The Widow of Redbriar is a complex novella set in 1860’s England about Mary Ellen Murphy, a young woman from Georgia, who is uprooted from her family’s tobacco plantation following the aftermath of the American Civil War. Her maternal grandfather’s estate at Redbriar becomes her new home and now must do her best to keep it.
Those who are looking for a mystery or romance story might want to put those expectations of a “period piece” to the side. One hundred and fifty years ago, life was full of pitfalls and biological dangers we just don’t have today. This was a time before flush toilets and antibiotics. London didn’t have a proper sewer system. Horses still powered transportation and letters powered information. This story follows a young woman who’s previous way of life dies, only to be dropped into another that is at equal risk.
The only content warnings I can come up with are for blood and language towards the end. This is not a romance novel. No prostitutes were harmed in the making of this story. Oh, the main character symbolically smokes a pipe throughout so if you are trying to quit this might not be for you at the moment. 😀
