The Bridges over Time Series by Valerie Anand

[Misfit]

Since I'm hoping to read the entire series, I'll post all reviews on one thread, so we can keep the series in order.

Book #1 The Proud Villeins

Sir Ivon de Clairpont is a Norman knight with holdings of his own and comes to England as part of a large escort to Alfred Atheling. Suspecting treachery, Earl Godwinson and his men attack the group and slaughter Alfred and most of the knights, although some are spared and sold into slavery. One of those is Sir Ivon, who is bought as a thrall by Eric Olafson and taken to his lands in the north. Ivon always dreams of retuning to his holdings in Normandy, but after several escape attempts Ivon is finally crippled in the foot and unable to try again, and must accept his lot in life as a thrall.

Ivon is married to another thrall Gunnar and the story eventually picks up again in 1065 with the story of Ivon's grandson in 1065, Ivon Oddeyes (a de Clairpont trait to have two different eye colors). After the battle of Hastings, Williams tires of the revolts in the north and sends his knights in to destroy all sources of rebellion with what has come to be known as the Harrying (or Harrowing) of the North. All males over the age of ten are murdered, homes burned and crops destroyed. With no food and no homes, the women and children of Eric's Dale head for York, but the harsh winter conditions and lack of food hamper their journey, leading some to take drastic measures to survive, and the memories of what the Norman knights did haunt Ivon Oddeyes for the rest of his life. Ten year old Ivon is taken in by monks, but his hatred for the Normans who destroyed his home and family is never lost, nor is his desire to be a free man, as his grandfather once was and he keeps a handle from a knife carrying the device of bridges (hence the Bridges over Time name of the series) from his grandfather and that device and the story of his free birth is passed down to subsequent generations. Ivon impresses a Norman lord and as a reward he is given his own land to serve as a villein, a tenant farmer and owned by the land, although it was not quite what Ivon expected, he did not understand that villeins were tied to the land and not free.

The rest of the story follows Ivon Oddeyes and two subsequent generations of his family as Anand lets the reader see how the lesser folk deal with the wars of the lords and kings, including the Civil War between Stephen and Maude. Anand’s writing is beautiful, but while the Harrying of the North and the destruction caused to the land and the villeins during the Civil War were terrifying, the rest of the book is a bit slow paced at times, and perhaps not for all readers. You're not going to see much of kings, knights, lords and ladies or battles, this book is about the lives of those who didn't rule and really didn't care who ruled as long as there was peace. For those interested in getting a look at the other side of the coin in medieval England this book and the subsequent books in the series might be of interest.

The series in order,

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

Some are a bit spendy on the used market, but I'm going to give my library's ILL program a whirl and see how lucky I am. This one came from a Benedictine Abbey outside of Salem Oregon. 4/5 stars.

[EC2]

Excellent review Misfit. I read and enjoyed this one many years ago. I've read The Ruthless Yeomen too. Anand appears to have been a victim of the mid 90's slump in historical fiction when a lot of authors lost their publishing slots.

[Misfit]

Thanks EC. From what I've been able to piece together this series takes the family through to the 18C as they gain their freedom and finally tying it together with the other family from Normandy.

[Telynor]

I'll have to take a look for these when I make my next trip to the used bookstore.

[Misfit]

Anand continues the story of captured and sold into slavery 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 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.

Some of these books a bit spendy on the used market, but I'm giving my library's ILL program a whirl and see how lucky I am (or how good they are). The first one came from a Benedictine Abbey outside of Salem Oregon, the second from the Eugene, OR public library, book #3 is the only one my library has - let's see how much my luck continues with the last three. 4/5 stars.

[Misfit]

Women of Ashdon

Taking up the story of the Whitmead family several generations after the close of The Ruthless Yeomen, Susannah Whitmead is sent to live with the Hurleighs and be educated as a lady by Mistress Agnes, the lady of the house and all time shrew. Susannah brings with her a family keepsake - a device of a curved bridge across a river - which by this time no one in the family is left who remembers the origin of the device and their ancestral roots in Normandy. In love with up and coming but still penniless Giles Saville, Susannah is forced by Agnes to marry Sir James Weston and she comes to live at Ashdon House, a house she comes to love more than anything else in life. Susannah's second marriage takes her to Cornwall, where her husband becomes involved in the protests against the high taxes imposed on the populace by Henry VII along with the plots to replace Henry with the imposter (or is he an imposter??) Perkin Warbeck.

The second half of the book is the story of Susannah's granddaughter Christina during the reigns of Mary and then Elizabeth Tudor. Christina's never ending obsession with Ashdon House makes for an unhappy marriage that gets her exiled by her husband to Cornwall where she falls into the clutches of a catholic cousin - who does her the "favor" of getting her recalled to Ashdon house by arranging a visit by Elizabeth I. Although in years to come during the plots against Elizabeth by Mary Stuart and her supporters force Christina to repay her old debt at a much higher price than she could ever have dreamed of.

