Set in the early 1800s in Devon, England, this emotionally engaging story revolves around the resilience and resourcefulness of Betsey Lovering, a six-year-old girl forced to act beyond her years to survive her poverty-stricken, abusive, and violent family life. Ah, but young Betsey’s hardships and heartaches are backdrops to a wellspring of love, kindness, generosity, and human connection.
Marcia Clayton’s skilful portrayal of the compassionate nature of people with little to give but who give what they can balance the vivid depictions of penury, brutality, and neglect. Beautifully written, Betsey is a heart-wrenching yet inspiring story with a deeply satisfying ending. While the novel is a prequel to Clayton’s Hartford Manor series – a further treat in store for me –it feels complete as a stand-alone. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys historical tales of resilience and human connection, it’s worth every one of its five stars. Just lovely!

This is a great addition and, by far, my favourite of the Hartford Manor Series. This is a beautifully written book which tells the story of Betsey Lovering, a little girl who lives with her parents and two brothers, Barney and Norman. Betsey acts well above her six years, which is needed to deal with her alcoholic, abusive father and the hardship and heartache that follows for this poor little waif. Although Betsey is brave and a survivor, the story never lets us forget that she is only a child, and with that, we feel her pain. Due to Marcia’s talent for detail and description, it was easy for me to picture the scenes as I read along. I must admit, I was so enthralled in this story I read 80% of it in one night and then went back the following night to finish it. I really enjoyed the back story of the Carters and how they embraced Betsey into the warmth of their family. It was interesting to read about the Fellwood family, which answered some questions from The Rabbit’s Foot. Again, the author has done an amazing job of taking us through the difficulties which the poor were subjected to during this period of time. A thoroughly engrossing read that will play with your heartstrings. Cannot recommend this enough!

This book was a refreshing change from my usual crime/mystery diet. It’s the simple story of a young girl growing up in horrendous circumstances in the 1800s and how she overcomes seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I was very impressed by the writing style, which flowed with a deft clarity, whether dealing with the poverty of Betsey’s family, the wealthy landowners or the transient gipsy community. There are many characters but each one is well rounded with distinctive speech and mannerisms. I was not disappointed by the ending and particularly enjoyed how the different strands of the plot were woven together and brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
If, like me, you’re feeling jaded by contemporary novels, I can highly recommend this gem of a book.