The English Wife

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"There are times", she said drily, "when a week feels like a century." I finished The English Wife by Lauren Willig just a few moments ago. This writing here is more for myself than anyone else, but I felt the need to share it all the same. I know atleast a few here will be interested in it. I will put a TL;DR[b] aka [b]Too Long ; Didn't Read at the bottom of the page. "Myth is more durable than history, and far more entertaining." Anne, Georgie / Annabelle, Bayard, Janie / Genevieve, Teddy, Mr. Burke, Mr. Lacey, David and Mrs. Van Duyvill. There were other minor characters, but these were the more important. I could talk about each individual one, but that would take far too long... Anne would have been called a strumpet today, or well the more modern term for it anyway. She would have also been called conniving and a bit of a witch with a capital B. I loathed her for the longest time, until I didn't. Janie You were meant to feel sorry for Janie. That went on for a bit until you began to see the force behind her. She blossomed during this story, and became a woman of her own by the very end. Georgie / Annabelle The most innocent, and most trampled upon character. The author took her dear sweet time to explain the full story behind this character, but she did it admirably. Bayard A quiet man, but a good one. A knight in shining armor, but one that shies away from conflict. His life was wrought with confusion and sorrow. He was set free by Georgie, but at her own sacrifice. While he roamed free, she was imprisoned within the secrets she helped hide. Mr. Burke An accident character almost. He had a firm part of the story, and he was very much the knight in shining armor in ways that Bayard was not. Even so, he was almost a background character, atleast for awhile. Mrs. Van Duyvill This character is the most important to the story. She is a strong force against societal standards. She won't brook reproach. She and Anne, her niece, have a tumultuous relationship. She rules her children (and Anne by extension) with an Iron grip She is also the villain of the story. "You, Miss Van Duyvill, are plague. Utterly, incurable." It was insulting. It was dreadful. It was the most romantic thing she had ever heard. I found myself wanting to hurry the story along but at the same time pause it. Had I been able to renew the loan (I borrowed it from the e-library) I would have just to savor it more. Contrary to her expectations, the fire refused to reform it's behavior. TL;DR Basically, a good book with lots of complex characters. One I would read again and again.