So far of the three in this series, I found this one to be the weakest. While I don't expect these books to be fast paced, page turning reads this one really did drag for me at times. The first part of the book deals with Henry VII and as I've recently read two books on him, I found myself in a been-there-done-that spot. As for the second half dealing with the whole Bloody Mary/Elizabeth I/Mary Stuart business I found to be old news -- there have been too many books in recent years on these ladies and I am just Tudor'ed out. And while I enjoyed Susannah's character (especially the bit of the story with Giles), Christina was just not too likeable as a character, although Anand did give her a very appropriate finish at the end in 1606. I'm sorely torn between three stars for a slow story and four for Anand's excellent writing and call it at 3.5/5 stars.

[Aneca]

I haven't read Anand yet but these reviews are making me want to do it as soon as possible! Thanks Misfit! :)

[Misfit]

Anand continues the story of the Whitmead family as a shipwreck during a violent storm off the Cornish coast sets Ninian Whitmead's life on a completely unexpected path. The only survivor, Parvati was brought from India and used as a "slave" by the pirates who did not survive the wreck. Forty year old Ninian, who never married, is captivated and eventually marries her. Despite Parvati's adopting the Christian religion, the Puritans never fully accept her and as England is swept into Civil War an accusation of witchcraft against her changes their lives forever.

The story continues with that of their son, Charles and his children. Charles, spoiled by his mother, is a pompous ass (to say the least), as he begins a successful career in shipping and the East India Company. Although his daughter Henrietta and Benjamin loved each other from childhood, their parents conspire to separate them and marry them to others. Henrietta defies her father choice, and disinherited takes up residence with Eleanor, a distant relative and they find themselves in the midst of the Monmouth rebellion.

Despite a strong beginning with Ninian and Parvati's story I found this book in the series even weaker than Women of Ashdon., especially the..well..um…unusual relationship between Henrietta and Eleanor. While not gratuitous in nature it was still odd and IMHO Anand could have told the story well enough without it. Most of the book is very slow paced, and I didn't find myself connecting with many of the characters, and their experiences with the Parliamentarians, the Civil War and Restoration England. However, the next up the series as Lucy Whitmead's story begins in 18C England and India in The Cherished Wives looks more promising. 3/5 stars and only recommended for those wanting to read the entire series.

[EC2]

I've rtead the early ones Misfit but never got around to the later ones. Thanks for the review. I'll probably check the library for the later books if I feel a sudden urge.:)

[Misfit]

The story of the Whitmead family of England continues in this fifth of six books known as Bridges Over Time. George Whitmead, a merchant with the East India Company returns home to find a bride and settles on second cousin Lucy-Anne. George, a pompous over-bearing windbag who thinks women should be "cherished” and protected, brings Lucy-Anne to his country estate with his mother as chaperone. Once settled in with strict rules about allowable social engagements he leaves his bride and returns to India. Lucy-Anne does well managing the estates and its tenants, but loneliness takes her on an unexpected path and that brings life-changing consequences.

The story continues as George returns from India for good, albeit a bit mad at times, although his son and heir Henry refuses to acknowledge it. Henry is much like his father and treats his wife and daughters the same way "cherishing" and protecting them from the outside world, although his daughter Sophia chafes at the restrictions and almost brings herself to near ruin as a result of her attempt at freedom.

While I did enjoy parts of this book, especially the early parts of Lucy-Anne's marriage, others were quite slow paced and sluggish. I think one of my main problems keeping interest is there just aren't any likeable characters in the last two books - but not bad enough that you love to hate them either. Just meh. I'm still going to try and get a hold of the last in the series, The Dowerless Sisters; mainly because I'm hoping she'll tie the Whitmeads and the family device of a bridge over the river with the unknown distant relatives in Normandy from the first book. Only recommended for die-hard Anand fans or those who do want to read the entire series, but I do not recommend it as a stand-alone. 3/5 stars.

[Misfit]

After giving up hope of ever purchasing this one, I went for an ILL and they've just told me there's one library (although with a $15 handling fee) so I'm going to go for it and get this series finished. Stay tuned.

[Michy]

I scanned your reviews and this sounds like a series that might interest me -- I much prefer stories of the "common people" over stories of royals. I'll have to take a look at my library system and see what's available.....

[Misfit]

I scanned your reviews and this sounds like a series that might interest me -- I much prefer stories of the "common people" over stories of royals. I'll have to take a look at my library system and see what's available.....

The first three are the best, and you should have no problem ILL'ing them.

[fljustice]

Anand appears to have been a victim of the mid 90's slump in historical fiction when a lot of authors lost their publishing slots.

I interviewed Ms. Anand extensively in 2000 shortly after her third historical mystery novel Queen's Ransom featuring Ursula Blanchard as an "agent" for Elizabeth I, was released in paperback in the US. She's written eight books in the Ursula Blanchard series -- all under the name of Fiona Buckley. Her publisher thought a pseudonym for her mystery novels would be better than her real name. :rolleyes: I haven't seen anything new since The Siren Queen came out in 2004.

