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kinx128's review
4.0
I love historical fiction and A Divided Inheritance is one of the reasons why. It is so rich in detail, drama and vivid imagery. I felt like I was traveling through Europe. Deborah Swift ably explores family, loyalty and duty in 17th century England; at a time, where Catholicism was forbidden in one country and violently enforced in another.
Elspet is our heroine in this novel. She is strong; but innocence. She has been given a difficult situation and very valiantly finds her path. She has to continually deal with a man’s shortcoming; whether it be her father, Hugh, or Zachary. However, she is strong and prevails.
Zachary is on a journey of self-discovery. His life prior to meeting Elspet and her father is very sad and full of abuse and violence. When he finds kindness but how does he deal with it? Poorly. Watching Elspet and Zachary trying to salvage their life is very interesting and compelling.
Religious intolerance is another aspect to this book. The fear and anxiety prevails throughout. The Inquisition is completely incomprehensible. I will never understand it. As well, as the intolerance in England. Elspet’s friar’s cellar instilled so much imagery in my mind. I couldn’t imagine having to practice my faith is secret. Same with the Moriscos in Spain. So much fear is just so sad.
A Divided Inheritance is a wonderful book full a rich historical detail. It is journey that definitely needs to be followed.
Elspet is our heroine in this novel. She is strong; but innocence. She has been given a difficult situation and very valiantly finds her path. She has to continually deal with a man’s shortcoming; whether it be her father, Hugh, or Zachary. However, she is strong and prevails.
Zachary is on a journey of self-discovery. His life prior to meeting Elspet and her father is very sad and full of abuse and violence. When he finds kindness but how does he deal with it? Poorly. Watching Elspet and Zachary trying to salvage their life is very interesting and compelling.
Religious intolerance is another aspect to this book. The fear and anxiety prevails throughout. The Inquisition is completely incomprehensible. I will never understand it. As well, as the intolerance in England. Elspet’s friar’s cellar instilled so much imagery in my mind. I couldn’t imagine having to practice my faith is secret. Same with the Moriscos in Spain. So much fear is just so sad.
A Divided Inheritance is a wonderful book full a rich historical detail. It is journey that definitely needs to be followed.
rosannelortz's review against another edition
5.0
Short version: I loved this book.
At first, I didn't really *like* either of the main characters, but I was definitely intrigued by them. By the end I was completely immersed in their stories. This book reminded me of The Mill on the Floss in the way you think it's going to be a romance but it ends up being more about a brother-sister relationship. The expulsion of the Moors from Spain is a piece of history I'm fairly unfamiliar with, and it was interesting to learn more about it.
A Divided Inheritance is a glorious story of learning to live unselfishly in community. Deborah Swift is a very skillful wordsmith and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
At first, I didn't really *like* either of the main characters, but I was definitely intrigued by them. By the end I was completely immersed in their stories. This book reminded me of The Mill on the Floss in the way you think it's going to be a romance but it ends up being more about a brother-sister relationship. The expulsion of the Moors from Spain is a piece of history I'm fairly unfamiliar with, and it was interesting to learn more about it.
A Divided Inheritance is a glorious story of learning to live unselfishly in community. Deborah Swift is a very skillful wordsmith and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
2.0
Ok so I was somewhere, I had one book with me, since I could not possibly even finish one. But yes I did read almost half of it. I was never that into it, but I read on, what else to do...
But here came the problem when I came home, I did not read then, I did not read the next day, and at the evening the next day I finally picked it up again. But it was just so...ok, only ok. I started reading some, skimming some, just wanting it to end. I had already invested time in half of it, I had spent 3 good reading days and was pissed at the book.
Zach was somewhat of an ahole.
Elspeth was boring.
Then they were in Spain, meh, a lot happened.
Crappy ending.
I always have trouble with her books. They just are not for me
Meh, I will give it an ok. Barely!
But here came the problem when I came home, I did not read then, I did not read the next day, and at the evening the next day I finally picked it up again. But it was just so...ok, only ok. I started reading some, skimming some, just wanting it to end. I had already invested time in half of it, I had spent 3 good reading days and was pissed at the book.
Zach was somewhat of an ahole.
Elspeth was boring.
Then they were in Spain, meh, a lot happened.
Crappy ending.
I always have trouble with her books. They just are not for me
Meh, I will give it an ok. Barely!
hisdarkmaterials's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Roman Catholics being persecuted in Jacobean England in comparison to Catholicism being the dominant faith and power in Spain at the same time. I really enjoyed the character development of both Elspet and Zachary throughout the book, it felt quite natural. This is my second Swift book & she does always like to end her books on a happy note it seems, no matter how bleak the chapters before it are.
shanshantastic's review
5.0
Short reaction: every element of this story was fantastic, and Deborah Swift wove them together brilliantly.
