She did not accept living by social norms but nor did she expect it from others. Readers of this book will not only learn a small part of social history, and a strong woman but also glean Cornwall's history of discovery, mining and smuggling during this period. Elizabeth Crane was an inspirational woman we can all learn from.
RATING : 5/5🌟 🌺🌺 Nelson Mandela has truly said that -
"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
The current book also symbolises the idea of struggle and survival in life. The title of the book is "The Light Among Us: The Story Of Elizabeth Carne, Cornwell".
The book is brilliantly crafted by Jill George with John Dirring.
The best thing about this book is that the Author has written a story with a realistic canvas which is very rare these days. The way the plot is developed by the Author is outstanding.
The story represents the conflicts of the English Class System including the effect of poverty. It narrates the story of a woman who struggles a lot to live life under her conditions and tried to maintain her family's legacy of money and wealth.
She has also fought for her love named Henry who was a local fisherman. She challenges the class system by her this decision.
The book is full of struggle stories but it is in a motivational tone to inspire people to fight against the barriers which stop us to live our lives in our conditions.
The book deals with standard language and the cover gives us the idea about the story in which a woman has a major role.
I suggest everyone read this story of Elizabeth Carne to be bold enough to make our voices loud to ourselves. 🌺🌺
Let me open up my review with who is "Elizabeth Carne." To be very straightforward, Elizabeth Catherine Thomas Carne (Elizabeth Carne) was a British author, natural philosopher, geologist, conchologist, mineral collector, and philanthropist. In later years, following her father's death, she also became a banker. Today we would probably place her contributions to science in the realm of human ecology.
The book that I will suggest to you folks today is an exceptionally captivating and extremely fascinating book. The substance of this book will make you fall head over heels for this book. The Light Among Us by Jill George, John Dirring is the Story of Elizabeth Carne, Cornwall. In this book, both authors describe Elizabeth Carne’s character very deeply. They put light on her discovery and journey, and every little thing that she did in her life, which makes the book very interesting and gives beautiful teaching to every reader about her life and her struggles. The book is introduced to us from Elizabeth Carne’s Point of view, which makes this book more interesting and also create a mirage in that Elizabeth Carne says her life story in front of us in her voice (I fall in love with this book in every page when I read). The book is divided into two parts, 1. Becoming and 2. Being and 1st part is divided into 10 chapters and 2nd part is divided into 7 chapters. Part one (Becoming) is about the years 1858–1873 and Part two (Being) is about the years 1858–1873, both parts introduce us to Elizabeth Carne that how as a woman without an advanced degree, she struggles to gain credibility in her dad's banks as she attempts to keep up with her family's long tradition of riches and magnanimity, how she struggled for her love henry, who belongs to a low-class family, and how she perfectly her role an heiress even she broke by the conflicts of the English class system. Here author Jill George’s carefully investigated and holding story uncovers the delights and distresses of a fearless and splendid woman's main goal to defeat the class framework to make a more brought together and prosperous district, nation, and world. I recommended everyone to go for this beautiful book and feel the book’s every word from the point of view of Elizabeth Carne.
THIS IS A MUST-READ. Written cautiously, this book is something that will be a joy to peruse, and I prescribe you to peruse it. This book is certainly worth the buy and worth the read. Go For It Guys, and grab your copy now from amazon. It’s live on Amazon in Paperback and Hardcover. SO GO AND GRAB YOUR BOOK NOW.
It’s a fascinating read. It’s one if those rare books that immediately transports the reader to the times & conundrums Elizabeth faced. It makes a trip to Cornwall mandatory on anyone’s a bucket list. Fascinating.
"The first generation makes it, the second generation spends it, and the third generation blows it." -unknown
Elizabeth did so much as a member of the third generation. Her philanthropic work, especially education, was outstanding. And her work at conservation should not be overlooked. We owe her more than just a debt of gratitude. It took four generations for the family to come to ruin. And author Jill George to bring Elizabeth to life again.
The addition by the author of the character list was very useful. And I am so happy that Ms. George also mentioned the Hypatia Trust Organization (https://hypatia-trust.org.uk). Lots of wonderful information in this historical fiction book.
Historical fiction based on Elizabeth Carne, a remarkable 19th century British woman. Geologist, historian, banker, artist, author, crusader. I would not describe it as particularly well-written, but it was not difficult to read.
“It is a good things that you and your family do to aid the less fortunate. You have the spirit of God flowing though you. It is as if a light of goodness shines through you. Through your donations, it is as if you are helping us see there is a light among us.”
