Being a woman is hard. Especially in the mid 1600s England in the midst of political strife. Even more so if you are poor and your husband has abandoned you and your children. The situation for Alinor and her children is bleak.  Alinor works doggedly, but it’s never quite enough. Somehow magically, opportunities seem to unfold allowing her children to rise out of poverty. 

Being a woman, I was infuriated over Alinor’s situation. The harsh judgment she constantly met, most of which was because of situations she had no control over, made me want to rally to her aid.  But Alinor is not a character needing of aid. She exemplified great inner strength throughout each ordeal, revealing the ultimate power of love. 

I found the first half of the book to be incredibly slow in pace with an immense amount of superfluous details.  The last part of the book picked up pace and gave a satisfying ending, answering enough questions while leaving a few in place so that the author can continue this story in the sequel.