A 17th Century feminist is born

Ursula Flight is born on a December night in 1664, an inauspicious night as a comet is seen in the heavens. She is the first live child of her parents and is born into a well-to-do country family with a few servants.

As an only child, Ursula is indulged by her parents and by Goudsoule, her mother’s housekeeper and companion. Unusually for the time, her father teaches her to read and to write and furthers her education into the broader classics and the stars.

Eventually, her mother gives birth to two brothers and a sister for Ursula, and together the children enjoy a very free childhood roaming the countryside with their friends. Ursula becomes interested in acting and in writing plays which the children perform, and she forgets that she is the property of her parents, specifically her father.

At fourteen following the death of her beloved father, she finds herself married to the much older Lord Oswald James Tyringham and as she is now his property, removed to his home, Turvey Court to assume her wifely duties. Her only companions are his mother and his mousey sister Sibeliah. Despite her pleas, she is not allowed to take her own maid but is assigned the surly and sluttish Becks.

She is disappointed by marriage finding her husband outwardly solicitous but receiving no true affection. Circumstances develop, and she starts to plot her escape.

This is a confidently written novel which sympathetically highlights the plight of women of Ursula’s class four hundred years ago. Even with her escape, she is bound by her upbringing and real freedom is hard to find.

The characters are well drawn and engage the reader’s emotions, especially as you root for Ursula. Does she find freedom and happiness? Well, you will need to read it and see!

Pashtpaws

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Born as the comet streaked across the skies of Restoration England, Ursula Flight lives a happy childhood in the country. her father dotes on her and educates her to love words and language. At the age of fifteen she is affianced to an older man and shortly after her father dies. Ursula goes to live with her pious in-laws in a dour house where she is discouraged from reading and encouraged to get pregnant. Her husband repulses her and when they finally get to court Ursula meets up with her childhood sweetheart but that is just the start of her life.

I found the first half of this book ponderous and wondered if it would pick up at all. The playlet interludes are amusing and add an engaging twist to the narrative. However once Ursula lands in London the book takes off and the true bawdy, witty nature comes to life. Like a Restoration Comedy, no punch is spared and I found myself loving this story

Ursula Flight was born on the night of a bad-luck comet. Educated by her father, she discovers a love of writing and develops a dream of becoming a famous playwright. However, she is expected to marry and live the way it is believed that a woman should. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Ursula decides to fight for her dreams. But freedom comes at a price.

The Illumination of Ursula Flight is a very inventive book, written in an unusual style. Sections of the story are told through Ursula’s play scripts, lists, letters and private diary entries. The reading experience is broken up with refreshing insertions which really helped to connect the reader with the character – I really loved it.

Ursula is a very relatable character. She’s a woman with her own thoughts and desires, in a time when she isn’t expected to have any. Her witty and ballsy personality is captured brilliantly, in a way that doesn’t follow the typical ‘feisty heroine’ tropes. A host of equally wonderful, amusing and sometimes repulsive characters make up Ursula’s fellow cast members.

I enjoyed the story. It covers a long period of time, with serious issues broached alongside the general humour of the story. It was really nice to follow Ursula’s progression from a dream-fuelled child to a gutsy and ambitious woman as she grew up.

Yet another new historical fiction novel with a colourful, eye-catching cover! This one looks like an illuminated manuscript, which is quite appropriate, not just because of the title but also because our heroine, Ursula Flight, has a deep love of books, language and the written word.

Ursula is born in December 1644, on the same night that a great comet appears in the sky. It is believed to be an ill omen, bringing with it bad luck and disaster, but for Ursula’s father this is a time to rejoice and to thank God for the safe delivery of his daughter. As Ursula grows into an intelligent and curious young woman, he decides to educate her himself, sharing with her his knowledge of astronomy, Latin and Greek, mathematics, science and literature. At the age of fifteen, however, everything changes: Ursula is married off to the wealthy Lord Tyringham, who is much older and who has different ideas of how a woman should behave.

It is not a happy, loving marriage, but Ursula is able to find solace in her writing – or her scribbling, as her friends call it – and this provides a way for her to express herself and to cope with the difficulties she encounters in her new life. There is nothing she wants more than to write plays and see them performed on stage but, despite her talent and enthusiasm, Ursula will find that this is still very much a man’s world.

Things do not always go smoothly for Ursula and she faces a series of challenges, obstacles, trials and disappointments both in her personal life and in her attempts to establish a career for herself. Told in a different way, it could have been a rather depressing story, but Ursula’s narrative voice is so strong and warm and witty that the novel never becomes too dark. Her sparkling personality suits the lively writing style and the imaginative format of the book.

