Anand continues the story of Norman Knight Sir Ivon de Clairpont and his descendents that she began in The Proud Villeins. This book opens in 1271 as Isabel of Northfield can't accept her lot in life as a villein and forever tied to the land and the Lord who owns it and everyone on it. Fueled by old family legends of a freeborn ancestor, recently widowed and not wishing to marry the new husband chosen for her, she thinks she can improve her lot in life by joining the church - but evil Abbess Christiana only covets the land Isabel can bring her and very nearly ends in disaster.

The next part of the story continues as a relative of Isabel's, Nicola, is married to the ill tempered Thomas Woodcarver and begins a tenuous marriage as both chafe at the bonds that tie them to the land and their overlord. When plague strikes most of the countryside they grab at their chance to escape bondage and bluff their way into taking over the tenancy of Whitmead as the "distant relatives" of the previous tenants who also died of plague. Thomas and Isabel are able to pull off their bluff, although one close call that ends in violence threatens to expose their true identity and return them to Redesmarch and serfdom. The final segment of the story tells that of their grandson John and his involvement in The Peasant's Revolt, and then finally culminates in 1399 as the newest and wholly free member of what is now called the Whitmead family is introduced and ready to begin the next chapter of the story in Women of Ashdon.

While this is not the fastest paced book and might not appeal to all readers, I did find it very enjoyable and a fascinating look at the other side of medieval life. Most of the historical novels we find set in medieval times typically deal with the kings, lords and ladies and not with the lower born classes, and this was a refreshing change to see what life was like on the other side of the coin and a completely different way of life from the ruling classes.

The series in order,

The Proud Villeins
The Ruthless Yeomen
Women of Ashdon
The Faithful Lovers
The Cherished Wives
The Dowerless Sisters ( )

The whole Bridges Over Time series is great and would appeal to anyone who likes Edward Rutherfurd's sagas of families across the centuries and how they change and interact with historical events. Why are these books so difficult to track down? ( )