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A review by mat_tobin
Diver's Daughter: A Tudor Story by Patrice Lawrence
4.0
At the close of the 16th century, Eve Cartright and her mother both work hard in order to have a roof over their heads and, if they're lucky, food to eat. When Eve nearly drowns one night, crossing the Thames, a chance encounter puts them in touch with George Symons who seeing Eve's mother, spies a potential diver for an endeavour that could make them all rich: searching for gold off the sunken Mary Rose.
Although the story is face-based and full of twists and turns, it makes for tense reading as Eve and her mother constantly find themselves labelled and victimised because of being black. Eve's mother is right, for the most part, to tell her daughter to not trust anyone but when they run into a very real historical figure, Jacque Francis (look him up), their fortunes could change for the better.
The whole Voices series is excellent and doing something that should have been done centuries ago; providing a platform for a range of voices and histories that have been left in the dark. Lawrence has a sharp, focused style with deep, wholly real characters throughout.
Although the story is face-based and full of twists and turns, it makes for tense reading as Eve and her mother constantly find themselves labelled and victimised because of being black. Eve's mother is right, for the most part, to tell her daughter to not trust anyone but when they run into a very real historical figure, Jacque Francis (look him up), their fortunes could change for the better.
The whole Voices series is excellent and doing something that should have been done centuries ago; providing a platform for a range of voices and histories that have been left in the dark. Lawrence has a sharp, focused style with deep, wholly real characters throughout.