I am not always a fan of novels that are written in an unusual or unconventional way, but I could still admire the playfulness and creativity of Ursula Flight. Chapters are given titles like "In which I am born under inauspicious circumstances" and "In which I assert my independence at three years old", while Ursula’s narrative is interspersed with other examples of her writing: letters and lists, diary entries, personal notes to herself, definitions of words and even whole scenes from some of her plays. These all provide us with valuable insights into her state of mind or way of life, while also being quite funny at times; I expect Ursula found that writing about certain episodes of her life in this way made it easier to deal with them.

The Illumination of Ursula Flight is an entertaining read; it’s maybe a little bit lighter than I would have preferred, but it’s fun and it's different.

This, without a doubt, is my favourite book this year. Told by Ursula Flight herself, a girl from a wealthy family in 17th century rural England. Her childhood amongst her family, her games with her friends and the in-depth teaching she receives from her father. Her first encounter with an actress prompts her to write plays for her playmates to be enacted in the woods surrounding the village.
All of this idyll comes to a crashing halt when, aged only 15 yrs, she is married off to old boring brute Tyringham. Will she forget her childhood sweetheart Samuel? Can her feisty, independent character be broken or will she triumph and pursue her dreams? I absolutely loved the character of Ursula, wanting to be her best friend that she so desperately needed in times of trouble. You will shed a tear or two, chuckle at her wit, seethe at the injustices she has to endure and punch the air with glee at her victories. Loved it, loved it, loved it!

Thank you to netgalley and Anna-Marie Crowhurst for allowing me to read this book for my honest opinion. This was a beautiful, well written book and I couldn’t put it down

On the 15 December 1664, the night that 'a great light bloomed in the sky' and the Great Bear constellation was clearly visible, Ursula Flight came into this world. Despite all of the superstition and bad omens that the sighting of a comet brought in the 17th century, this was a fortuitous event for her family, particularly her father Clifford, who determined to bring up his clever and feisty daughter to be well educated and ready to face the world.

Falling quickly in love with the written word, Ursula devours every book she can lay her hands on, thankfully the family library is well stocked and her imagination has lots of places to roam. She begins to write her own plays and act them out, giving roles to siblings, friends, the family 'help', the dog, and anyone she can rope into play acting with her. A tragic event and an arranged wedding loom into view quickly and Ursula's life is turned upside down. Taken away from all she knows and married to a much older, miserable man she doesn't really know, or even like, Ursula tries to find a way through the interminable days without going crazy. When her husband returns to Court and takes her to London with him, the opportunities open up and she knows that even though forbidden, she cannot let these chances pass her by.

Ursula's story is told beautifully and is interspersed with diary entries, notes and plays she has written. This can be a little odd at first, but you soon get used to it and it's a clever way of showcasing her skill and letting her say things she wouldn't perhaps have the opportunity for.

For Game of Thrones fans, Ursula Flight is a real Arya. Full of warmth and humour, caring, honest, gutsy, and with a huge pair of balls. Not afraid to take chances. She doesn’t need a man to make her whole, or to support her, which in 17th century England, was very, very tough, and not something that was easily accepted by society. Despite the treatment she has at the hands of her husband, she doesn't hate men - quite the opposite, and deserves the sexual awakening we find her enjoying - after all that lying back and thinking of England who would begrudge her! Of course the leading men in her life let her down, but she still risks love, she still takes a chance, and she is the woman she becomes due to the devotion that her father showed her when she was a child.

I hugely enjoyed this book, loved the character of Ursula and the warm, intimate style of writing, which reminded me in places of Sarah Waters work.

A really interesting and well told story with wonderful writing. I found myself thinking about it when I was reading it and raced pack to pick it up. Very lyrical writing, a beautiful book inside and out.

I wanted to like this novel, I really did. The blurb made it sound imaginative and unusual, and I was excited about reading it. Unfortunately, however, I found that when you stripped away the period setting the plot and characterisation were rather obvious and cliched. For me, the way that sections of the story are told through mini play scripts slowed the narrative up and although I did make it through to the end, I ultimately felt it was rather slight and unrewarding.

If you are looking for a fabulous new character to welcome into your life, then look no further! Ursula Flight is a delight!! From a inquisitive and imaginative child, to a determined and feisty woman, this book follows Ursula in a sparkling debut set in the 17th century.

