Lady Fanshawe's Receipt Book
An Englishwoman's Life During the Civil War
Published on 2. November 2017
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-1-78239-810-3 (ISBN)
Description
'Fascinating... A vivid account' - Philippa Gregory, The Times
'Moore's prose is witty. Her book is full of arresting detail and thoughtful comment' - Sunday Times
'An enchanting, idiosyncratic Tardis of a book, peppered with good humour' - Daily Telegraph
In the mid seventeenth century, England was divided by war and bloodshed. Torn apart by rival factions, father opposed son and brother met brother on the battlefield. But while civil war raged on cobbled streets and green fields, inside the home domestic life continued as it always had done. For Ann Fanshawe and her children it meant a life of insecurity and constant jeopardy as she and her husband, a Royalist diplomat, dedicated their lives to the restoration of the Stuart monarchy.
In this uncertain world, Ann's 'receipt book' was a treasured and entirely feminine response to the upheavals of war. These books were a feature of women's lives during this period, when there were few doctors to be found, and were full of life-saving medical knowledge that had been gleaned from mothers and friends. Remarkably, Ann's morocco-bound book full of scraps of ink-stained paper has survived to this day.
Using Ann's receipt book and the memoirs she wrote for her surviving son, Lucy Moore follows her through this turbulent time as she leaves home, marries, bears - and buries - children and seeks to hold her family together. Lady Fanshawe's Receipt Book brilliantly brings to life Ann's struggles and her joys, revealing how ordinary women across the country fought to protect their loved ones in the face of conflict.
'Moore's prose is witty. Her book is full of arresting detail and thoughtful comment' - Sunday Times
'An enchanting, idiosyncratic Tardis of a book, peppered with good humour' - Daily Telegraph
In the mid seventeenth century, England was divided by war and bloodshed. Torn apart by rival factions, father opposed son and brother met brother on the battlefield. But while civil war raged on cobbled streets and green fields, inside the home domestic life continued as it always had done. For Ann Fanshawe and her children it meant a life of insecurity and constant jeopardy as she and her husband, a Royalist diplomat, dedicated their lives to the restoration of the Stuart monarchy.
In this uncertain world, Ann's 'receipt book' was a treasured and entirely feminine response to the upheavals of war. These books were a feature of women's lives during this period, when there were few doctors to be found, and were full of life-saving medical knowledge that had been gleaned from mothers and friends. Remarkably, Ann's morocco-bound book full of scraps of ink-stained paper has survived to this day.
Using Ann's receipt book and the memoirs she wrote for her surviving son, Lucy Moore follows her through this turbulent time as she leaves home, marries, bears - and buries - children and seeks to hold her family together. Lady Fanshawe's Receipt Book brilliantly brings to life Ann's struggles and her joys, revealing how ordinary women across the country fought to protect their loved ones in the face of conflict.
Reviews / Votes
Fascinating... A vivid account of how desperate women, without a scientific theory of disease fought infection, illness and accident... Moore has served her heroine well in an account that honours the ineffectual and the potent recipes, the setbacks and victories of a fascinating life. -- Philippa Gregory * The Times * A lively and sympathetic account of what life was like during the Commonwealth for those who stayed loyal to Charles I until his execution, and followed his son into exile... Moore's prose is witty. Her book is full of arresting detail and thoughtful comment. -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * Sunday Times * An enchanting, idiosyncratic Tardis of a book, peppered with good humour * Daily Telegraph * A lively, affecting account of one family's fortunes in a world turned upside down. * Spectator * With enormous skill, and in matchless prose, Lucy Moore brings back to life one of those Royalist women whose husbands suffered terribly for the King, while they were left at home to get on with the trying business of being wives, mothers, and heads of household in an age beset with turbulence, and fear. * Charles Spencer, author of KILLERS OF THE KING * Ann Fanshawe was an extraordinary woman living in extraordinary times. This wonderful book has at its heart her experiences as daughter, wife and mother during the Civil War, and is as dramatic and touching a story as anything in fiction. Her attempts to hold her family together in such turbulent times are brilliantly chronicled by Lucy Moore, who has written an unfailingly sympathetic account of the human cost of conflict, and the everyday resilience and bravery of those caught up in it. * Janice Hadlow, author of THE STRANGEST FAMILY * An erudite, beautifully written and completely original contribution to the history of the civil war. Lucy Moore is a most worthy biographer of one of the most fascinating women of the 17th century. * Katie Hickman, author of DAUGHTERS OF BRITANNIA * Vividly brings to life an ordinary woman living in extraordinary times. Rich in fascinating detail, it sets Lady Fanshawe's story of love and loss, family and friendships, against one of the most turbulent periods of our history. Highly recommended. * Tracy Borman, author of THE PRIVATE LIVES OF THE TUDORS * Ann's is an interesting life, full of duty, adventure, the greatly lamented deaths of many children and also much affection... There are considerable gaps in our knowledge of Ann, which Moore has filled in with plentiful asides relating to other major figures of the day... Charming and original * Literary Review *More details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
1x8 pp colour plates, integrated b&w illos
Dimensions
Height: 223 mm
Width: 164 mm
Thickness: 39 mm
Weight
800 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78239-810-3 (9781782398103)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2017
Atlantic Books
€9.99
Available for download
Person
Lucy Moore is an author and broadcaster whose work includes the bestselling Maharanis: The Lives & Times of Three Generations of Indian Princesses. She has written for the Sunday Times, Observer, Vogue and Harpers Bazaar, and has presented series for the BBC and Sky.