A longish novel involving novellas that take place in a prosperous neighbourhood dwelling in Suffolk.. Nowadays it might be a limited series on a TV streaming service.. ( )

At the very beginning of the fourteenth century Martin, the smith’s son (an apprentice blacksmith himself), runs away from his parish of Rede when the Lord of the Manor refuses him permission to marry his sweetheart Kate. The couple end up in the market town of Baildon , where Martin discovers that living as a freeman is not necessarily any easier than living as a serf. With his progress to journeyman after the end of his apprenticeship blocked by the town guilds, he is unable to earn sufficient money to keep them, and the couple are frequently on the verge of starvation. And then an attack on Martin leaves him crippled and in despair:

I lay still, thinking, my leg is broken. Broken bones will knot themselves together but like a thread which has been tied they are shortened. I thought that. Then I remembered that what I had just lately thought to be a dream was real enough. I lived in Baildon, had a wife and two children and had found it hard to make a living when I was whole and well. Henceforth I should be a cripple, a beggar.

This older book by Norah Lofts seems to be well researched about what it might be like to like in the Middle Ages, and I found that aspect of the book fascinating. Unfortunately, the characters were less well drawn. I don’t mind characters that aren’t likeable but the characters here, as the reader follows Martin and his family over time, aren’t necessarily engaging either. And it is unrelentingly bleak at times. I know living in the Middle Ages wouldn’t necessarily have been a bundle of laughs, but they must have had some fun sometimes?

This is part of a trilogy following the house that Martin builds (The Town House of the title) up until the twentieth century. I may well read the next one to see how the town has moved on. ( )

Looked interesting enough to want to read it. Didn't take the chance the first time: raincheck :-)

Martin Reed was born owned and enslaved, as a serf, with a feudal lord dictating his every choice in life. His career, his home, his wife, all are dictated to him, and whilst he never complained before, a chance meeting with a girl called Kate changes all this.

This 14th century novel has everything, and this author is prolific and well known for a reason. There is historical accuracy in this, as well as intensely written, well realised characters that drag you into their story. This is the first of a trilogy telling the story of one house, the people who live in it, and how it comes to be what it is.

One of the main joys for me in reading this is that it is very muched based around my hometown, where I have lived since I was 5, and am still only a few miles away from. Its name, and a couple of other names, have been changed, but nothing else has, including the names of places around it. To have that local link, and to already know the history of the town (and so anticipate what will happen with the characters) was highly enjoyable and truly brought this to life. I KNOW the places talked of, and it was like visiting old friends and discovering things about them I never knew existed.

But even without that local link and knowledge, I still would have enjoyed charting Martin, and his house, as they go through their incarnations. To see how a man born to a station he is highly unlikely to ever grow from, to becoming what he does despite immense adversity was so lovely, and the historical touches were lovely. I utterly and truly felt within the period, hook, line and sinker, and seeing the time from this 'lower class' point of view was really interesting.

A very nice piece of historical fiction, looking at 'ordinary' lives in the 14th century ( )

Eh. This book was interesting enough, and probably my favorite in the trilogy, but not spectacular. I think my problem is that really, none of the characters were truly likeable, which made it difficult for me to care about the hardships they were facing. It's the beginning of a family saga spanning three books, but I found myself disappointed and depressed after reading them. ( )