The Constant Heart by Mary BaloghMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a re-issue of a book originally released in 1987 and I definitely got a slightly old-fashioned vibe when reading it (if that makes any sense given that this is an historical).
Rebecca Shaw was the daughter of the local vicar, after the death of her father she went to live with her uncle Lord Holmes and his daughter Harriet. Ever since she was a child she had been in love with Christopher Sinclair, the eldest son of their nearest neighbour, and they were all but promised to each other before he went away to London for a few months and married another woman.
Six and a half years later, Rebecca is now engaged to the new vicar, Philip Everett, and the two of them have recently started a school for the village boys, funded by the generosity of a mysterious benefactor. Rebecca's uncle has recently married a much younger woman, Maud and her charming brother Mr Bartlett has come for an extended stay. And then the Sinclair sisters break the news that Christopher's wife has died and he is coming home to visit his parents. How can Rebecca face the man who broke her heart?
I think based on the summary above you could probable predict 80% of the plot twists right now. It was enjoyable but there were some anomalies (vis-a-vis one of the characters saying a male character wouldn't lift his hand to a woman who wasn't his wife, daughter or sister - so it's okay to hit one of them hmm?). Also, one of the female characters blames everything that has gone wrong on her need to assert her independence - WTF?
Overall, I thought that this felt like a plot which hadn't been fleshed out enough.
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