REVIEW: The Orphan of Ironbridge by Mollie Walton

The Orphan of Ironbridge (Ironbridge Trilogy #3) by Mollie Walton

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Victorian era

Read: 23rd March 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 15th April 2021

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Shropshire, 1875.

Hettie Jones has grown up in Ironbridge. She has never known her father and, since her mother's death, has been brought up by the Malone family, who treat her as one of their own. She works as a pit girl at the local coal mine, alongside her childhood playfellow, Evan - although lately, their friendship seems to be blossoming into something more.

But when Queenie King takes a fancy to her, Hettie's life is transformed. Trained first as a lady's maid, and then hurtled into a world of luxury and gentility, she finds her new position difficult to reconcile with her past life. And with Queenie's daughter-in-law scheming against her, Hettie's situation becomes dire.

Can Hettie really use her new position for good, and will she find a way to bridge the divide between rich and poor?

MY REVIEW:

When I read "The Daughters of Ironbridge" I was immediately drawn into the story of Anny and Margaret that upon finishing it, I delved straight into "The Secrets of Ironbridge" immediately. If I thought the first one brilliant then it's sequel was phenomenal! The only disappointing factor being I had to wait a further seven months or so for the release of the final book completing the trilogy THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE. Over a year later, I finally got around to reading it...and despite the length of time between now and when I read the last book in September 2020, it was like I had never left. Once again I was swept away in the beauty and magic of the tale, because that is essentially what it entailed. And this final story completes the trilogy, bringing each of the stories that have taken place across all three of the books together and completing them. And what a perfect ending it was, although I was sad to leave Ironbridge and all the much-loved characters behind.

While the trilogy began in 1830, the year is now 1875 and many of those who have gone before have come and gone, leaving remnants in their place. After the fire of the King's residence, Southover, some seventeen years prior which claimed the lives of Margaret Ashford (nee King) and Owen Malone, the remains of the once grand house have merely served as a reminder to all of the tragedy which had befalled the two families across that great divide of class. 

Anny Malone (nee Woodvine) had once been an idealistic young girl who befriended the rich young heiress Margaret King when they were children, but circumstances came between the two when they both fell in love with the same young man, Jake Ashford. Betrayed, Anny was sent to prison and Margaret eloped with Jake returning only after the death of her father, her marriage long since broken and with a daughter Beatrice in tow. As a young woman, Beatrice fell in love with young Owen Malone who was Margaret's former friend Anny's son. Anny had not forgiven Margaret for her betrayal and forbid Owen to have anything to do with the Kings, including Beatrice. But neither would listen to their mothers who wanted neither of them to have anything to do with the other. But fate had other plans, as did Beatrice and Owen, but on a night when the brickworkers decided to take a stand against the Kings and their rule fate stepped in and tragedy struck when Southover was set fire to and Owen braved the flames to save his love and ended up claiming his life. Since then, Anny has blamed the Kings for the death of her son despite her old friend Margaret also perishing in the fire.

Now the year is 1875 and the curse which has befallen the Kings rears its head once again as matriarch Queenie, now ninety six, sees the vision of maid Betsy Blaize once again declaring that "the child is the answer" who will "bring the two houses together". Having outlived her children and grandchildren, Queenie has but one great granchild left, Beatrice Ashford, who now lives in America and wants nothing to do with the King estate having claimed the lives of her mother and the love of her life. So when she dies, Queenie's wealth (the King wealth) will pass to her daughter in law Benjamina King who currently runs the business. The two women share no love loss between them and Benjamina quietly counts the days until the old woman pops her clogs and she inherits all, as she believes is her right. But she has miscalculated her wise old mother in law as Queenie has other plans for her fortune.

When Martha Jones quietly passed in 1861 leaving her three year old daughter Hettie all but an orphan, Anny Malone took her best friend's daughter in and raised her as her own amongst her own brood of children. No one knew where Martha had come from when her childless Quaker parents adopted her, her past  a mystery to all but one. And when she passed, that person remained in the background of young Hettie's life until the time was right. 

