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3.0 

Winchelsea

By Alex Preston
Winchelsea by Alex Preston digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

AS READ ON BBC RADIO 4
A SPECTATOR BEST OF THE YEAR - AS CHOSEN BY REVIEWERS

The year is 1742. Goody Brown, saved from drowning and adopted when just a babe, has grown up happily in the smuggling town of Winchelsea. But when she turns sixteen, her father is murdered by men he thought were friends.

In a town where lawlessness prevails, Goody and her brother Francis must enter the cut-throat world of her father’s killers in order to find justice. Facing high seas and desperate villains, she discovers what life can be like without constraints or expectations, developing a taste for danger that makes her blood run fast.

Goody was never born to be a gentlewoman. But what will she become instead?

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Winchelsea Reviews

3.0
“I really enjoyed the historical setting of Winchelsea—the marshes, beaches, and the under-reach were vividly drawn and helped ground the story in place. The multiple points of view were distinct and enjoyable to follow, although Goody’s section felt overly long, and the repeated incestuous relationships didn’t add much to the narrative. The exploration of sexuality and gender within an 18th-century context was one of the book’s strengths, and the character interactions were consistently engaging. However, the action sequences and battles lacked the same level of excitement and impact. I also felt it was unnecessary for nearly every woman or girl in the story to experience abuse or assault, which became repetitive and detracted from the overall effect.”
Surprised Face with Open Mouth“Growing up in Camber and Rye, and being familiar with the surrounding areas, including the High Weald, ‘Winchelsea’ was an incredibly interesting read. The characters are well-formed and interesting, the plot is relatively simple but well-told and through the eyes of three different characters, and reading a story that takes place in the towns that I have called home was exciting and fascinating. Being based on historical events, it was so interesting to read a fictionalised version of the smuggling history of the South East, and I thoroughly enjoyed tracing the map in my mind, following the characters through their journey. Though the dialogue is sometimes a little hard to understand, due to the characters’ use of language which, I imagine, is based on language typical of the time, I was never lost and followed the story easily. A great read for those local to the area and otherwise, highly recommend.”

About Alex Preston

Alex Preston is an award-winning author of five novels including This Bleeding City, The Revelations, In Love and War and Winchelsea, as well as a book of non-fiction As Kingfishers Catch Fire. He writes regularly for the New York Times, the Economist and Harper’s Bazaar. He reviews books for the Observer’s New Review, Financial Times and Spectator. Alex is co-founder of the Corfu Literary Festival and Patron of Oxford Literary Festival.

@ahmpreston

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