Lucina's Destiny

The Midwife Chronicles--Book Two

De: Carole Penfield

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

This spellbinding sequel to Midwife of Normandy focuses on Lucina as she begins her exciting new life in England…

1685. Set against the tumultuous background of King James II’s reign and the Glorious Revolution, precocious Lucina Dupres faces family secrets, jealousy, and tragedy following her harrowing escape from Normandy. As she navigates the conflict between childless Aunt Celia who wants to raise her as a proper lady in genteel society and her mother Clare who insists she follow the ancestral midwifery legacy, Lucina acquires lifelong friends in a peaceful country village who shape her future.

Aided by her special gift of second sight, Lucina senses trouble in Normandy and takes steps to save her best friend Daphne Montjardin from an unfortunate betrothal to a wicked man who threatens to reveal the whereabouts of fugitive midwife Clare.. An unexpected suitor seeking Lucina’s hand in marriage further complicates matters.

In this gripping tale with thrilling twists and turns, Lucina grapples with her own destiny, leading to a stunning and unexpected conclusion.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS
A Masterful Blend of Drama, History and Romance
From the very first page . . . readers will be swept into another time and another place. Lucina is only a child but already she has a woman’s sensibilities. But even as danger lurks in every corner, and Lucina and her family are forced to cope with a painful loss, the concerns of everyday life take over and deftly draw readers into the rhythms of English life in the late 1600s. Historical events are expertly woven into the multi-faceted storyline and the cast of other relatives, neighbours, and friends introduced throughout the decades of the story created an entire world for me, exploring a variety of themes including love, loss, evil, kindness, persistence, strength, and women’s place in this time period. I found myself so caught up in the storyline and lovely writing that I could not stop reading.
Carole Penfield is a masterful storyteller…one of my very favorite writers! I highly recommend this series and have to admit that I am very eager for the next installation of the Dupres family saga. Lisa D. Ellis, author of “Finding Lily."

”“A vividly written historical drama with a cast of memorable and fully-formed characters.”
This is a coming-of-age novel, the focus very much on Lucina as she grows from a child to a young lady with a very unusual gift! Written with a gold tipped pen, the author works hard to develop all of her characters - and she's very successful. She's particularly talented in terms of the speech between the characters; it always feels authentic and, as the author undoubtedly knows, it's a far better way of developing the characters then sticking simply to descriptive prose.
Talking of descriptive writing, the author is pretty talented there too. She seems determined for the reader to get to know the 1600s London setting. In fact, she's so good at it, it's very easy to get lost in the olden day city life. And then there’s the plot which, although not overly complex, is interesting in terms of the politics of the day – and the dangers Lucina must face.
All in all, this is a gem of a book, and I'd happily recommend it to anybody who is a fan of historical novels. Like me, I think most readers will enjoy the charisma of the characters, the ups and downs of the family drama, and the strong sense of time and place. I very much enjoyed Midwife of Normandy but I must say, and this is not often the case, I think the second book is better than the first… Wishing Shelf Book Review