MMGM: Travel to the Past on The Cargo of the Madalena

 

Don't be fooled by this cover. The book is more exciting. I promise!

When my boys were younger, we loved reading historical fiction together, especially if it was immersive with a lot of details of the time. Adam of the Road, The Birchback House, and The Door in the Wall were a few favorites that live on in family yore.

When Valinora Troy, another MMGM blogger, recommended Ring Out Bow Bells, I thought it might be a similar read. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my hands on that title, but I discovered another by Cynthia Harnett: The Cargo of the Madalena (originally published as The Load of the Unicorn in 1959). 

If you like immersive reads with a lot of historical details and illustrations and maps galore, you will love this book!

Synopsis:

Bendy, whose family runs a scrivener's shop in fifteenth-century London, solves the mystery when the master printer, William Caxton, fails to receive the paper shipped to him aboard the cargo ship "Madalena." (from Goodreads)

Highlights of The Cargo of the Madalena:

1.    A relatable main character. I’m always excited to find middle grades, especially historical fiction, with a boy main character. I totally felt for Bendy, who’s caught between his half-brothers who are  running their father’s scrivener business and his father, who’s trying to stick up for Bendy, but being pushed out by his older sons. Not to mention that his brothers are anti-printing press and Bendy and his father and intrigued by this new invention.

2.    Authentic period detail. This is not a time (London in 1482) that I know a lot about, but I learned so much about the scrivener business, the early printing press, life at Westminster, and the English countryside. A lot of the characters, like William Caxton, the printer, are also real historical persons.

p.132, illustration by Cynthia Harnett

3.    Illustrations by the author. I have heard that illustrations in middle grade are making a comeback. Yay! I enjoyed Harnett's drawings  of buildings, important items in the story, characters, and actions. These and the map in the back of the book really helped me to understand difficult concepts and visualize all those unfamiliar parts of the story. 

 

4.    An interesting mystery surrounding Le Morte d’Arthur. While the mystery of the missing paper was intriguing—and an attempted kidnapping gripping, I especially enjoyed the part of the book that dealt with how the most famous English version of King Arthur legends came to print.  

5.    An interesting theme that relates to modern times. Throughout the novel, as I was reading how the scriveners didn’t want the printing press to take off and ruin their business, I thought of all the transitions I've seen of an invention taking over an industry. (Remember video stores?) Of course, I couldn’t help but see the parallels with current debates over AI.

Max’s Take (on a five bone 🦴scale): 

Max, the Reading Dog*

 
Other than Bendy’s horse, there are no animals in this story! If Bendy had had me with him on his journey, he never would’ve gotten kidnapped. But it was an exciting story!

🦴🦴

Your Turn:

Have you read The Cargo of the Madalena or Le Morte d'Arthur ? What are your favorite historical fiction books or Arthurian legends?

 

If You Love Jane Austen, Meet Elizabeth Gaskell

With Valentine's this week and a new Jane Austen movie coming out later this month, who is not thinking Austen? Sadly, she only left six finished novels, so if you're hankering for more in the same vein, read on. And check out the trailer for the new Emma below!

If you like Jane Austen, imagine a similar study of manners and romance but with more social consciousness. While I love dear old Jane, she often leaves out the less satisfactory elements of life in her time period. The poor are rarely mentioned, except as an example of what might happen to the protagonist if she makes a few missteps. (Think of the exemplary tale of Colonel Brandon’s niece in Sense and Sensibility or Fanny’s family in Mansfield Park.)

But Elizabeth Gaskell, a contemporary of the Brontës, thinks differently. While she’s still centered on romance and manners, she often shows us people struggling on the outskirts through no fault of their own. She shows us prejudice in a completely different way—not just in the way that Elizabeth misjudges Darcy, but the way we think we know everything about someone’s motives, especially if that person happens to be from a different class or geographical location. She also takes inside mills and courtrooms, somewhere Austen would never go.

Mary Barton—This Gaskell book doesn’t have a film version, although I’ve heard one is in the works. It’s her first book, and in many ways rougher than Wives and Daughters or North and South. But I loved the spunk of Mary. It has a murder mystery, courtroom drama, romance, and a slice of lower class provincial life. This book is also a beautiful meditation on the power of grace, which reminded me of Les Miserables.

