The Crimson Ribbon, Katherine Clements
The Crimson Ribbon, Katherine Clements
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The Crimson Ribbon

Author: Katherine Clements

Narrator: Katie Scarfe

Unabridged: 10 hr 48 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Review

Published: 03/27/2014


Synopsis

Based on the real figure of the fascinating Elizabeth Poole, The Crimson Ribbon is the mesmerising story of two women's obsession, superstition and hope.

May Day 1646. The Civil War is raging and what should be a rare moment of blessing for the town of Ely takes a brutal turn. Ruth Flowers is left with little choice but to flee the household of Oliver Cromwell, the only home she has ever known. On the road to London, Ruth sparks an uneasy alliance with a soldier, the battle-scarred and troubled Joseph. But when she reaches the city, it's in the Poole household that she finds refuge.

Lizzie Poole, beautiful and charismatic, enthrals the vulnerable Ruth, who binds herself inextricably to Lizzie's world. But in these troubled times, Ruth is haunted by fears of her past catching up with her. And as Lizzie's radical ideas escalate, Ruth finds herself carried to the heart of the country's conflict, to the trial of a king.

(P)2014 Headline Digital

About Katherine Clements

Katherine Clements is a critically acclaimed novelist, self-confessed costume drama addict and current Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Manchester. She is editor of Historia, the online magazine of the Historical Writers' Association, and is a member of the HWA committee. @KL_Clements


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kate

I was utterly enthralled from the very first line of this novel: ‘Sometimes death comes like an arrow, sudden and swift, an unforseen shot from an unheeded bow.’ THE CRIMSON RIBBON is set in England in 1646, in the midst of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell leads the army of the people against......more

DNF at about half the book. It became apparent in this point that the author was more interested in the LGBTQ issues in the book than in developing the characters, the richness of the historical background or the plausibility of the plot. A shame, since the beginning was quite promising.......more


Quotes

The vibrant new voice of historical fiction Suzannah Dunn

One of the most atmospheric and gripping historical novels I've ever read. The twists and turns kept me totally mesmerised...and the heroine, Ruth, is an utterly captivating character. The complex relationship between Ruth and Lizzie is wonderfully convincing, tender and devastating in equal measure right up to the last heart-breaking moment Karen Maitland

Begins at a cracking pace, plunging the reader into the turbulent Civil War period and the terror of witchcraft that came with it. Ruth grows in resilience and pride as she faces loss, tough choices in love, political confusion and intimate betrayal... A compelling novel Maria McCann

Impressive and inspirational...an original and entertaining story Alison Weir