Redway Acres
The Redway Acres saga chronicles the lives of several dynamic women beginning with Helena, the granddaughter of Redway’s owner. Each title character in the series confronts the challenges facing women in the early 19th century, including forced marriage, domestic abuse, property rights, and the impediments to owning a business or pursuing a profession.
Redway Acres’ stable in Lincolnshire, near Grantham in England, is the common ground for the families portrayed in the saga: the Stocktons who own Redway, the Harkers from the neighbouring estate of Eastease, the ennobled Ackleys, the beleaguered Wyndhams, the well-connected Bainbridges, and the notable but unwealthy Hopwoods.
Although each story is standalone, the series should be read in order to avoid spoilers, as the timelines of the families intertwine throughout.
The Redway Acres companion books will explore the lives of minor characters in the series whose behind-the-scenes stories beg to be told.
Become immersed in the lives, loves, and hardships of the women and men destined to cross paths at Redway Acres.
I've had the privilege of reading all four books in the Redway Acres series. The author has created a "village" of characters, many of which appear in all four books, so the reader feels like s/he is immersed in an English community in the early 1800s. That feeling starts with a detailed map on page 1 of every book showing the location of the key places where much of the action takes place and is reinforced by the historical detail the author infuses into every page. Trish Butler has done her research about life in England in the early 1800s. The four female characters are extraordinarily strong women in a time when women had a more restricted role in society. It is delightful to see how she has put the problems of modern day life -- dysfunctional family relationships, physical disabilities, romantic entanglements of all kinds, poverty, prejudice, and social class distinctions into an earlier era. On the surface, this is a "romance novel". But if you dig a little deeper, you realize the serious issues that are brought up -- and in an entertaining format.
Maureen F. Shea, CT, USA.
These characters become your friends. You will think about them long after you close the covers of their books. Each book in the series stands by itself as it tells the story of a strong female character. Each of these women deals with their own challenges and triumphs, and yet their challenges and triumphs intertwine throughout the series. My suggestion would be that you read them each in order. You will soon become a fan of Ms. Butler's as I have!
Cheryl Duffy, CT, USA.
I have read all the books in this Redway Acres series. I enjoyed each one on its own, but by reading them as a series, you get to see the characters develop. Ms. Butler has a way with giving just enough information to keep you guessing and wanting to read the next book to find out what happens to your favorite people. Very strong female characters to cheer on!
Pat Marsden, CT, USA
Excellent books that can be read independently of each other, but if you read in order, the experience is so much better. I love that these books detail the difficulties faced by women in 1800s and how the characters worked hard to change their lives for the better, despite society's expectations! Definitely worth a read and I bet you won't put them down once started!!
Janine Westgate, Norwich, UK.
REDWAY ACRES BOOKS