For fans of the Poldark series, and lovers of all things involving Cornwall, this beautiful book relays the story of Elizabeth Carne, a fascinating and remarkable 19th-century woman who was ahead of her time and laid the foundation for incredible educational and geological programs during that time period, based in her hometown of Penzance.
In the opening, at fifteen-years-old, she is already a fountain of knowledge, supporting her father, a well-known banker and geologist, spouting forth her opinions and answering questions with very forthright answers on an excursion to St Michael's Mount. This preview of Elizabeth's intellect sets the stage for the entirety of the book, revealing a very strong-minded young woman whose legacy, as her father instills in her, to become the first woman banker of Cornwall, and a forceful voice in the world of geology. Although she is a heiress, she uses her good fortune as a means for philanthropic pursuits, for the betterment of the people of Cornwall, especially the miners, the farmers, and the children who lack in any sort of education. Yet, this pursuit leaves her quite alone, unable to settle into a normal relationship with a man, in particular Henry Pearce, a man below her station but who connects with her on a very deep level.
“The differences in classes create isolation and monotony of thought and feeling, and then prejudice and class differences separate us from justice.” I will look to how much I have learned from Henry, the Freethy family – and yes, even Mr Richards – and also the perceptions of my friend Betsy the baker, the miners and the ball maidens, to enrich my book here and I am all the better for knowing these people and their abilities and perspectives. I see how others in the world could also benefit.
As Elizabeth grows up, and matures, taking on more and more responsibility in the bank, in writing weighty articles about the problems of social inequality and the lack of education, as well as her geological findings, her hasty rejection of Henry has him pursuing and marrying another young lady in the town, a woman who involves herself with some unsavory characters involved in smuggling, a blight upon the Penzance community. Elizabeth, herself, has several run-ins with the main smuggler, yet she is able to maintain her calm and continue shining as a moral and upright citizen whose Methodist upbringing and her own solid visions help her to overcome quite a few tragedies throughout her life. She is determined to uphold her promise to her father to ensure the family's legacy even in the midst of economic hardships (the downturn of the mining industry), unbearable poverty surrounding her, the restrictive society tightened like a corset around women, and the sudden freedom given to her after the men in her life (her father, grandfather, and brothers) depart in one way or another.
I will blend these together as examples for my book. I will entitle it, Country Towns and the Place they fill In Modern Civilization.” I will solicit reactions from Bell and Daldy, publishers in London, and ask them to publish it, if they are favorable. I believe these were the publishers my cousins, the Brontës, used, but I will confirm.
The historical research woven into this tale is astounding, and the educational aspect about this woman whose story might have been lost to time if not for Ms George's dedication for revealing the importance of her life, is quite noteworthy in light of the fact that Elizabeth's cousins, the Brontë sisters in Yorkshire are quite well-known in relation to her story. Ms George is to be commended for bringing Elizabeth's life to the forefront in such a superb narrative. Ms George even gives us an exciting twist in the relationship between Elizabeth and Henry, a fictitious relationship, but one that works well into the storyline involving smuggling rings, lies, and murder, and represents, as the author notes, the true love the people of Cornwall had with the incredible woman. This book is highly recommended.
Nothing in this world made me happier than these cliffs that looked as if a giant had taken an enormous spade or axe and hewn them along the coast like cutting a piece of cake. I wanted to burn this fresh happy day in my memory to recall during times of sadness in the future. I was hesitant to truly feel happiness when it did come along because it seemed profound sadness was always just around the corner. I tried to keep a happy, positive outlook and insisted to myself that a day like today was one of life's jewels.
*****
“The Light Among Us: Cornwall” by Jill George receives five stars and the “Highly Recommended” award of excellence.