Hettie Jones had grown up in a pit family and though they were poor they wanted for nothing. The Malones were not her family by blood but they were her family in every sense of the word. Since her mother died when she was three years old, Hettie assumed her father who had been transported to Australia almost two decades ago for being responsible for the fire at Southover had died out in the colonies. So when there was a knock one evening at the Malone's door, no one was more surprised to find Adam Jones standing there than Hettie. From that moment on, she intended to keep the silent promise she had made to her mother to look after her father should he ever return. But Adam Jones wasn't the same man as he once was. He was now a broken man and a drunkard. Anny's second son Evan had grown up alongside Hettie and the two were inseparable as two friends could be. And upon Adam's return, Evan was loath to see how his behaviour was affecting his beloved Hettie. For Evan harboured a secret love for the girl he had grown up with and hoped to one day make her his bride. But no matter what Evan said, Hettie would not abandon her father nor the promise she made her mother.

But life was about to change for both Hettie and Evan in a way that neither of them, nor Anny, could imagine. And when Queenie's beloved lady's maid suddenly died, leaving her bereft, the matriarch knew then it was time to put her plan into action; to make things right once and for all. She offered Hettie, a pit bank girl, the position of lady's maid which Hettie gratefully accepted not knowing the great wheels she would thus be setting in motion. For Hettie's advancement places her in a whole new league which estranges her from her peers who now see her as above them and thus leads to unforeseen circumstances, adding intrigue and other complications to the storyline.

As the final installment of the trilogy, THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE deserves a more than satisfactory end. It deserves to go out with a bang, complete with surprise and satisfaction. And it did not disappoint. It was a bittersweet experience as I knew it was coming to a close and that I would miss all the characters of whom I have become so fond. I have loved each of the stories in this wonderful trilogy and this one just brings the entire saga full circle with a culmative conclusion that is fully deserved.

Those who have followed the series from the beginning will know that each book has not been complete without the matriarch Queenie King doing what what she does best. And in THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE she comes up trumps with her ingenuity in such a delightful twist in which she really does have the last laugh. Queenie has been, of course, a firm favourite of mine and most likely many others with her quick quips and sharp tongue but a heart of gold. When all is said and done, Queenie knows the heart of truth and where destiny truly awaits. I will miss her and the other much loved characters of Ironbridge.

THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE truly is a fitting end to a lovely trilogy and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than the others. The reader is transported back in time to the industrial age of the Victorian era when the divide between the classes was still vast. One did not cross that divide for any reason - there are the working class, the middle class and the upper class...and never the twain shall meet...ever. But this trilogy seeks to bridge that divide in each brilliant installment yet each in somewhat different ways. It is cleverly done, well-written and skillfully plotted blending real history, period detail and a wonderfully authentic story entwined with love, loss, intrigue and hope. It is, essentially, a classic saga.

THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE can be read as a standalone, as with each of the stories, but read together the reader can appreciate the past, the present and the future as a whole. Starting at the beginning with "The Daughters of Ironbridge" before moving on to "The Secrets of Ironbridge" will pave the way for you to read the final part of this breathtaking and lovely trilogy. 

I thoroughly recommend THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE, as well as the entire trilogy, for any fan of Dilly Court, Catherine Cookson and Lindsey Hutchinson. You will not regret it. Once read it will never be forgotten.

I would like to thank #MollieWalton, #Netgalley, #ZaffreBooks for an ARC of #TheOrphanOfIronbridge in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mollie Walton is the saga pen-name for historical novelist Rebecca Mascull.

Rebecca Mascull is the author of three historical novels. She is currently hard at work on her next trilogy of historical fiction, with the first novel out in April 2019, published by Bonnier Zaffre as The Ironbridge Saga. These are published under the pen-name of Mollie Walton and the first book in the series is set in the dangerous world of the iron industry: THE DAUGHTERS OF IRONBRIDGE.

