Book Review: The Dartington Bride, by Rosemary Griggs

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

1571, and the beautiful, headstrong daughter of a French Count marries the son of the Vice Admiral of the Fleet of the West in Queen Elizabeth’s chapel at Greenwich. It sounds like a marriage made in heaven…

This second novel from Rosemary Griggs in her ‘Daughters of Devon’ series builds on her award-winning debut with the story of the life of Katherine Raleigh, 'A Woman of Noble Wit'.

As with her first book, Rosemary Griggs has drawn from well-researched historical events and the people of Devon, England. 

Lady Gabrielle Montgomery, known by her family as Roberda, flees the religious wars of France for Dartington Hall in Devon, where each day presents new challenges.

I particularly like the way Rosemary Griggs uses her experience as a guide at Dartington Hall to create an evocative and compelling first-person account from a woman's perspective. I enjoyed following Roberda's journey and the details of daily life in Elizabethan England.

'The Dartington Bride' is also a surprisingly topical exploration of the consequences of religious wars on innocent women, and the hardships faced by refugees. Highly recommended.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Rosemary Griggs is a retired Whitehall Senior Civil Servant with a lifelong passion for history. An avid researcher, she is now a speaker on Devon’s history and leads heritage tours at Dartington Hall.  She also creates and wears sixteenth century clothing which she often uses to bring history to life for local museums and community groups.  Rosemary lives in Devon with husband David, and her first novel, a Woman of Noble Wit features many of the county’s well loved places.  Find out more on Rosemary’s website https://rosemarygriggs.co.uk/ and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @RAGriggsauthor