🎐Book - THE LIGHT AMONG US 🎐AUTHOR- JILL GEORGE 🎐PAGES - 310 🎐 RATING - 5/5
★This book is all about a heiress women who faces a lot of issues in 19th century. She had to go through gender discrimination, gender pay gap to gain equal credibility with men in business world, lack of education & degree to surpass the social expectation, stay true to her life mission, human ecology and many more. So, this story starts from 1832 with a 15-year-old Elizabeth Carne, who accompanied her father on walking tour with a famous author from london. Her father, Joseph Carne was a prosperous banker, industrialist, and a mining company partner. He was eager to present his daughter as living proof that education makes improvement in women civilization and she became a living proof as she demonstrated her deep knowledge of geology and local history. When she was only 18, she decided to help out impoverished communities in a more meaningful way. Then she first met with a guy Henry during her visits to Wheal Alfred mine. They fell in love with each other but the boy belonged from lower cast family that's why Elizabeth suffered obstacles in her relationship. She faced a lot of problems in her life but she kept moving forward. She never ever gave up and always stood up stronger.★ ★This book taught me that, no matter "who are you" and "where are you from" always believe in yourself, have faith in your work as it can change your destiny, and no matter what just never ever give up.. ★ ★ The language, the writing style and vocabulary of this book is very good and easy for the beginner readers as well. It can also help you to understand the concept of 90s and you can feel the sadness, inconveniences of those days which women suffered. Worth the read, I would highly recommend you to once read this book in your life...★
📚My Review:- This book revolves around the story of the protagonist Elizabeth Carne, the bravest woman who first grew her family, then her region, her nation, and the world. Though she had achieved alot in her life, she was not very popular just because she was overshadowed by the males of her family and the ones around. Through this book, we get to know a lot about the life of Elizabeth and also about those of her contemporaries in Cornwall during the 19th century. She was among the most successful woman bankers in Cornwall during her times. Her personality was great and the spirit within her lead Elizabeth towards her goals. Besides running a bank, which in later years would have several branches, she built schools where there were none, preserved ancient stone circles, created museum quality sketches, and wrote and published books, articles and pamphlets that still resonate with the diversity issues of today. Despite all the ups and downs she had faced, she never gave up. I'm pretty sure a lot of females will get inspired from her. This book shares much informations about her time. Are you ready to join Elizabeth on her mission to overcome the class system to create a more unified and prosperous world ? The rich and lucid language used makes it easy for the readers to understand. I love how beautifully the author has crafted the entire plot with a perfect balance of emotions. The pace of the book is neither too fast nor too slow, it's moderate. The cover looks attractive and adds to the beauty of the book. It's a lengthy read containing around 300+ pages. Recommended to everyone, you must definitely read it once in your lifetime. Overall, can't wait to read more such amazing books by the author.
📚Title- The Light Among Us: The Story of Elizabeth Carne, Cornwall
📚Author- Jill George & John Dirring
📚My rating- 4.9/5
📚 If you are looking for a book with historical fiction and romance then this book is speciallyfor you.
📚The characters, the storyline, the drama, the romance - everything about this book had me reading it every chance I got and not wanting it to end!
📚The story by author is one that will hold your attention to the very end. The story is about a woman, an heiress Elizabeth Carne. Elizabeth wanted to remove the class system.
📚It is a story which truly needed to be told and provides an insight to both Elizabeth's life. She grew up in cornwall and completed her studies She wanted to create the beautiful & peaceful world with no hatred towards anyone!
📚She was in love with a guy Henry, he belonged to a low caste family that's why Elizabeth struggled a lot for her love. To fight for her love Henry she have to go through or witness various murders, struggles, lies.
📚She wanted to create the beautiful & peaceful world with no hatred towards anyone and where there is no class system at all, where everyone is treated and seen equally.
📚The book transports the readers back in time to a Victorian England and places them right in the middle of the socio-cultural history and readers get a first person view of her time.
📚This book celebrates an author, a banker, a philosopher, an educated and contributing member of the society. Couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read more from the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review: In this very elegantly and engagingly written debut novel, author Jill George transports the readers back in time to 19th century England where we will get introduced to one of the most brilliant minds our world has even seen. Elisabeth Catherine Thomas Carne. An author, a banker, a philosopher, philanthropist, geologist, conchologists and a mineral collector but most of all a woman. She accomplished so much at a time in history when women were considered docile, secondary, and not smart enough for accomplishments outside house hold work.
This book will make the readers appreciate history by making them a part of it. The book is narrated in first person and so we get a first hand experience of the life of such an important person in history. It is important for readers to understand here that without properly acknowledging and appreciating those who came before us, we can't hope for a brighter future. Everything that we have now is a part of their untiring efforts and it is our responsibility to pay them the homage that they deserve.
I congratulate the author for bringing to life the story of one such important historical person. I am sure there were people who knew about this phenomenal women who would love the author's realistic and alive portrayal, and to those who didn't know her, will find this book to be equally intresting and they'll feel like the just made a new friend.