Her first novel THE VISITORS (2014) tells the story of Adeliza Golding, a deaf-blind child living on her father’s hop farm in Victorian Kent. Her second novel SONG OF THE SEA MAID (2015) is set in the C18th and concerns an orphan girl who becomes a scientist and makes a remarkable discovery. Her third novel, THE WILD AIR (2017) is about a shy Edwardian girl who learns to fly and becomes a celebrated aviatrix but the shadow of war is looming. All are published by Hodder & Stoughton.

She also completed the finishing chapters of her friend and fellow novelist Vanessa Lafaye’s final work, a novella called MISS MARLEY, a prequel to Dickens’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL. This novella was published in November 2018 by HarperCollins.

Rebecca has previously worked in education, has a Masters in Writing and lives by the sea in the east of England.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Rebecca Mascall | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Secrets of Ironbridge by Mollie Walton

The Secrets of Ironbridge (Ironbridge Saga #2)

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, General fiction

Read: 14th September 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 30th April 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A dramatic and heartwarming Victorian saga, perfect for fans of Maggie Hope and Anne Bennett.

1850s Shropshire.

Returning to her mother's birthplace at the age of eighteen, Beatrice Ashford encounters a complex family she barely knows. Her great-grandmother Queenie adores her, but the privileged social position of Beatrice's family as masters of the local brickworks begins to make her uncomfortable.

And then she meets Owen Malone: handsome, different, refreshing - and from a class beneath her own. They fall for each other fast, but an old family feud and growing industrial unrest threatens to drive them apart.

Can they overcome their different backgrounds? And can Beatrice make amends for her family's past?

MY REVIEW:

The second book in the Ironbridge Saga, THE SECRETS OF IRONBRIDGE is even better than the first. Following on from "The Daughters of Ironbridge", we are introduced to the next generation of the same families set in the 1850s. Wonderfully told, this classic tale unfolds chapter after chapter with the breathtaking beauty of the setting as its backdrop.

1850: Twenty years after fleeing Ironbridge to elope with artist Jake Ashford, Margaret returns with her 18 year old daughter Beatrice after living in France. Queenie, the matriarch of the King family, has summoned her home with Margaret's father on his deathbed but alas, Ralph King passes two days before they arrive. Having always had a soft spot for Margaret, Queenie is thrilled to see her granddaughter again and is excited to meet her great-granddaughter Beatrice. It isn't long before the matriarch and the heir are getting along famously, playing endless hands of Old Maid and chatting together. Beatrice has never quite met anyone like her great-grandmother but the two adore each other, despite being so much alike.

Ironbridge is her mother's hometown but after growing up in France, Beatrice finds the little town a fascinating change from the cosmopolitan Montmarte to which she is accustomed. She is not used to English customs and sees no difference between the classes, except the money that separates them. It is clear that her mother came from money but their life in France was a far cry to that that awaited her here. After the death of her father, Beatrice and her mother were left penniless, and her mother took in students to teach English and the pianoforte to keep them clothed with food on the table. But upon returning to Ironbridge, her mother is determined to give Beatrice a better future. And as the heir to the King estate, Beatrice is expected to find a suitable husband of one of the local brickmasters and take over running the business Queenie has ruled with an iron fist for nigh on three decades.

But Beatrice has other ideas. Though she struggles to adjust to her new life in accordance with what is expected of her, she is also fascinated with the people of Ironbridge and its surrounds. She was appalled at the sight of children as young as six being forced to work in such dirty and harsh conditions, picking and carrying clay to be moulded into bricks. She is further astonished at the treatment of these children and of the workers under her family's hand. After seeing such conditions, Beatrice is determined that changes must be made and resolves to speak to Queenie about it. But she is not prepared for the staunch stance her great-grandmother takes when confronted with the running of the family business. Beatrice is not accustomed to the idea of "the haves and the have nots". Where she comes from, people from all classes and all walks of life mingle together. But here the distinction is clear...and the divide must not be crossed.

And then after another boring dance lesson, listening to "Madame" (who insists on the title despite not being French) drone on and on, Beatrice meets Owen Malone who works at her family's Brick and Tile Works. She does not care about his job, or class, only that he is the most charming and handsome man she has ever met. They fall into an easy friendship talking and laughing together, continuing to meet weekly in secret and inevitable fall in love. But the relationship is doomed...in more ways than one. For Owen's mother is Anny Woodwine who was Beatrice's mother's best friend from her childhood who Anny had felt betrayed her when leaving her languishing in prison and running off with Jake Ashford. 