Another thing I loved about this book was the way the story was written. It's all from the pen of Ursula, such as diary entries (think of the historic equivalent to Adrian Mole, or Bridget Jones!), alongside plays she wrote and performed in linked to episodes in her life that she witnessed or imagined, and it just made for such a light and refreshing read that was full of laughs, spirit and had that feelgood factor that just made me want more!

Ursula was born on the night of the comet, and throughout her childhood she always felt different to many others. She is from a well to do family and is educated by her father who she idolises. Her relationship with her mother was a little more difficult and that was also a revealing side to the story as her life progresses.

The historical side to the story is also very well done and you never feel like you're just looking back, you feel like you're a fly on the wall as she travels to various places, experiences new things and the expectations placed on her as a female of the time. But Ursula has different ideas and isn't afraid to speak her mind and this can lead to problems for her when she's expected to know her place and stay quiet.

With an education behind her she is never happy to just settle for a domestic life, and her dream is to write plays for the theatres of London. And with such a determined character such as Ursula, you never doubt her desire to achieve these ambitions, despite those around her doing their best to thwart them. She has to overcome a number of hurdles put in her way but she even approaches these with a wonderful sense of humour and humility.

I adored this book and especially Ursula, and found it to be a truly unique reading experience. An amazing debut novel and I will be eagerly awaiting more from this author!!

Ursula Flight is a character and a half! She leapt off the page -intelligent, curious, dramatic, sensual. A true role model for modern young ladies. Despite the restrictions for women of Restoration England, Ursula refused to be cowed. After an unusual education from her father, Ursula was married off to an older man and expected to play the harpsichord and sew, whilst attending to his husbandly needs. Time spent at court presents her with a way out from this and she finds her own way, despite difficulties and humiliation along the way. Despite Ursula being a very modern heroine, this story is steeped in Restoration living with lovely details of clothing, food, life at court, gossip and scandal. It uses the medium of play scripts to describe some of the events of the book to great effect. It is delightful and very funny in parts.

This autobiographical style novel is set in Restoration England, when women were still chattels. We follow the life of one such girl from childhood to womanhood, and in the process find out a lot about life at this time. The books is about how Ursula Flight, who has an enlightened father,that teaches her about astronomy and science. She grows up, marries and wants to achieve her dream to write plays. It is written in a sort of old English style, which lends an air of authenticity. During the story there are plays within the story, that also have the purpose of moving along the story, I did find this a bit irksome at times. I usually prefer to read straight through, without this type device. However, after a while I got used to it, and as it was her dream to write plays and act, it does have a purpose.. Interesting and entertaining, well worth a read, and I like the fact it is set in Restoration time, for a change.

Historical literary fiction is doing rather well at the moment, and the casual reader could be forgiven for feeling perhaps a bit wearied of the whole thing: the elaborate covers, the gushing praise, the mannered titles. I’m here to tell you that The Illumination of Ursula Flight is worth the read. It would appeal, I think, to fans of The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock, but it is in many ways a very different book. Ursula, our protagonist, speaks to us in her own voice throughout, and it is a voice with wit, sparkle, and plenty of youthful callowness; she is far from a flawless heroine, making decisions that remind us of how very young she is when cast into the world (fifteen at her marriage, nineteen at the end of the book). If, occasionally, she almost seems more adult in her thinking than is plausible, recall Becky Sharp of Vanity Fair, who claimed to have ceased being a child at the age of eight.

Ursula is born on the night of the Great Comet in 1664, just before the Restoration of Charles II. Throughout the book, the tensions in England – vanquished Puritans vs. decadent courtiers – are mirrored by the tensions in Ursula’s own life: her family is noble but needs money and so she is married off to the dour (and foul-smelling) Lord Tyringham, whose devoutness is matched only by his hypocrisy (he has an almost fetishistic fondness for plain clothes that leads him to sexually assault his female servants). Ursula, who has grown up surrounded by love and the freedom to roam the fields, read what she will, and write her own plays, is suffocated by marriage; she takes joy in the Court, in fashion, and in the theatre. It may be a cruel world, but it glitters.

Crowhurst’s research is worn lightly, and mostly integrated in speech patterns. (I particularly like her characters’ attitude to grammar, which is manifest in letters from nobles of the time; they also say “how d’ye do”, never “how do you do”, and “babby” for “baby”. It’s small but pervasive, and it makes a huge difference to the sense of verisimilitude.) She’s also funny: Ursula’s observant and uncharitable teenaged eye makes her a good playwright but also an enjoyable narrator, reminding me very pleasantly of Catherine Called Birdy (did anyone else love that book as a kid?) My sole complaint is with the ending (SPOILERS FOLLOW): can we, just for once, have a story in which the heroine doesn’t carry her unexpected pregnancy to term? It makes sense in the context of Ursula’s character, and what she’s lost up to that point, but I still found myself hoping that the abortifacient would work, and she would keep her liberty: single, unencumbered.

