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 delightful work of historical fiction is well-written and researched, with a real sense of place and time. Betsey’s hardships, sadly all too common at this period, are vividly recounted, giving a foundation of harsh reality to the trope of triumph over adversity.
With an appealing protagonist and three standout supporting characters (Mal, Kezia, and Ned), this novel is also spiced with a couple of skilfully characterised villains (Adam and Daniel) to boo at. I recommend this book to those who enjoy heart-warming historical sagas or even the somewhat grittier novels of Catherine Cookson.
I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

I have read all five of Marcia Clayton’s books and can honestly say that each one made for an unputdownable, intriguing book. The story begins with young Betsey, aged six, her older brother Barney and younger brother Norman, aged three years. Their mother, Ellen, is a kindly, hardworking woman who loves her children and does her best to care for her family. All might have been well if it wasn’t for their drunken, abusive father, who, through his own selfishness, cast the family on a road of hunger and, ultimately, death. This captivating story is beautifully written with imagination and a whole lot of heart. Well-researched for the period of the 1800’s set in rural North Devon. I was especially intrigued by Betsey’s knowledge and skills concerning herbal remedies passed down through her friendship with the gypsy people. An emotional story of friendships, drama, moral dilemmas, and, of course, relationships and secrets too. The wonderful and highly enjoyable The Hartford Manor Series.
I could see these books making a successful tv series. Gripping to the last page.

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.

Betsey is another book by Marcia Clayton to love. A prequel to her series, she again takes us into a world of love, kindness, generosity, and, at times, sadness. Betsey is a girl of six when we first meet her, but her incredible endurance and loyalty to her loved ones are inspirational. She suffers much, from cold to hunger to the loss of her family. Fortunately, the Carter family offer her a new life, and she repays them threefold. Poverty, violence, and neglect are vividly created, but the real story is centered around the caring nature of people who have little to give but are willing to give what they can. I love the ending to this story. It took me by complete surprise.
Terrific storytelling.

This is an incredibly moving first book in the series. I loved every chapter as the well-crafted characters carried me away to rural North Devonshire in the 1880s. It is a beautifully written story that I was thoroughly engrossed in from the very first page to the final page of the book. A wonderful start to the series. The story centres on the rich Fellwood family, owners of Hartford Manor, and the working families who live in the poorly maintained tied cottages owned by Lord Fellwood. With little food, and damp, draughty homes, illness was rife among the lower-class families who had to endure life in these cottages. In the harsh winter conditions, premature deaths and disease claimed the lives of the vulnerable. The community grouped together to support each other, and friendships and matchmaking were prevalent, with love in the air. I especially enjoyed the chapters that featured Annie Carter and Robert, the second son of the owner. Their relationship seemed doomed from the start, and I found myself rooting for them and hoping for a happy outcome. A beautiful, heartfelt story. This story would make an excellent film or a television series.
I can’t wait to read the next instalment of this series. Highly recommended.

The Mazzard tree is a real slice of life from the late 19th century, following a number of people from a rural village in Devon. Written in the third person, we get to take a deep look into the lives of the villagers and see the sharp divide between the rich and the poor. The story follows a number of different characters whose lives are entwined and who all have their own problems and obstacles to overcome, making this a compelling read. The characters really are fantastically written. I love it when I can get invested in the characters of a book and their lives, and this book does that to perfection. More than once, I’ve had to put this book down and take a break because the emotions it draws out of the reader are so strong. The author uses excellent imagery to draw the reader in, and at times, I felt like I was there. An absolutely fantastic read with some wonderful, bitter-sweet, and absolutely horrifying moments that will have you rooting for some characters and praying others get their comeuppance.
Outstanding. I wish I could give more than five stars.

An absolute gem of a book. The Mazzard Tree had me hooked from the very first chapter, and I soon felt well-acquainted with the many wholesome characters in this cosy read. Transported to an era when life was tough, and people endured many hardships simply to survive, Marcia Clayton gradually allows the reader to see into the personality of every character. Not wanting to give the plot away, there were times whilst reading this novel when I felt the physical pain and the love, which is skilfully entwined throughout every page. A well-deserved five stars for this amazing Victorian family saga.
Already looking forward to the next one!