But neither Beatrice and Owen are privy to their mothers' pasts nor how deep the hate runs but it is clear that this is but one secret that will soon come to the surface. But how will it affect Beatrice and Owen? Will it change things between them? Or will it make them more determined to bridge the gap between the two classes?

Despite all Beatrice has tried to do for the workers, there has been a growing discord amongst some of them and plans are set in motion that could only spell disaster, as a group descend upon Southover in the dead of night when everyone was to be at a ball. The ghostly apparition of former maid Betsy Blaize that has been visiting Queenie for two decades promised that this house will fall...but is that just Queenie's guilt or is it a premonition of what's to come? However, nothing will prepare them for the tragedy that is about to befall the King family...changing everything forever.

THE SECRETS OF IRONBRIDGE is the second book in this series but it can easily be read as a standalone as enough backstory is given to suffice on its own. But I do thoroughly recommend reading the first book "The Daughters of Ironbridge" before delving into this one, simply for more of the story and to get a real feel for the two women - Anny and Margaret - prior to this generation. As well as the fact that it is a thoroughly enjoyable read, there is also the addition of the ghostly apparition that comes to Queenie on a regular basis that is born at the beginning of the first book.

Beautifully written, THE SECRETS OF IRONBRIDGE is a real character driven story that is both touching and poignant. Mollie Walton does a wonderful job bringing the industrial age to life and the bustling town of Ironbridge amidst the appalling working conditions, low wages and the back breaking work.

It was great to meet up with the characters again some twenty years later and meeting new ones. I found both Anny and Margaret very different from the young girls they had been in the first book, understandably with what both had been through. And I adored both Beatrice and Owen. Her idealism and forthrightness with his gentleness made them such a likable pair that you just wanted things to work out for them. But my favourite remains Queenie, the stoic matriarch of the King family who has an other worldliness about her at times you wonder if she is going mad. She often wonders if she is going mad! But she is such a tough yet likable old bird. I was thrilled to see Cyril take more of a backseat in this book though he still lingers on the fringes and throws his weight around at times, it is clear that Queenie rules the roost. I hope he doesn't return in the next book.

I was disappointed with the tragedy that befell the King family and the route it then took Beatrice. Without giving anything away, I had secretly hoped that things would turn out differently. Thus, the Epilogue was a nice touch but I was still left a little unsatisfied at the outcome.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE SECRETS OF IRONBRIDGE in which I was absorbed from beginning to end and completed in two sittings. If it weren't for real life getting in the way (as it so often does) I would have probably read it in one!

Despite my disappointment in the direction the story took, it is still by far a well earned 5 star read. I cannot wait for the third book "The Orphan of Ironbridge" to continue this captivating saga.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical sagas. For fans of Dilly Court, Catherine Cookson and Lindsey Hutchinson.

I would like to thank #MollieWalton, #NetGalley and #ZaffreBooks for an ARC of #TheSecretsOfIronbridge in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mollie Walton is the saga pen-name for historical novelist Rebecca Mascull.

Rebecca Mascull is the author of three historical novels. She is currently hard at work on her next trilogy of historical fiction, with the first novel out in April 2019, published by Bonnier Zaffre as The Ironbridge Saga. These are published under the pen-name of Mollie Walton and the first book in the series is set in the dangerous world of the iron industry: THE DAUGHTERS OF IRONBRIDGE.

Her first novel THE VISITORS (2014) tells the story of Adeliza Golding, a deaf-blind child living on her father’s hop farm in Victorian Kent. Her second novel SONG OF THE SEA MAID (2015) is set in the C18th and concerns an orphan girl who becomes a scientist and makes a remarkable discovery. Her third novel, THE WILD AIR (2017) is about a shy Edwardian girl who learns to fly and becomes a celebrated aviatrix but the shadow of war is looming. All are published by Hodder & Stoughton.