Link to the full review on Luxury Reading: http://luxuryreading.com/dividedinheritance/
Link to the full review on Luxury Reading: http://luxuryreading.com/dividedinheritance/
unabridgedchick's review
4.0
This was one of those historical novels that leave you breathless; it's so much more that the blurb suggests. Deborah Swift impressed me with her novel The Gilded Lily -- I loved the setting, the heroine, the evocative articulation of the era -- and in A Divided Inheritance, she does it again.
Set in 1609, the novel follows Elspet Leviston, a young woman with a miserly father who runs a successful lace business. Smart and committed, Elspet hopes to one day continue her father's legacy after she marries, but that dream is derailed when Zachary Deane, a long-lost cousin, suddenly appears. Elspet's father makes it clear Zachary will be heir to the company, despite Zachary's obvious disinterest in the business. Only after Zachary is arrested for fighting -- Elspet's cousin is passionate about swordplay -- does her father decides to send him on a Grand Tour in hopes of educating the young man. But days after Zachary leaves, Elspet's father dies, and she goes after Zachary in hopes of wresting the business from his hands.
In the end, however, this isn't a novel of inheritance rights or family squabbles. Zachary goes to Seville, Spain, studying the art of swordfighting at a Spanish academy, when the edict ordering the expulsion of the Spanish Muslims or moriscos is signed. Bustling, glorious Seville is a cosmopolitan city with a diverse population, and many of Zachary's acquaintances are Muslims or moriscos. Despite his disinterest in getting embroiled in anything outside of his practice with the sword, Zachary finds himself having to act.
While this might sound complicated, Swift conveys the various threads easily and expertly. I'm not a fan of swords or sword-fighting (in most novels, I kind of gloss over the fighting scenes), but Swift manages to articulate the artistry and physicality of every move so that I could see it in my mind's eye.
As with The Gilded Lily, the unfamiliar 17th century comes alive in her prose without being weighted down by the dreaded infodump. I felt immersed. There are wonderful layers to the novel, be it the freedom to worship (Zachary and Elspet are secret Catholics in London, but can worship openly in Spain) or the freedom to pursue one's aspirations, and I found much in the story to relate to even though I've never had the urge to fence.
This was a surprising novel -- the arc of the story is so much greater, more rich, than the blurb allows -- and those who enjoy characters that aren't immediately easy to like will want this one. There's armchair escape to Seville, as well, and action in spades. At nearly 500 pages, this book races every moment, and I couldn't put it down.
Set in 1609, the novel follows Elspet Leviston, a young woman with a miserly father who runs a successful lace business. Smart and committed, Elspet hopes to one day continue her father's legacy after she marries, but that dream is derailed when Zachary Deane, a long-lost cousin, suddenly appears. Elspet's father makes it clear Zachary will be heir to the company, despite Zachary's obvious disinterest in the business. Only after Zachary is arrested for fighting -- Elspet's cousin is passionate about swordplay -- does her father decides to send him on a Grand Tour in hopes of educating the young man. But days after Zachary leaves, Elspet's father dies, and she goes after Zachary in hopes of wresting the business from his hands.
In the end, however, this isn't a novel of inheritance rights or family squabbles. Zachary goes to Seville, Spain, studying the art of swordfighting at a Spanish academy, when the edict ordering the expulsion of the Spanish Muslims or moriscos is signed. Bustling, glorious Seville is a cosmopolitan city with a diverse population, and many of Zachary's acquaintances are Muslims or moriscos. Despite his disinterest in getting embroiled in anything outside of his practice with the sword, Zachary finds himself having to act.
While this might sound complicated, Swift conveys the various threads easily and expertly. I'm not a fan of swords or sword-fighting (in most novels, I kind of gloss over the fighting scenes), but Swift manages to articulate the artistry and physicality of every move so that I could see it in my mind's eye.
As with The Gilded Lily, the unfamiliar 17th century comes alive in her prose without being weighted down by the dreaded infodump. I felt immersed. There are wonderful layers to the novel, be it the freedom to worship (Zachary and Elspet are secret Catholics in London, but can worship openly in Spain) or the freedom to pursue one's aspirations, and I found much in the story to relate to even though I've never had the urge to fence.
This was a surprising novel -- the arc of the story is so much greater, more rich, than the blurb allows -- and those who enjoy characters that aren't immediately easy to like will want this one. There's armchair escape to Seville, as well, and action in spades. At nearly 500 pages, this book races every moment, and I couldn't put it down.
milton's review
2.0
I read "A Divided Inheritance" in the expectation of it being an engaging historical novel with strong characters and an elaborate plot. As it turned out, the book was none of it.