A great period, feminist romp through Charles II's England. Born under the shadow of a comet Ursula has an unusual childhood learning several languages and being encouraged by her father to read and write. Alas when she is married off far too young her education comes to an end and she must stifle her natural inclinations. However you can't keep a good girl down and Ursula will find a way to live how she wants to live. This is a great read that gets a little slow in the middle but picks up nicely towards the end. The format is refreshing, part journal, part play script it keeps the reading fresh and interesting. Highly recommended.

The Illumination of Ursula Flight is a largely lighthearted coming-of-age historical novel set in 1670s/1680s England and centres on the life (from birth to adulthood) of Ursula Flight. The book begins with a style often used by novels of the 17th century and made me immediately think of Daniel Defoe’s works. This tale is told in the first person by Ursula, a girl who is born into a well-to-do family. Her father gives her a thorough education (which was rare for girls at this time). She takes a keen interest in learning and has a talent for playwriting from a young age. Marriage, loss, love, and adversity bring her towards maturity and self-realisation.

Let’s take a moment to discuss the cover – which is gorgeous. I love the seventeenth century-style lady in the bubble on the top left. The other three circles contain images of important parts of Ursula’s story.

In my opinion, the real magic in Crowhurst’s writing is that she employs the structure of Restoration play dialogue as the format for some of her scenes. The result is brilliant and charming – it really worked. Indeed, I’m not ashamed to say I’m a bit envious – I wish I’d thought of doing this myself in my books!

A great deal of the story I found quite often funny:

"There’s a bump on my noggin as big as an artichoke and I had a mustard plaster for it, which made me sneeze."

I was enthralled by the book throughout, but, for me, it peaked around 75% through, which was the most moving part (I guess that’s because I’m such a romantic). All the peripheral characters, such as Mary, Grisella, Lord Tyringham, Samuel, et al were well-made and I could visualise them clearly. Ursula herself is quite likeable – she’s both very intelligent and quite silly sometimes.

I’m always concerned when reading a work set in the seventeenth century because so often modern authors end up falling into the trap of presentism. Largely, the majority of the book stays very much in keeping with the values of the time, which I found a relief. Women such as Aphra Behn and Margaret Cavendish, although talented women writers (and more!), were outliers in their time and most decidedly not the norm. I mention this because I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the ending, which I felt had a rather jarringly modern feminist message of “career first/I don’t need a man”. Other readers will undoubtedly disagree with me, and to each their own. This aside, the book as a whole was so enjoyable that this was a minor point for me.

The plot and the characters are well-formed, her research into this period in history is clear and I can tell she has done a great deal of work. I am staggered by the fact that this is Crowhurst’s debut work, for it is beautifully written, witty, and lively. I very much hope she continues to write. She certainly has a fan here.

TSCL rating: 5/5

A delightful Restoration romp, which might take as its subtitle one of the chapter headings: 'HERE BE THE MOSTE SECRETE DIARY OF U. FLIGHT'. Told entirely in Ursula's voice, a mixture of journal entries, letters and play scripts, it is the story of one woman's determination to live independently.

Though Ursula is of moderately noble birth -- her father, a keen astronomer, is lord of the manor -- she has little time as a child for the life of a gently-born female, preferring instead to read (and write) plays, and direct the local children (some of them peasants) in acting them out. She develops a fancy for a friend's cousin, the charming Samuel Sherewin -- but her father arranges her marriage with odious Lord Tyringham, who is old and ugly and has little time for Ursula's interests.

However, Ursula's husband does take her to London, and there Ursula discovers the theatre, which is a magic beyond her wildest dreams. She meets an actress; discovers a secret; and embarks upon a new career.

There are very occasional lapses in language ('like' rather than 'as if' or 'as though'; 'godly' rather than 'goodly') and in historical fact (eating pineapple in England in the 17th century); and I can't be altogether impressed by Ursula's father's astronomy when he claims that Polaris is the 'biggest, brightest star of all', or that Jupiter (not the moons of Jupiter, but the planet itself) was discovered by 'an Italian and his telescope'. I am also not familiar with the musical instrument 'the linnet' ...

