Life-long bookworm and history lover, Amanda lives in Oxfordshire, and when she isn't writing can often be found with her head in a book or exploring the crumbling remains of some ancient building.
More Books by
Amanda Roberts
1645: A widow of nearly two years, Catherine is content with a quiet life looking after her young daughter, until she catches the eye of a wealthy Royalist. He gives her a unique, engraved ring as a talisman for good luck, but these are turbulent times. As she is drawn into a secret relationship she finds herself pitted against his family and her own father, caught in a deadly battle of wills driven by the ambitions of men, from which no-one can emerge victorious.
2019: When Hannah finds the ring buried in her garden, she is fascinated and intrigued. Who had owned it and how had they lost it? Focused on peeling back the layers of history, Hannah doesn’t realise that a web of deceit is tightening around her. Then a series of events threaten her security and warn her that she may not be the only one interested in the ring.
The Woman in the Painting is a novel about human relationships, a heart-breaking tale of love and loss, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley and Barbara Erskine.
The Woman in the Painting
Amanda Roberts
The ring is the key to Hannah’s future, but first she must unlock its past.
Book Excerpt or Article
Coffee Pot Book Club Five-Star Highly Recommended and 2024 Silver Medal Award Winner in the Time-slip/Time Travel/Dual Narrative category. Exerpt from the review, by Mary Anne Yarde.
With its captivating narrative and poetic language, The Woman in the Painting by Amanda Roberts immersed me in a world of art, war, love, betrayal, murder, and ultimately, peace and acceptance.
The meticulous attention to historical detail made the book a delight to read. I felt like I was transported back in time to the 17th Century, where I gained a genuine appreciation for what it was like to live in Islip, Oxfordshire during that period. Despite the undercurrent of concern about the war between the King and his Parliament, the village remains mostly peaceful and the villagers carry on with their normal routines.
Roberts depicts a hierarchy in the village as one would anticipate. Two groups exist: the privileged and those who toil for them. Yet, there was also a frenzied premonition in this novel that something awful was on the horizon. What would happen if the common man dared to question the order of things? During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a political movement emerged that was dedicated to popular sovereignty, among other things, they became known as the Levellers which is something that Roberts also touches upon. Roberts’ dedication to researching this era is evident in the enchanting prose and fascinating narrative.
Two time periods and two perspectives are used to tell one cohesive story in The Woman in the Painting. In 1645, we follow Catherine's story, and in 2019, we follow Hannah's. The dual timeline was executed well, and both women's stories equally intrigued me.
The Woman in the Painting by Amanda Roberts is a book I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. This is one of those books I know I'll read over and over again.
I Highly Recommend.
More Articles and Excerpts by
Amanda Roberts
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