This book tells the story of Hester who marries an apprentice silversmith when pregnant. It tells the story of how she copes with her illiteracy (which souns like dyslexia) a growing family and her personal desire to become a silversmith. This is a fictionalised account of a real person whose silver is highly sought after even now 250 years later.

I enjoyed this book although how much is real is something I don't know. She seems like an amazing person having come from a dificult upbringing. Through it all her love for her husband and her children shines through.

It is a bit cumbersome at times but a good insight into a time I know little about.



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Silver Touch by Rosalind Laker
Follow the life of a woman, Ester who loses her parents and she has to go live with a relative who run a tavern and she learns the trade.
She meets up with a married man, John Bateman and ends up having his child. They move and live together. His trade is a silversmith and as hard times come they have to find other work to just get by. His old employee had blacklisted his name from the trade but they had traveled far enough away.
After his grandfather dies they move into a bigger location where he can work his trade at the same location as their house. They finally have a real church wedding to make their union complete. He teaches her the goldsmith trade when she has time.
He finally gets work from an old source that brings them in a lot of money and he's able to show Ester how the piece is made. He sources out some of the work as he knows it's a hard job that will make you die due to chemicals that get into your lungs.
She was also trained from her mother how to use herbs to cure everyday things.
Josh is a happy baby. The second baby is a girl. Tragedies have come and gone.
The ex wife keeps coming up in their lifes although they've been married for four years.
She was also getting lessons from John in how to read as their son was ready for school and he was also helping but she just couldn't get it.
She has talents in drawing the new projects he wants to create.
She accuses him to spending time with her husband and she's correct. He has accepted work for Caroline and has to spend time with her when he delivers a piece. The blacklisting band had been lifted. They almost burned the paneling in the hallway.
Caroline closes her shop and gets married and moves away. Ester feels relief and being in the new house along with having another baby. Her oldest son was being admitted to a school where he would live-away from them. When he's 14 he's due to return home to learn the goldsmith trade.
When he does get hom he finds his 4 yo brother is already creating pieces. He's to become a journeyman in his new trade.
Her son comes home and brings his new bride to be and he's bought a house and has his life in order. He needs to study under a goldsmith to get the full knowledge he needs to learn.
The saga continues with each of Ester's children and their schooling, love lives and careers. ( )