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A review by zwyrdish
Earthly Joys by Philippa Gregory
4.0
I read the sequel first and this one second, but I still enjoyed this story very much, and having developed some foreknowledge of the characters didn't leave me feeling that I always knew what was coming, even if I did to a large degree - especially as I neared the end of the book. Still, given the do-over, I would read them in sequence, I think.
My mom read Virgin Earth after I did, and she was interested to learn that there was a book that preceded it. I am a little wary of passing it on to her because there is some activity I think she may find objectionable and I am afraid it will ruin the story for her. Personally, I loved the tale, recognized "Tradescant" immediately because I love perennials and have multiple varieties of tradescantia (spiderwort) in my garden, and sympathized with John's wanderlust and his tendency to be a little bit awestruck by the vivacious and capricious duke. I know that the author is a learned historian, and I am curious how much of the Tradescant's lives were taken from the pages of history, and how much from Ms. Gregory's fertile imagination. I was FASCINATED by the description of the buying and selling of tulip bulbs in "the low counties" which could just as easily have been cattle futures on Wall Street - and it came to me that the Dutch may have had their hand in the development of the stock market (or "de Waal Straat") in New York City.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it was completely satisfying, and I have not been disappointed by one of this author's books yet - so they are all on my "To read" list - unless I have already read them.
My mom read Virgin Earth after I did, and she was interested to learn that there was a book that preceded it. I am a little wary of passing it on to her because there is some activity I think she may find objectionable and I am afraid it will ruin the story for her. Personally, I loved the tale, recognized "Tradescant" immediately because I love perennials and have multiple varieties of tradescantia (spiderwort) in my garden, and sympathized with John's wanderlust and his tendency to be a little bit awestruck by the vivacious and capricious duke. I know that the author is a learned historian, and I am curious how much of the Tradescant's lives were taken from the pages of history, and how much from Ms. Gregory's fertile imagination. I was FASCINATED by the description of the buying and selling of tulip bulbs in "the low counties" which could just as easily have been cattle futures on Wall Street - and it came to me that the Dutch may have had their hand in the development of the stock market (or "de Waal Straat") in New York City.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it was completely satisfying, and I have not been disappointed by one of this author's books yet - so they are all on my "To read" list - unless I have already read them.