As I was reading this book I could simply not get my head around the fact that this is Carolyn Hughes first published novel. Its exceptionally well written and is an astoundingly well researched book. I initially found it difficult to get my head around the huge cast of characters but helpfully Carolyn had provided a list of all the important characters at the beginning of the novel and I soon acquainted myself with them all. Although the novel doesn't race along at breakneck speed, it is at a pace that is both comfortable and kept me interested and engaged throughout.

Set in the 14th Century, Meonbridge has been ravished by the Great Plague, or Mortality. With half of its inhabitants meeting a painful demise at the hands of the plague, many find themselves mourning the death of their loved ones, with entire families often being wiped out. Alice atte Wode is one such villager who has lost much. Not only has she lost family members to the plague, but the mysterious disappearance of her daughter Agnes has left her in her own personal purgatory, unable to mourn for her daughter, unsure whether she is in fact also dead. Agnes is sure that those at the Manor know more about the strange disappearance of her daughter than they are admitting to. But, how does someone like Alice and indeed her son John, now under the employ of Sir Richard question the master and his family?

With life starting to return to semi normality after the plague has stripped families of loved ones, there is much unrest between the villagers and the Lord of the Manor. The workers want a fair days pay for a days work and time to tend to their own land. However, Sir Richard refuses to listen to the pleas of his people and the counsel of his wife and the villagers and labourers threaten to revolt, which will leave the harvest to rot and not enough food for anyone unless matters can be resolved.  And, all through this, Alice is trying to find the answers she seeks. She is supported in her quest by her son and her friend Eleanor, who was my favourite character!

There are lots of great little sub-plots woven into the story and the reader is given the opportunity to find out a little bit more of the back stories of the other characters in the book. Each told a story of love, loss, insurmountable grief and bravery. It also told a tale of what life was like during this particular period and plague or no plague life was pretty damn hard, with workers afforded little rights to the lands they worked and many living in poverty.

The main vein throughout the book was the incredible strength of the female characters which is ironic given that at that time women and their opinions and wishes were not considered by their male counterparts. As well as a really entertaining read, the book provided me with invaluable insight into this period in history. Of course there were items and other things in the book that I did have to go and look up the meaning of but that was ok. It just gave the story more credibility and screamed out that Carolyn Hughes very obviously had done her research. This was a book that I really enjoyed and for those lovers of historical fiction I'd recommend you grab yourself a copy and get lost in an altogether different time.