Marcia Clayton's novels, set in 1800s Devon, are a masterclass in how to handle a large cast of characters, giving each their own unique personality whilst also sketching in the rich landscape of rural England nearly two centuries ago. The Mazzard Tree has, at its centre, the Carter family, who are nothing if not resourceful. When the father, a farm labourer, dies, the burden of looking after and providing for six children falls on the mother, Sabina. Already pregnant with her seventh child, she takes over her husband's job on the farm. Daily life is still a struggle, and Annie, her teenage daughter, resorts to stealing vegetables from the garden at Hartford Manor, the home of their landlord. She is caught in the act by Robert, one of the Hartford sons, and a bond grows between them, maturing into a steadfast love. However, Annie feels it to be a hopeless love as, by this time, she is but a kitchen maid and knows a marriage would never be allowed. And, indeed, many trials and tribulations lie ahead of the star-crossed lovers. Marcia Clayton deals with their story sensitively, while also weaving in the lives of the background characters.
I enjoyed The Mazzard Tree hugely and highly recommend it.

The Mazzard Tree is the first of the Hartford Series. Set in 1880 in Devon, in a series of interwoven stories, it charts the goings-on in the Hartford Mansion and with the tenants of the adjoining village. At the centre of the plot is Annie, the daughter of Sabina, a family in terrible poverty (no more so than those around them), and her relationship with Robert, the second son of Lord Fellwood. The novel’s portrayal of the brutality of the life of the poor is vivid and shows a marked contrast to that of the wealthy with their sense of entitlement. Despite the abject conditions the poor live in, Clayton manages to get across hope in their camaraderie and willingness to help each other. In her descriptions of the characters, the places and the environment, the writing is assured and compelling, and the tales unfold seamlessly and quickly. At times, it is heart-rendering but sprinkled with optimism. I have enjoyed this historical romance and look forward to the other books in the series.
It is well-researched and a compelling read, and I would recommend it.

In a small hamlet, in the late 1800s rural England, people depended on each other to survive. Hence, everyone knew everyone and everyone’s business. With meticulous details, Marcia Clayton flushes out an entire lot of these many interesting characters, and she left nary a stone unturned when it came to the social issues of the time. Class distinction dominated. The stigmatism of mental illness and out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Epidemics. The lack of adequate shelter, food, and clothing for the poor. Racism. Abandonment of unwanted babies and children. It’s all here. Clayton engrossed me. I felt the pain and the joy and breathed right along with these people, many while they took their last breaths. It takes immensely good writing to involve me as this author did. My grandparents came to Canada from Great Britain in the early 1900s, and I was immersed in the culture they brought with them. The mannerisms and turn of phrases in Clayton’s story evoked many a beautiful nostalgic memory. If you enjoy historical settings and an excellent read, you could do no better than to curl up by an open fire with The Mazzard Tree by Marcia Clayton.
I highly recommend it. You may even learn what mazzards are.

This is the third of Marcia Clayton’s Hartford Manor novels I have read, and it is as fresh and captivating as the first – Betsey, which is actually a prequel. The main story this time is a heartrending one of a young girl whose baby is cruelly taken from her and the efforts of Fred Carter to reunite them. As always, there are many other stories interwoven with this one, all given space to develop and hold the reader’s interest, particularly that of Annie Carter, now married to her beloved Robert and struggling to adjust to her new place in society. Through Ms Clayton’s writing, I have come to have a greater understanding of life in the 1800s in Devon from the very different viewpoints of ‘the rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate’. Not only is the story meticulously researched, it is also written with a deft, compassionate hand.
If you are not yet acquainted with Hartford Manor and its denizens, then I strongly recommend that you make this series your summer reading.