Wives and Daughters—If you haven’t seen the movie, this is about two step sisters, Molly and Cynthia, who couldn’t be more different. Think of it as Sense and Sensibility, but Cynthia isn’t in love with love, like Marianne, but instead enjoys playing with men’s hearts. And when Roger, whom Molly loves, falls for Cynthia—it is as heart wrenching as any Victorian novel can be. Another thing I loved about this novel was that Roger was a naturalist. As my son has this bent, I just loved that he collected bugs and specimens.

North and South—This is like Pride and Prejudice, but instead of Mr. Darcy being an independently rich landowner, John Thorton is a man who’s worked his way up from nothing to own a textile factory. What I loved about this is that Margaret teaches Thorton how to have more compassion for his workers, and he teaches her how to have more compassion for men like him. (Not all business owners are monsters). There’s so much incredible depth to this novel (and the film). And Brendan Coyle (of Downton Abbey) is in the miniseries. Not to be missed.

North and South Miniseries (BBC photo)

Have you read any Elizabeth Gaskell? What are your plans  for Valentine's Day?

Little Women—a Writer’s Perspective

I hate to admit that Little Women is one of those books where I watched the movie before I read the book. I saw the Winona Rider version in the 90s, and fell in love with the story. Not just the sister aspect, but Jo's character arc as a writer. 

Jo learns to write what she knows, her story, instead of what she thinks other people want to read. I may be in the minority, but I prefer Bauer to Laurie. Bauer isn't afraid to tell Jo the truth, something every writer needs.

I recently saw the new adaption with its lush New England scenery, cinematography, and acting. The music was beautiful, and the scenes with the sisters were poignant. Overall, the acting was much stronger than the 90s version. Certainly, this is a new classic.
 
Here are a few of my other thoughts. (Spoilers ahead!)

1. The back-and-forth timeline was very jarring, and I was often confused as to which time period we were in. The switching back and forth between Beth getting well (as a child) and dying (as an adult) was overtly confusing. Structure must serve the story.

2. I did not like the emphasis on money being the be all, end all for women. Money is Jo's main motive for writing, and Amy gives a speech about marrying for money. This didn't feel true to the story, but a modern interpretation of life back then. Marriage was more than a contractual agreement (even in those days!), and the idea of writing for money is almost laughable. (Louisa Mae Alcott was financial successful, but even in those days that was very rare, especially for female writers.)

3.  The ending. I  didn’t get the ending until a few days after I’d seen it. I thought Jo had gotten her book and married Bauer. Instead, it’s a choose-your-own adventure. It reminded me of  La, La Land in that way. I disagree that following your dream means you must give up love or a family. It’s not either/or. And if I truly had to choose, I’d choose my husband and family over writing.



However, as a writer, my favorite scene was her book being printed!

Have you seen the new Little Women? Do you think someone must choose between making art and having a family?

If You Enjoyed Masterpiece's Victoria…

I fell in love with Princess Victoria’s story when I first watched Young Victoria (2009).  I always pictured this queen as boring and dowdy until I learned how much she overcame as a young teen to be taken seriously as queen. I also love that she is short (like me!). Recently I’ve been enjoying Victoria on Masterpiece Theater, which is like Young Victoria, but in more depth. If like me, you’re having Victoria withdrawals, here are some young adult titles to keep you firmly immersed in this time period.

BEWITCHING SEASON
 
Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In 1837 London, young daughters of viscounts pined for handsome, titled husbands, not careers. And certainly not careers in magic. At least, most of them didn't.

Shy, studious Persephone Leland would far rather devote herself to her secret magic studies than enter society and look for a suitable husband. But right as the inevitable season for "coming out" is about to begin, Persy and her twin sister discover that their governess in magic has been kidnapped as part of a plot to gain control of the soon-to-be Queen Victoria. Racing through Mayfair ballrooms and royal palaces, the sisters overcome bad millinery, shady royal spinsters, and a mysterious Irish wizard. And along the way, Persy learns that husband hunting isn't such an odious task after all, if you can find the right quarry.