She also completed the finishing chapters of her friend and fellow novelist Vanessa Lafaye’s final work, a novella called MISS MARLEY, a prequel to Dickens’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL. This novella was published in November 2018 by HarperCollins.

Rebecca has previously worked in education, has a Masters in Writing and lives by the sea in the east of England.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Rebecca Mascall | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Daughters of Ironbridge by Mollie Walton

 

The Daughters of Ironbridge (Ironbridge Saga #1) by Mollie Walton

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, General fiction

Read: 11th September 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 18th April 2019

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Perfect for fans of Maggie Hope and Katie Flynn - the first in a heartwarming new series set against an ironworks in 1830s Shropshire, by debut saga author Mollie Walton.

Anny Woodvine's family has worked at the ironworks for as long as she can remember. The brightest child in her road, Anny has big dreams. So, when she is asked to run messages for the King family, she grabs the opportunity with both hands.

Margaret King is surrounded by privilege and wealth. But behind closed doors, nothing is what it seems. When Anny arrives, Margaret finds her first ally and friend. Together they plan to change their lives.

But as disaster looms over the ironworks, Margaret and Anny find themselves surrounded by secrets and betrayal. Can they hold true to each other and overcome their fate? Or are they destined to repeat the mistakes of the past?

MY REVIEW:

There's nothing I like more than a sweeping historical saga to lose myself in away from the chaos of the world today. It also bears thinking about that if we think WE have problems, then to step back in time to how things were 100 or 200 years ago...when the classes were divided and life was harsh for the working class. And how much harder it was to cross that divide and marry between classes than it is today. Back then, life was black and white and it was harsh.

THE DAUGHTERS OF IRONBRIDGE by Mollie Walton, also known as Rebecca Mascull, is an engaging tale of that class divide and all those caught in the middle, highlighting the contrast between the have and the have nots in mid-19th century Shropshire.

Shropshire, 1830s: A young woman poses a sad and lonely figure as she crosses the iron bridge looming above the village of Ironbridge. Clutched to her breast is a tiny baby, barely days old. She is hungry and tired, her milk long since dried up, leaving her baby starving. In her weakened state she can barely stand...and then a figure of a man appears before her asking if he could be of assistance. She holds out her baby and pleads with him to take her as she is so tired. As soon as the man had hold of the child, the woman collapses in a heap comforted in the knowledge that her baby is safe.

1834: Twelve year old Anny Woodvine assists her mother in taking in washing to help with the family finances. Anny is a bright young girl, her mother having taught her to read and write when she was young, something that is often remiss in the lower classes as they have no need for reading and writing for hard labouring work. But Rachel, Anny's mother, always wanted something more for her daughter and teaching her to read and write would give her far more opportunities than going into service or becoming a washerwoman. 

So it brings her family great pleasure when Anny's abilities are recognised by Mr Brotherton, the estate manager for the King family who own the iron works in which Anny's father works, and he offers her a job. Anny is thrilled at the prospects that are now afforded her. Working as a clerical assistant for the Kings will give her the experience for even greater things that will see her move beyond working class village life. And it is while walking through the woods on her way home one afternoon that she meets Margaret King.

The same age as Anny, Margaret King is the only daughter and youngest child of the King family. She spends her life reading her copious amounts of books or wandering the grounds of her family's large estate. But she is bored and incredibly lonely. Her father hates her, blaming her for her mother's demise whilst giving birth to her, her brother Cyril is cruel and violent towards her and unless she is doing something to draw attention to herself, Margaret is largely invisible. Only with her grandmother Queenie does she feel slightly more at ease. Life as a King is not what one deems it to be, for Margaret has no friends and is incredibly lonely. 

So when she happens across young Anny one day, the two become firm friends and proof that friendship can bridge the great divide between the classes. Or can it?