This is the second instalment in the Hartford Manor series, and my gosh, what an enjoyable book.
The story continues where The Mazzard Tree ended. The reader is treated to the visual descriptions and sumptuous preparations made for the marriage between Annie Carter, a village girl, and Robert, son of Lord and Lady Fellwood and heir to Hartford Manor. Lord and Lady Fellwood were against the marriage from the beginning and shunned their son, refusing to attend nor acknowledge the ceremony. However, all the village folk were invited, and happiness overflowed on the estate with feasting and dancing. Plans to improve the tied cottages for the estate workers began. The lives of the village folk and estate workers intertwined as new romances blossomed and babies were born. A disturbing story emerges as a young woman loses her baby. A homeless tramp called Sam arrives on the estate. Robert takes pity on the old man and allows him to stay, though unaware that his presence will affect the lives of many people in the village. Intriguing and well-written. Full of drama and family bonds.
A delightful historical story set in North Devon, England, in the 1800’s. Recommended.

The Angel Maker, the second in the series by Marcia Clayton, has its share of romance but also heartbreak. The cruelty and snobbery of various people seem to know no bounds, and yet the love and goodwill of others are lovely to experience as the trials of the families of Hartford, England, merge and expand. Marcia does an excellent job of blending calm and tension as we revel in the wins of the characters we grow to love and cry when some characters are lost to us. In most cases, in the peaceful town of Hartford, England, good normally triumphs over evil, but evil lurks, ready to pounce when the reader is unaware.
You cannot help but enjoy this book and all its entertaining characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this second instalment in the Hartford Manor series. The life, romance, and antics of so many interesting characters kept me turning the pages for more. With all the tension of living with in-laws who despise her, I was happy that Annie found a doting auntie. The author portrays a wonderful feel for the era and the sense of community that kept the common folks going through challenging times. I tried to guess the meaning of the title as I read. Wow! I didn't see that coming!
Cheers to Marcia Clayton for another lovely story. I’ll be watching for book #3.

Oh, I love Aunty Margery. The Angel Maker is the 2nd book in the Hartford Manor Series and follows on from The Mazzard Tree. With Robert and Annie still wanting to marry with or without the acceptance of his family and the Carter family, along with villagers and Sam, the old vagrant, coming together to discover just what is going on at Buzzacott House, this story is one captivating read. Annie really comes into her own in this book when she finds an ally in Robert’s Aunty Margery, and Robert, like in the first book, isn’t afraid to help out the lower class, much to his mother and father’s despair. There’s so much going on in this story it really does keep you on the edge. New relationships, deaths, and a strange, tall woman with a dark side to investigate. Plus, a secret that will definitely throw the Lord and Lady into a tailspin. I thoroughly enjoyed The Angel Maker, and I am looking forward to how the secret, which has just come to light, will impact the lives of the Manor House.
If you love a good Victorian Saga, then this series is a must!

The saga continues in this, the second novel of the Hartford Manor series and a particularly dark story emerges as it progresses. Like the first, this is a gripping story following the lives of several characters and introducing new ones. The divide between the rich and poor, the privileged and those not so, is further explored as Robert Fellwood marries Annie Carter, and so the snobbery of the age it is set in, the 1880s, carries on. There is much to recommend in this book; the author’s obvious knowledge of the times comes across sharply, and the place and setting, North Devon, and the story unfold seamlessly as the author easily gets into the minds of those she writes about.
I am very interested to see how book three develops the storyline further, and I will be reading it soon.

This is the 3rd book in the series, and I loved every minute of it. The story continues and further develops with exciting and heartwarming plots that keep you totally enthralled. The writer has the great skill of keeping her readers' interest with an array of events that draw on a multitude of emotions with an ending that leaves you content.
Great read, strongly recommend the whole series.

