The Master of Measham Hall by Anna Abney

As the plague kills one person after another in restoration England, Alethea Hawthorne finds herself in London, fending for herself, and in need of getting to her family home – Measham Hall. This story deals with how she ended up in the streets without protection, who steps in to offer support, time spent on the road and then with a spiritual community living in the forest before she heads on to her ancestral estates and what happens when she arrives. This is one that I believe young adults and it might also be used as a book for integrated learning with the right group of high school students.

What I liked:
* The history
* The insight into the religious divide in England at that time
* The superstitions mentioned related to the plague
* Seeing that some human behaviors remain the same through the centuries
* The growth Alethea showed as the story progressed
* The way the division between the social classes was presented
* The reference to punishment for various crimes during that era
* Finding out what happened to Jack
* It made me think
* Finding out who the master of Measham Hall was meant to be

Some comments:
* I had trouble with believability – could a woman “pass” as a man in that time period and successfully carry off the charade over an extended period of time especially in the condition she found herself in? Would a brother truly behave as Alethea’s brother did? Would it all work out as simply as it did by the end of this book?
* Alethea seemed very gullible at many points in the story. She seemed to made silly decisions, was unwilling to listen to wise counsel, was easily brainwashed, and then later managed to step into “power” that I found it difficult to see her easily wearing. Again, perhaps a believability issue as Alethea would have been in her early twenties in this story.
* I would have liked to find out what happened later and whether what was projected by Alethea came to fruition or fell apart.
* I felt there were a number of loose ends that perhaps will be dealt with if this is to be a series but they did leave me wondering.
* There was a LOT of religion in the book and it could, perhaps, be difficult to read and understand by some readers.
* I had trouble relating to the main character in the story – I couldn’t really relate to her or sympathize with her and wanted “more” from her…though perhaps she wasn’t able to give or be more.
* The author has potential – would like to see more interaction and dialogue and less “telling” of the story.

Did I like this book? Yes and No
Would I read more by this author? I might

Thank you to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars ( )