Margaret's 15 year old brother Cyril is a horrid and vile young man, who takes pleasure in kicking dogs and forcing himself on the pretty young maids in the family's employ, just like his grandfather before him. But when he sees Anny in the estate office, he discovers a new objective - to make Anny Woodvine his. Not just to bed her, but to marry her. Anny, however, has seen Cyril in action with the maids and his behaviour repulses her. So when he corners her in the woods one day returning home, he declares his devotion to her and proposes marriage. Anny is repulsed by the idea of marriage to such a brute and tells him so, standing her ground when he tries to force her. But Cyril will not be refused and so he plans to take his revenge on Anny...for she will pay for humiliating him.

When artist Jake Ashford arrives in Ironbridge to sketch the iron works and its surrounds, he captures the eye of both Anny and Margaret. Both girls are enamoured with him, but which girl will win his heart?

I thoroughly enjoyed THE DAUGHTERS OF IRONBRIDGE and the sweeping tale of struggles and conflicts between and within the classes. We not only have one leading character but two in Anny and Margaret, whom Anny nicknames Peggy. Both girls are different yet alike in many ways bringing a vibrancy to the story that make both extremely likable. But I have to say I leaned a little more towards Anny, though I did sympathise greatly with Margaret living an empty life at Southover. However, it was Anny with whom I identified mostly with in her struggles and her ability to rise above her station to try and make a better life for herself. But the fact that Margaret came from money and privilege did not automatically make her happy and fulfilled...because she most certainly wasn't. Her story alone shows that while money may bring comfort it doesn't always bring happiness, as she was to find out.

THE DAUGHTERS OF IRONBRIDGE is the first in a new historical saga that is both absorbing and fascinating, rich in historical detail bringing the industrial age to life in the village of Ironbridge. The author has painted a compelling picture of the setting and the characters with the divide between the rich and the poor clearly defined. The characters are well developed, well represented and believable in both classes. While Anny and Margaret are the star attractions, the secondary characters are just as wonderful too. From the wholesome John Woodvine to the evil Cyril King, each character is well developed. But of course, I especially liked Queenie, the matriarch of the King family. She has secrets and there is a mystery about her, believing she sees the ghost of a former maid who was raped and impregnated by her husband...lending something to the whispered story of "the baby on the bridge".

A wonderful journey back in time to the early Victorian era and the industrial age of 1830s Shropshire, THE DAUGHTERS OF IRONBRIDGE takes you on a gentle stroll through the beautiful scenery and into the depth of the story. And when you reach the end, you just want to dive straight into the second book "The Secrets of Ironbridge" so you don't have to leave the story behind, which is exactly what I did. With all the complexities surrounding them, the story of Anny and Peggy is simple and is one that will bring tragedy, heartache, love and friendship.

Perfectly detailed, THE DAUGHTERS OF IRONBRIDGE is filled with love, hatred, friendship, secrets, deception, duplicity, betrayal, heartache...everything one could expect from a well written historical tale.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical sagas. For fans of Dilly Court, Catherine Cookson and Lindsey Hutchinson.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mollie Walton is the saga pen-name for historical novelist Rebecca Mascull.

Rebecca Mascull is the author of three historical novels. She is currently hard at work on her next trilogy of historical fiction, with the first novel out in April 2019, published by Bonnier Zaffre as The Ironbridge Saga. These are published under the pen-name of Mollie Walton and the first book in the series is set in the dangerous world of the iron industry: THE DAUGHTERS OF IRONBRIDGE.

Her first novel THE VISITORS (2014) tells the story of Adeliza Golding, a deaf-blind child living on her father’s hop farm in Victorian Kent. Her second novel SONG OF THE SEA MAID (2015) is set in the C18th and concerns an orphan girl who becomes a scientist and makes a remarkable discovery. Her third novel, THE WILD AIR (2017) is about a shy Edwardian girl who learns to fly and becomes a celebrated aviatrix but the shadow of war is looming. All are published by Hodder & Stoughton.

She also completed the finishing chapters of her friend and fellow novelist Vanessa Lafaye’s final work, a novella called MISS MARLEY, a prequel to Dickens’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL. This novella was published in November 2018 by HarperCollins.

Rebecca has previously worked in education, has a Masters in Writing and lives by the sea in the east of England.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Rebecca Mascall | Goodreads