The Rabbit’s Foot by Marcia Clayton is the third novel in the Hartford Manor series, and it continues the story of Annie Carter. Now happily married, her poverty-stricken youth is behind her, and she lives a happy, contented life. But the story continues, and while I am glad to see that a lot of it revolves around Annie and her extended family, I was delighted to see the author has introduced a new threat revolving around Theresa, the daughter of George Carter, and a new mystery in the history of the old tramp, Sam. I loved these two new elements because they took the saga in a slightly different direction. The danger Theresa finds herself in is terrible and I could hardly turn the pages, worrying what fate would befall her. The story of Sam the Tramp is wonderful. I love these old codgers – Sam, Peter and Lady Margery. Despite the difference in their stations in life, the three are firm friends, and the affection they each share for one another is true. So, the Hartford Manor series has come to an end and I hope it is only a temporary ending.
I would love to read more – to see the babies grow up and discover how their lives pan out and I will definitely be keeping my fingers crossed for another book.

The Rabbit Foot is the third in the series by Marcia Clayton and is also a gem of a book. One lovely thing about this series is Marcia does a terrific job of bringing the reader up-to-date with all the various characters. A reader will never get lost or not know the history of the characters from the previous books. I wish more authors did as good a job when they have a series going. That is so important if the books in a series are not read immediately, one after the other, the reader can forget the characters. As with the other two books, this book has its calm areas and its tensions, but watching the children grow and seeing new friendships and romances form is great fun. The contrasts of good and evil, rich and poor, young and old are also good.
I hope Marcia will decide to add at least one more book to the series, though she did a masterful job of wrapping the series up, leaving no loose ends.

This is the first book I have read in the Hartford Manor Trilogy by Marcia Clayton. I was enthralled from the first page by this story of country life in 19th-century North Devon. Being quite a fan of Historical Fiction, this was right up my alley. This is an engaging read with excellent pacing, well-developed plots, and believable characters from all stations in life that seemed reassuringly familiar. At the heart of the story is Sam Fellwood's quest to find and reunite with his estranged son, but will he succeed in his quest? The ending was wonderful, with twists and turns I never saw coming.
Thank goodness there are two more books! Highly recommend.

In the Hartford Manor series, we have witnessed Annie Carter and her family on the verge of the workhouse, families ripped apart due to diseases, fire and hardship. And how those who literally have nothing apart from the clothes on their back come together in a time of need. We’ve also seen how all is not a bed of roses for the rich. The Rabbit’s Foot focuses on Sam, the old tramp, who has now come into his inheritance and is in search of his son. Then we have Teresa, George Carter’s daughter, who has been abducted. We are introduced to a profession as old as time and another disease that has been around forever. There are also little side stories going on through the extended families, Danny’s being one of them. I’ve loved that little boy from day one and was delighted when he got his lip and feet fixed. Through it all, Annie and Robert, who are growing their own family, are rallying around to help out family and friends. Like the previous two books, Marcia has created some fantastic characters. Some we already know and some new but who fit in superbly in this well-written and enjoyable story.
This is another great book to a fantastic series. Fingers crossed for a 4th.

The third, and hopefully not the last, of the Hartford books introduces again the familiar characters. Centred around Sam Fellwood’s search for his missing son, it charts the fortune of Robert and Annie Fellwood and her extended family in rural Devon. The prejudices and hardships of the day are explored in a tale that is quite as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking. It is a truly dark time; forced prostitution and the privileged rich are some of the issues it tackles. But even amongst all the privation and suffering, there are rays of hope. At least some of the rich are aware and prepared to tackle some of the bigotry and bias that exists. I have liked these stories since reading The Mazzard Tree, the first book and all the books are well put together with interlocking tales. While the cast of characters is daunting, eventually, you get to know them, and they become familiar.
Hopefully, we will see more of the Fellwoods.

Millie’s Escape is the fourth book in the Hartford Manor Series. I found this such an enjoyable and intriguing story that I was compelled to pick it up at every opportunity, desperate to find out what happened next. I finished the book over the Christmas weekend. Beautifully written, heartfelt and emotionally moving. This book had all the ingredients of a great story: endearing, well-developed characters and a storyline that kept me turning the pages. And most importantly, a lot of heart. I especially enjoyed the chapters with Millie and her brother Jonny in them. I could feel the tension mounting as the two runaways set off into the freezing snow-covered countryside bound for Hartford. Pursued by the police for a crime they didn’t commit forced the two youngsters to flee from village to village in search of safety and in the hope of finding their long-lost relatives. Kindness in Mister March and Rosa was heartwarming and gratifying to read. Author Marcia Clayton weaves an intricate story, recounting the lives of multiple families and their interconnected lives in rural North Devon in the 1800s, bringing together the warmth, hardships and authenticity of the period to life in her masterful storytelling of the Fellwood family of Hartford Manor and the families in the surrounding villages.
It was a fabulous read, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.

