A Catch of Consequence by Diana Norman

A Novel with Thoughts and Ponderings

A CATCH OF CONSEQUENCE

Author: Diana Norman ISBN: 0425190153 7/2003 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY
Time Period: Colonial/Georgian

Makepeace Burke runs her late father's tavern on the Boston waterfront in 1765, serving Patriots like Samuel Adams and other Sons of Liberty. She takes pride in her fledgeling country and hates the redcoats with a vengeance -- but when an angry mob dumps an unconscious man in the harbor, Makepeace finds she can't watch even an Englishman down. She rescues him and nurses him back to health--and falls in love.

In Patriot Boston, hers is an unforgivable sin--made worse by the fact the her Englishman turns out to be the aristocratic Sir Philip Dapifer. When the mob returns for revenge, Philip smuggles her aboard a ship bound for London and saves her life at the expense of the entire world she knows. They are married at sea.

Makepeace is unprepared for London life--for the social demands of her new position, the scorn of upper-class English society, or the vicious attacks of the first Lady Dapifer. But hardship is not new to her, and she knows what survival requires...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I am so glad that there are some publishers willing to take a chance on publishing English and Australian authors who have found it very tough to break into the U.S. market. That's sad, especially after having read a treasure like A CATCH OF CONSEQUENCE. Lucky for me that the cover of this trade-paperback edition caught my eye as I wandered around my nearby bookstore - what a fascinating and satisfying read I would have missed had I not decided to give this book a home upon my keeper shelf.

There are so many great things about this story that was originally published in England in 1999: the portrayal of Colonialism from an English point of view, the richness and depth of the characters and their relationships, as well as the emotion, passion, and intrigue of the storyline itself. But what truly makes this book so enthralling is the character of Makepeace herself, as Ms. Norman takes her from the hard life of Colonial America and then back across the Atlantic, into the ballrooms, glitter, and prejudice of the London ton as she struggles with her love for an English aristocrat, and fights for acceptance into an unforgiving world far above her own station.

I simply can't recommend this book enough. Short of Gabaldon's OUTLANDER series, it's probably one of the best Colonial-era historical romance books I've read to date. And if this work is any indication as to other novels Ms. Norman has had published in England, I hope to see more of her work available here in the U.S. in the very near future.

Nancy Davis

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