I didn't read the Bridge of Time series, but she talked a lot about it in the interview--Charlotte Whitmead, the main character in the last book is based on her great-aunt Clara. It was fun reading Misfit's reviews because I could almost hear Ms. Anand's voice as she spoke about the repression of women ("cherishing them too much") and "mixed" marriages (she married a North Indian man.) For those interested, I broke the interview up into three parts and posted them on my blog (http://faithljustice.wordpress.com)--check the interview category. All the material is also available in one place on my website (http://www.faithljustice.com/writers-resources.htm) -- the short cut to the interview is in the right-hand column.

Misfit, thanks for reminding me of these books. Ms. Anand was a delight to work with and I hope she hasn't retired.

[annis]

Valerie Anand appears to still be going strong- she has published a couple of novels recently in a new series known as the Exmoor Saga, set during the War of Roses period- The House of Lanyon (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/valerie-anand/house-of-lanyon.htm) and The House of Allerbrook, although opinion is divided on whether they are as good as her earlier work.

[EC2]

Valerie Anand appears to still be going strong- she has published a couple of novels recently in a new series known as the Exmoor Saga, set during the War of Roses period- The House of Lanyon (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/valerie-anand/house-of-lanyon.htm) and The House of Allerbrook, although opinion is divided on whether they are as good as her earlier work.

Glancing at her ouevre on Amazon, there seens to be a long gap between her straight historicals in the mid 90s until now. Mira, the current publishers are the mainstream arm of Mills & Boon as far as I recall.

[Misfit]

Valerie Anand appears to still be going strong- she has published a couple of novels recently in a new series known as the Exmoor Saga, set during the War of Roses period- The House of Lanyon (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/valerie-anand/house-of-lanyon.htm) and The House of Allerbrook, although opinion is divided on whether they are as good as her earlier work.

House of Lanyon was a real snoozer for me and I DNF Allerbrook. Nothing compared to these or better yet her Gildenford books. Those are excellent.

It's a shame these are OOP and rather pricey at that. I was lucky to get the first three of the Gildenford books before the prices went through the roof. I believe I checked Worldcat once and they are in libraries in the US so please don't forget ILL.

When I do finish off this last one I plan on a blog post on the entire series incorporating partials from these reviews. I wish Sourcebooks would pick these up. HINT HINT HINT.

[Misfit]

"...a family history reaching back like a bridge across time, supported here and there, as a bridge is supported by its piers, by contact with great events and great names: with pestilence and civil war, with a pretender to the throne and the ventures of the East India Company. All of it linking to a Norman knight, who had been made a slave in the North Country before the Conqueror came, and a boy fleeing through the hunger and the savage cold of a Yorkshire blizzard to escape the fire and the slaughter which had over taken his home, to three ladies taking tea on a Surrey lawn, in this August of 1960."

This sixth and final book in Anand's Bridges Over Time series begins in 1885. Charlotte and Victoria Whitmead's father gambled all and lost and then managed to get himself killed before he could recoup his losses. Faced with losing their independence by accepting the *protection* of his brother Edward (and being dowerless no hopes of marriage), their mother sends the sisters to be apprentices to a distant cousin and learn a trade. Charlotte and Vicky adapt well to the draper trade and eventually strike out on their own, much to the chagrin of their overprotective uncle and brother. Over time, the sisters become successful and it being too late for them to marry and bear children of their own they must content themselves with their growing family of cousins, nieces and nephews. As the Whitmead sisters grow old they see family members come and go through two world wars, personal triumphs and immeasurable loss and finally ends in 1969 as Charlotte approaches her 100th birthday in 1969. More than that, I'm not going to tell, but a surprising and somewhat abrupt ending that leaves you guessing.

"It was as though a ceremony had taken place, a transfer of something abstract but precious-Experience? Hope? Responsibility?-from the older generation to the new. Whatever torch had been passed on to her tonight, she must cherish and keep burning, as long as she lived. It had been given to her for that purpose."

I really enjoyed this, although the focusing on family relationships makes for a slower paced book at times and might not appeal to all readers. A nice ending to the series, and Anand did a good job of bringing back the past history of the forebears of the Whitmeads and tying it all up with a nice ribbon. This book is hard to find and a tad bit expensive used (understatement), but it can be had via ILL (interlibrary loan), but be warned. The one library in the US that did have it will ask for a $15 lending fee.

[fljustice]

Thanks for the on going reviews!

[Misfit]

Thanks for the on going reviews!

Can't stand to let a series go unfinished. I just put up something on my blog about the entire series here (http://misfitandmom.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/the-bridges-over-time-series-by-valerie-anand/).

[fljustice]

Can't stand to let a series go unfinished. I just put up something on my blog about the entire series here (http://misfitandmom.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/the-bridges-over-time-series-by-valerie-anand/).

Nice blog! I added it to my blogroll (http://faithljustice.wordpress.com) as a review site.

[Misfit]

Nice blog! I added it to my blogroll (http://faithljustice.wordpress.com) as a review site.

Thank you.