Marcia Clayton writes a compelling story set in the 18th century. The story begins with a typhoid breakout in England. Millie is devastated at the death of her mother. From here on, Millie and her brother's lives are changed forever. Having to take immediate refuge, they are advised to travel a long journey to escape wrath and face challenges along the way. This is such a great and intense page-turner of a read with all the hooks and drama of a great novel.
Another fabulous book from Marcia Clayton.

I’m a huge fan of the Hartford Manor Series, and Millie’s Escape is a wonderful addition to the Victorian Saga. This story surrounds Millie and her young brother Johnathan as they embark on a fifty-mile journey to North Devon to seek out family after losing their mother to Typhoid, leaving them with their elderly grandma, Emily. Emily is only too aware of what will become of her grandchildren when she hears that Sir Edgar has also perished to the disease, and because of this, she has no other alternative than to tell them the truth of who their father really was and what will happen now he is dead. As Millie and Johnathan meet some genuinely good people on their travels, they also come across some unsavoury ones, too, but this doesn’t stop Millie from making sure she and her brother are kept safe. Again, Marcia has done an amazing job at creating a story that you can immerse yourself in. It’s very well written and descriptive, which allows the reader to visualize that period. The new characters fit in great with the old and well-established characters and the story flows seamlessly.
Just like the rest of the series, I thoroughly enjoyed Millie’s Escape and I’m looking forward to what comes next. Highly recommended!

Millie’s Escape is another book in the amazing Hartford Manor series by Marcia Clayton, and it brings with it a chance to meet another off-shoot of one of the families that make up the Hartford community. The series began with a tale about a poor family – Annie and her parents and siblings. It is now a tale about a community with many families – some connected, some new to the area – but all working together for the greater good as their lives intertwine. This latest novel tells us the story of fifteen-year-old Millie and her little brother Jonny. Orphaned and on the run from their father’s wife, they embark on a perilous journey through the bitter winter landscape, afraid for their lives as they know they are being hunted. As usual, Marcia Clayton writes from the heart, and when you read her books, you feel as if you know all these characters as real people.
And you feel they would welcome you with open arms should you happen to pass their way. Excellent.

Millie’s Escape, the latest in Marcia Clayton’s Hartford Manor series, introduces two new characters. Following the death of their mother, fifteen-year-old Millie and her little brother Jonathan are forced to leave their home and trek across the snow-covered Devon countryside in search of long-lost relatives in Hartford. Not only do they face a perilous journey with little money or food, but they also have to evade the wrath of a wealthy woman who was scorned and betrayed and whose deceased husband was Millie and Jonathan’s father. Falsely accused of theft, Millie is in fear of imprisonment, if not the loss of her life. In contrast to this grim tale, the denizens of Hartford are preparing for Christmas, with change in the air and a number of surprises as decisions are taken for the future. Ms Clayton has done her usual excellent job of bringing old customs to life in a realistic way. I especially enjoyed these sections and recognised some of the things that were traditional in my own childhood in Northern Ireland. As always, I was left with a feeling that I had been on a visit with old friends.
If you have not yet read the Hartford Manor series, I can strongly recommend them as your next historical adventure.

In the fourth part of the Hartford Manor story, we once again meet Robert and Annie with their extended family. Sam gets to know his long-lost family. Betsey and Ned make plans for the next part of their lives. There's a lot going on in North Devon. Meanwhile, in the south of the county, young Millie and Jonathan lose their mother and gain a deadly enemy on the same day. Fleeing for their lives, they begin a perilous journey northwards.
Another very enjoyable read from Marcia Clayton, combining engaging story-telling with excellent research to bring us another slice of life in rural Victorian Devon.