This is a historical fantasy take on young Queen Victoria’s ascent to the throne, a magical explanation for real history. Like all of Doyle’s work, it is lush and descriptive with tons of authentic period details. This is my favorite of the Leland sister’s novels, probably because I related to Persephone the most and because of Queen Victoria's story line. 

PRISONERS IN THE PALACE

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

London, 1838. Sixteen-year-old Liza's dreams of her society debut are dashed when her parents are killed in an accident. Penniless, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen?

While Bewitching Season gives us insights into Victoria through an upper class girl’s viewpoint (albeit one who can do magic), Prisoners in the Palace shows us what it was like to be “downstairs” in Princess Victoria’s house. I loved the meticulous historical detail in this one, and the way Liza helps the Princess to find her strength. 

If you enjoyed PRISONERS IN THE PALACE, also check out MacColl’s historical mysteries about Victorian British and American authors: Always Emily (Emily Bronte), Nobody’s Secret (Emily Dickinson), and The Revelation of Louisa May (Louisa May Alcott).

Did you watch the new Victoria series? What are your favorite books set in the Victorian time period?

Austen and Love Triangles

I am not a fan of love triangles. I think it's hard to believe a character is in love if he or she has spent half the film or book in love with someone else.

But I've been noticing that Jane Austen uses love triangles in her books, and most of the time, I never doubt the characters’ love for each other at the end. How does she do it?

Here are some patterns I see:

 



Youthful stupidity:

(Sense and Sensibility): Elinor and Edward are in love with each other, but Edward is trapped by a foolish match he made when he didn’t know any better. The tension comes from will he be honorable and stick to his engagement or be with his true love? When the engagement is broken, and he finally is free, we feel their joy.

First Impressions:

(Pride and Prejudice): Elizabeth is misguided in her preference for Wickham. He flatters her and seems more “open.” The fact that she is even interested in him is an illustration of her character flaw, her extreme prejudice. When Elizabeth changes, she sees Darcy’s good attributes and falls deeply in love. At the end of P & P, you have no doubt that Wickham was a passing fancy, but Darcy was the real thing.

Pretending to be in love to make the person you really love jealous:

(Persuasion): Captain Wentworth flirts with Louisa and seems to be on the point of marrying her , but really this is his reaction to how hurt he is by Anne. Once he forgives Anne, we see his true feelings. He never loved Louisa, and so that makes his love for Anne all the stronger.

Granted, many of the plot points in Austen’s work wouldn’t work for modern readers, but the way she uses love triangles—not as vying between two equal loves—but as illustrating how the person truly loves the “right” person is really effective. It’s why we return to Austen again and again.

Maybe it’s not whether you do a love triangle, but how you do it.

What do you think?

What I've Learned From Downton

Since the Downton Abbey Season 4 premier was this weekend, I thought I’d post some thoughts on what I’ve learned from the show.  Writerly things, that is.

1. Character arc, character arc.  

This is something Downton does really well. Even minor characters show growth. Evil O’Brien grew just a tad last season. Mary's and Matthew's character growth is what made their story so compelling. Lesson: Don't make your main character all good so he/she has nothing to grow into.          
 

2. Subplots. This is another area where Downton shines. I love how the stories below stairs and above stairs intersect. No character is too minor to have a story.

Lesson: Don’t be afraid of adding subplots. They can add a lot of interest to your story and give the reader someone besides the main character to root for.           
 

3. Pull the rug out from under your characters—again and again and again.  This is something I love and hate about this show. Surprise is good—you always want to keep your readers or viewers on their toes--but often the surprises on Downton come out of nowhere.  

Lesson: If you’re going to surprise your readers, make sure it’s organic to the story, believable, and consistent.

4. Just because something could really happen, if it's not believable in the world of your story, it’s not believable. There are so many plot points that been too easy: Matthew's recovery, Lavinia's sickness, Matthew's letter in Season 4.  

Lesson: If you are going to include an extraordinary event in your story, make sure you set it up earlier in the story, otherwise it just seems convenient.

What have you learned from watching Downton?