It wasn't that bad either, but simply not what I had expected. What bugged me the most were the dull and incomprehensible characters. Zachary Deane is a thief, liar, legacy hunter and pompous moron whom you're supposed to feel sorry for but just don't and who's redeemed in the end by a sudden change of character which is quite inexplicable. Elspet Leviston is a snobbish wanna be-feminist who falls for almost every man she meets, who learns fencing, but is unable to make the first move towards the man whom she has fallen in love with a few days after she's met him for the first time. Maybe that's a bit harsh, but that was my impression of the two protagonist. I grew to like them towards the end, but that didn't make it any better. Both were engaged in romances by that time, which both ended unsatisfying. All the time I was waiting for something significant to happen, but I was disappointed. The whole plot about the fencing seemed quite esoteric and the oppression of the Moriscos was poorly handled. Maybe the author could have done better by leaving out the constant moral pointing finger.
In the end, the book had its positive aspects as well. It became exciting after all, on the last pages and as I've already written, I finally warmed up to the characters. But it remained an unsatisfying, disappointing and quite boring read. I'm not sure whether I would take up another of the author's books.
(Sorry for grammar or spelling mistakes, I'm not a native speaker.)
It wasn't that bad either, but simply not what I had expected. What bugged me the most were the dull and incomprehensible characters. Zachary Deane is a thief, liar, legacy hunter and pompous moron whom you're supposed to feel sorry for but just don't and who's redeemed in the end by a sudden change of character which is quite inexplicable. Elspet Leviston is a snobbish wanna be-feminist who falls for almost every man she meets, who learns fencing, but is unable to make the first move towards the man whom she has fallen in love with a few days after she's met him for the first time. Maybe that's a bit harsh, but that was my impression of the two protagonist. I grew to like them towards the end, but that didn't make it any better. Both were engaged in romances by that time, which both ended unsatisfying. All the time I was waiting for something significant to happen, but I was disappointed. The whole plot about the fencing seemed quite esoteric and the oppression of the Moriscos was poorly handled. Maybe the author could have done better by leaving out the constant moral pointing finger.
In the end, the book had its positive aspects as well. It became exciting after all, on the last pages and as I've already written, I finally warmed up to the characters. But it remained an unsatisfying, disappointing and quite boring read. I'm not sure whether I would take up another of the author's books.
(Sorry for grammar or spelling mistakes, I'm not a native speaker.)
jenmiller253's review
3.0
It was a bit slow and set it down many times since I really didn't like our main characters much for most of the story. They grew on me as they grew up and it well done story.
abookishaffair's review
4.0
3.5 stars. "A Divided Inheritance" is the story of Elspet, a young woman who dreams of taking over her father's lace business but this is the 1600s and if there's a male heir, well you can probably guess what that means... This book follows Elspet as she navigates her divided inheritance. This book also discusses a lot about religion, which was sort of a division of the day in that time period.
I really enjoyed reading about Elspet and Zachary. I sort of wish that more of the book focused on their relationship but on the other hand, I'm not sure what I would trade out to have more focus on their relationship as I loved all of the action (and yes, there is a lot of action). Elspet believes Zachary to be her cousin but later finds out that he is more than that and therefore Elspet's father will divide his inheritance even though Elspet believes everything should go to her. Elspet could have come off as a very spoiled character but Swift allows us to see exactly where she is coming from, which really sold me on her. I loved following her throughout this book. Zachary was also fascinating to me.
The book takes place in both England and Spain. In England, Catholics (which Elspet is) are under attack and can't practice their religion as they would like. In Spain, the Catholic majority is trying to press out the Moriscos (the Muslim Moors). I really thought that Swift did a fantastic job of bringing both of these societies to life. This book allows plenty of room for some great armchair traveling to both London and Seville, Spain.
There are so many different layers to this story. There are the great characters and their personal war with each other but there are also the bigger stories of religion and war between those of different religions. It is a truly fascinating novel!
I really enjoyed reading about Elspet and Zachary. I sort of wish that more of the book focused on their relationship but on the other hand, I'm not sure what I would trade out to have more focus on their relationship as I loved all of the action (and yes, there is a lot of action). Elspet believes Zachary to be her cousin but later finds out that he is more than that and therefore Elspet's father will divide his inheritance even though Elspet believes everything should go to her. Elspet could have come off as a very spoiled character but Swift allows us to see exactly where she is coming from, which really sold me on her. I loved following her throughout this book. Zachary was also fascinating to me.
The book takes place in both England and Spain. In England, Catholics (which Elspet is) are under attack and can't practice their religion as they would like. In Spain, the Catholic majority is trying to press out the Moriscos (the Muslim Moors). I really thought that Swift did a fantastic job of bringing both of these societies to life. This book allows plenty of room for some great armchair traveling to both London and Seville, Spain.
There are so many different layers to this story. There are the great characters and their personal war with each other but there are also the bigger stories of religion and war between those of different religions. It is a truly fascinating novel!
margreads's review
3.0
Took me more than a month but finally finished this book.
I think it is definitely a case of it's not you, it's me though.
I think it is definitely a case of it's not you, it's me though.
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