Honestly this book feels like going on a inspirational and empowering literary adventure. The author's well researched, well written, creative storytelling and clever wit makes this book really worth a read! The Light Among Us is a historical novel that tells us a tale of the 19th century society and unfolds the battles and victories of a brave and brilliant woman's mission to overcome the prevalent class system to create a more unified, better and prosperous society and world. Her contributions to the society is immense and her victory story must be read and celebrated.
The story evolves around our protagonist Elisabeth Catherine Thomas Carne who despite many, many challenges, struggles and sacrifices coming her way, becomes a banker, philosopher, philanthropist, geologist, conchologist and most of all a woman who becomes a true inspiration for all.
I'm really glad I picked up this book. It was such a good read. Some of the conversations between the characters were quite witty and enjoyable to read. Another thing I liked was the questions towards the end of the book, which would encourage healthy discussions on everything we've just read. Although it did take me a long time to get through this book. The only criticism I have is the pacing which was a bit slow at times but I couldn't put it down as I was intrigued enough to get to the end.
• Book- The light among us • Author - Jill george • pages - 310
•The story is all about Elizabeth Carney,this book has come up with a beautifull fiction about a real person . Its a read of total 17 chapters,which are divided into two. The 1st part with the title " becoming" contain 10 chapters & the 2nd part with the title "being" contains 7 chapters.
•Elizabeth worked as a Banker and also a Geologist , Her father played a great role in her life, as he used to motivate, support and encourge her a lot. She grew up in cornway and completed her studies . She was in love with a guy Henry, he belonged to a low caste family that's why Elizabeth struggled a lot for her love. But Elizabeth was a very strong girl even when she was broke a several times, she never gave up. •When life gave her challenges, she stood up strong and faced them, and no challenge could break her anytime. •To know more about her life grab your copy now!
•This was a great read for me.The language of the book is lucid. The reader will get engaged till the last page. This book will make you imagine as u read. This is worth the read . If you are looking for a book with historical fiction and romance than i would highly recommend you with this book.
📚Book Name - The Light Among Us: The Story of Elizabeth Carne, Cornwall.
📚Author - Jill George & John Dirring
📚My rating - 4.6/5
📚An beautifully written novel by the author's where you will time travel in the 19th century to see the story of one of the most brilliant minds the world has ever seen.
📚The novel revolves around Elisabeth Catherine Thomas Carne who is a banker, philosopher, philanthropist, geologist, conchologists and a mineral collector but above all this she is a woman and a feminist.
📚We are talking about the 19th century, where woman were not allowed to take education and their sole duties were to take care of household. In these times, Elisabeth achieved so much, that itself is so commendable.
📚If you are historian, then this is a must read for you, author has explained beautifully why it is important to have knowledge of the people who have come before us.
📚This modern world is based upon the rentless hardwork and sacrifices of the people and it is the responsible as the citizen to bring out their stories.
📚Kudos to the author for bringing out such powerful story and writing it in such a engaging way that keeps you gutted till the last minute.
In “the light among us, “about Elizabeth Carney Who was an heiress, A banker, A geologist and many other things but in the book we find her in the fictitious Henry Pierce trying to uncover a smuggler. I found this book so entertaining and I loved Elizabeth character and also do not know which author wrote what, But together they have come up with a great historical fiction book about a real life person. She grew up in Cornwall and was educated but most of what she knew although her high intellect and education was encouraged by her father the collegiate level was all self taught or Learned by doing it. The mix of fiction and fact I think was woven together with great detail and imagination. I sincerely and totally loved this book and highly recommend it if you love historical fiction/romance you’ll love this book. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.
📒 Title- The Light Among Us: The Story of Elizabeth Carne, Cornwall
📒 Author- Jill George & John Dirring
📒My rating- 4.9/5
📒My review: This is the story about a woman, an heiress Elizabeth Carne. Elizabeth wanted to remove the class system. She wanted to create the beautiful & peaceful world with no hatred towards anyone and where there is no class system at all, where everyone is treated and seen equally.
📒 Elizabeth was in love with Henry, a man from the lower class. She was stuck between her love for Henry and her role as an heiress. Elizabeth tries to overcome these barriers.
📒 She wants to maintain her family's long legacy but she does not have college education due to which she faces difficulty in bank. To fight for her love Henry she have to go through or witness various murders, struggles, lies.
📒 The story is about a strong & brave woman who tries everything in her power to finish the class system. Author has done an incredible job while portraying the characters. The writing is beautiful.
