Title: The Orange Grove
Author: Kate Murdoch
Release Date: November 1, 2019
Length: 253 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
****My Review****
The Orange Grove by Kate Murdoch
Impatience, lots of gossip, add a duke and his wife… Don’t forget his several mistresses… Is there anything else needed for an incredibly scandalous historical story?
The action takes place in Blois, France in the château of Duc Hugo d’Amboise. He has a wife, Charlotte, and four mistresses who also reside in the castle. Interesting life, isn’t it?
Charlotte has no problem with his needs as long as Hugo has no real feelings for his mistresses. But the duke wishes for only one thing, which unfortunately Charlotte cannot give him. The pressure is growing day by day. Even the mistresses feel it. But the duke is still without much-desired heir..
A real problem, indeed. Yet, and the solution is quite simple. Bring yet another mistress. So the seemingly quiet and peaceful life ends. When the young and beautiful Letitia, problems start to appear everywhere.
From the moment Letitia arrives, everyone notices that the duke is developing feelings for her and doesn’t even notice the other women. How far will Charlotte go to preserve her dignity and status? What is a jealous woman ready for?
I enjoyed reading The Orange Grove by Kate Murdoch. A lot of characters and their life stories are intertwined which creates a bit of confusion at the beginning. I love the descriptions of the gardens and how the women were dressed in beautiful and ornate dresses. There are also several twists that I did not expect and I read the last pages with tension.
The action takes place in 1705 and the author has skillfully brought that period closer to the reader. We can see how women were treated during that period. They existed only to fulfill the wants and needs of men and to raise their children.
As I mentioned above, women had no problem with their husbands having mistresses and living under the same roof. But not all women were the same. Some were much smarter than others thought they were. In those days, status and dignity meant everything, each of them would do whatever it took to keep them, no matter the consequences.
Although when they are together all the women behave politely, behind closed doors we can hear their quiet voices gossiping.
Kate Murdoch and the level of research she has carried out to produce this well-presented novel is commendable. Eighteenth-century France with all its charm simply drips from the pages of this novel.
From the art of reading tarot cards to the detailed fashion garments- everything is expertly woven throughout the pages. The author offers readers a complete, accurate, and credible picture of life at this incredible moment in time. Even the most ordinary daily routines, food and drinks, keeping diaries or the entertainment of that time are all perfectly put together.
And I especially liked how the author dealt with the topics of culture, politics, religion as well as class layers. Even the details of sexuality.
Without any doubt, in addition to detail, the author has also created quite complex characters. From the Duke and his wife, Henriette, her daughter Solange, to the other mistresses, Murdoch has created a rich array of interesting characters. Each of them with its unique mark and development that fully contributes to the development and unfolding of the entire story. Each story carries its sub-story based on a specific theme, such as love, loyalty, status, deception, or friendship…
The Orange Grove by Kate Murdoch is a book that will fully capture the setting of the 18th century in France and will attract you with its unique story of intertwined destinies, scandalous behavior and incredible characters. Brimming with tension, interesting themes, and descriptions that will not let you leave the pages of this novel.
This sounds like an interesting read, crazy how they took so many mistresses and the wife was expected to turn a blind eye to it. Nice review, glad you enjoyed this one.
It was quite entertaining 😊😊😊