Title: The Lady's Slipper
Author: Deborah Swift
Publisher: November 23rd 2010 by St. Martin's Press (first published 2010)
ISBN: 0312638337 (ISBN13: 9780312638337)
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 436
Quick Review: 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)
Why I Read It: I read and review any books I win on Goodreads.
Where I Obtained the Book: I won a copy on Goodreads.
Synopsis: 1660. King Charles II has returned from exile, but memories of the English Civil War still rankle. There are old scores to settle, and religious differences threaten to overturn a fragile peace. When Alice Ibbetson discovers a rare orchid, the Lady’s Slipper, growing in a wood belonging to Richard Wheeler, she is captivated by its beauty— though Wheeler, a Quaker, is determined to keep the flower where God intended it to grow. Knowing that the orchid is the last of its kind, she steals the flower, little dreaming that her seemingly simple act will set off a chain of events that will lead to murder and exile, and change her life forever…
Review: It was good but very long and drawn out. The story was interesting, but the descriptions were huge and went on and on and on. Alice is lost and thinks she can somehow find herself in the propagation of a rare orchid, but she discovers that it only brings pain into her life. Richard is also lost and looking for something to help him get over the war and the horrors he had to live. They both need something, but neither knows what.
Geoffrey is a piece of work who desperately is looking for a cure to his scaly skin. His search drives him a bit mad and the death of a old women drives him over the edge. The story revolves around the orchid and everyones obsession with it, Alice wants it for her sister, Geoffrey for its medicinal properties, Richard for its place in the world and the old women for its herbal value. Alice does realize she should never have touched it in the first place, but only after it was too late to change her future.
Many innocent people are hurt because of this flower and because of the actions of others, this is how real life works most of the time. The end is good and even with the on and on and on the book went, I enjoyed the story and the ending. If I hadn't needed to review it I'm not sure I would have worked through it so fast. Lots of pages and many could have been cut to allow the story to be more easily discovered by the reader.
I won this on Goodreads giveaways.
Author Biography: My writing is strongly influenced by my previous career as a set and costume designer for film and television. I enjoy conjuring a whole world for the reader, a world that has been lost to us, or perhaps one that never existed except in myths and stories handed down to us by our parents or grandparents. I am fascinated by history and storytelling, and love to hear stories told live.
She has written several poems and another book following the life of the maid in this book.
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