The book has 17 total chapters and is separated into two sections: becoming and being.
The primary character of the book, Elizabeth Carney, is what makes the story so great.
Elizabeth Carney is a highly courageous and resilient woman who never gives up in the face of challenges. She always bounces back from heartbreaks and other challenges. As the story goes on, she meets Henry and falls in love with him, but they are unable to get married because Henry is from a low rank.
Readers' minds are filled with inquiries.
❓ Has she made an effort to fight for her love.
❓Has she moved past Henry?
You can learn about Elizabeth's life in its entirety if you read this book. In addition to being a banker and geologist, she is a really inspirational woman.
No gaps exist in the plot because the story moves quickly. I had a great time reading it and learned a lot about her character and way of life.
The story by author is one that will hold your attention to the very end. This book is one that everyone should read. Outstandingly advised
The light among us by Jill George is a beautifully written debut novel in which author transports the readers back in time to 19th century where women were not allowed to take education and their sole duties were to take care of household. The best thing about this book is author has written it in realistic manner, the way the plot is developed is outstanding.
The story revolves around Elizabeth Carne who is a banker, philosopher, philanthropist, geologist and a mineral collector but most of all she is a woman. She is in love with a guy who belonged to a low caste family thus Elizabeth was stuck between her love for Henry and her role as an heiress. She struggled a lot for her love but never gave up even when broken.
The book is full of struggle stories but mainly it's about a strong and brave woman who tried everything in her power to finish the class system. I admire the author for his work to bring the story of an important historical person. I suggest this book to everyone to know more about Elizabeth Carne.
I personally feel writing and executing a historic fiction isn't a walk on the cake as it just doesn't only needs the hardwork on the storyline alone but majorly on the plot and period aswell. Any author writing any book under historic genre whether fiction or non fiction shall have the skill the design the story and execute the narration in such a way where readers are directly teleported in the period and assume that they are witnessing each and every scene with their eyes.
And in the recent works of the author Jill George is The Light Among Us: The Story of Elizabeth Carne, Cornwall where is unfolded the period of 1900s where the protagonist is an established and independent woman who is also a banker, a philanthropist and geologist but has struggled in different parts and phase of lives be it education or financial stability, family condition or even her love life with Henry but the way she rose and made a way for herself was so fabulous to read . I absolutely loved the storytelling by the author which kept me glued on the each and every page of the book.
This was an interesting fictionalized look at a person who lived in England. Elizabeth Carne was an unusual woman for her time. She was highly educated by her father, had strong opinions that she expressed, and was encouraged to be independent in a time women were expected to marry and have a family. To see her succeed in the ways that she did was fascinating to watch unfold.
I did struggle at times with the amount of detail given in the book. There was so much information I often got some of the characters confused. I found the notes at the back included by the author to be extremely helpful. Overall, learning about Elizabeth and her family was a pleasure. She was a fascinating character.
This book is great for readers wanting a look at a woman ahead of her time and an account of actual events in history.
Thank you to Atmosphere Press for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.
I tried to give this book a chance, I really did. The premise seemed very interesting and I love the area it was set in, however I just could not get into it or finish it. The writing style just wasn't my cup of tea and I had a hard time getting through it before ultimately deciding to stop reading it. I think part of the issue for me was the amount of detail given, that it was almost too much information though I usually enjoy books that are very descriptive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the digital advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.
I had never heard of Elizabeth Carne before reading this book. What a remarkable woman! It’s obvious the author is an historian to the core, as the writing and details paint a very clear picture of the setting and circumstances that limited women’s opportunities in the 19th century. The author has created a likeable character in Bess and did a wonderful job of making me feel as if I was in Cornwall, enjoying the seaside, smelling the salty air, and feeling the wind on my skin. This novel is a lovely tribute to this notable woman and her biography!
This is a new Author to me I found that her depiction of the time to be well written story that portrays one very strong woman. This is Elisabeth Catherine Thomas Carne who is a banker, philosopher, philanthropist, geologist, conchologists and a mineral collector but above all this she is a woman and a feminist. The story held my interest from cover to cover. The story was well worth reading. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
First off, I liked the cover, covers are so important so one star just for that. Now the rest of the novel, I thought it was a well written historic fiction, a good Sunday evening kind of read. I think I would recommend this to others, its interesting and well written.
I don't do stars but recommend for lovers of historical fiction. Well done immersion into life of little known, but fascinating Victorian woman of science and business.