But these are nitpicks. In general the bawdy, dirty, dramatic Restoration period is evoked very nicely, and Ursula -- though she sometimes seems remarkably modern in her behaviour and outlook -- is a likeable heroine, easy to sympathise with and relate to. The Illumination of Ursula Flight feels at times like a feminist response to The Adventures of Moll Flanders: a woman making her own way in the world, without a male protector, living on her wits, surviving and succeeding.

I received a free advance copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

The Illumination of Ursula Flight by Anna-Marie Crowhurst

In December 1664 Ursula Flight was born under inauspicious circumstances – a comet blazing a trail across the sky. Surely an ill omen. But not to Ursula. Although born to a gentry family with all of the material care that she needs, she is emotionally not supported. But her father did teach her something: a curiosity about the world and the stars above it and, helped by this, Ursula began to dream of a life so different from that lived by her distant, controlled mother. More than anything, Ursula wants to write and so she spends much of her childhood scribbling plays and acting in them with her servant and best friend Mary as well as her siblings and other children. Ursula has dreams of becoming a playwright but her background is against her and, while still a young girl of just fifteen, she is married off to the much older Lord Tyringham. The life of Lady Tyringham has little to do with the life Ursula lives in her dreams.

The Illumination of Ursula Flight is a beautifully glittery tale of Ursula Flight’s determined efforts to escape her destiny and forge one of her own, all set against the glamorous backdrop of the decadent Restoration court of Charles II and his mistresses. Initially, the newly married Ursula spends most of her time in the countryside, protected by her husband, an imprisonment indeed. But when she finally arrives in court, she shines. But perhaps the most enjoyable part of all of this, for this reader, is the way in which Ursula copes with her life away from all she loves – the novel includes extracts from all manner of Ursula’s scribblings, including scenes from plays, notes on how she spends a day, letters, journal entries and so much more, all presented in a font so evocative of the late 17th century.

This is very much Ursula’s novel. She narrates it, she fills it with her writings and, as a result, it sparkles with her personality. She has so much to give, despite what she must endure. She wants independence and to be a writer, but she also wants to be in love, and the scenes in which she must consummate her marriage with her curiously awful husband are, by contrast with much of the rest of the novel, painful to read and a reminder of how horrific such a marriage can be. Aside from the fact that Ursula must endure his fumblings, she is at risk of being emotionally crushed. And matters aren’t helped when she does find somebody to love. There are so many pitfalls lying in wait for young attractive women of means.

The pages of The Illumination of Ursula Flight fly through the fingers. Ursula herself is an absolute delight and there are other people we meet along the way who also grab our attention, notably Lord Tyringham’s unappealing sister. There’s a real sadness in the descriptions of Ursula’s mother. I felt for her. Her entire married life has been spent pregnant, usually with tragic results. No wonder Ursula wishes for a different future.

I really enjoyed the depiction of Charles II’s court and also this London with its theatres, actors and hangers on. It comes to life so colourfully, aided by the extracts from plays. These are larger than life personalities and Ursula fits right in. I must admit that I found the novel slightly frothier than I was expecting. This is a very light and fast read but it is also entertaining and often witty and playful, enlivened by its interesting and effective format. I enjoyed my time with Ursula Flight and wished her every success with her dreams and hopes, while feeling for her during her times of distress. She epitomises the times in which she lived and I can imagine her in her glorious gowns with arranged hair and flattering face patches. Her beauty is certainly reflected in the absolutely stunning cover of the novel and in its use of fonts. It all combines to present such a pleasurable read.

I read Margaret Cavendish's writing for the first time recently and, while I enjoyed its creativity, vigour and sheer oddity, I longed to get a taste of what day to day life would have really been like for an intelligent female writer of the 17th century. Danielle Dutton partly answered this in her take on Cavendish's life in her recent exquisite novel “Margaret the First”. Now Anna-Marie Crowhurst has imagined the dramatic life of a female playwright named Ursula who narrates her own story from her birth in 1664 to the beginning of her writing career. She gives a richly detailed sense of what life would have been like for a privileged upperclass girl growing up on a rural estate. Amidst her narrative we're also given various documents including sketches of plays, letters, lists and notes which not only bring her story to life but chart the evolution of her creative process in becoming a writer.

Ursula's father educates her from an early age sparking her interests in astrology and literature. Though her creativity was fostered in this protected environment, she quickly finds it's scorned by the larger world when she's forced to enter a marriage with a wealthy nobleman and become a pious lady. Ursula has a highly romantic sensibility and she has a hard reckoning with the passion of love and sex, but this isn't a story about a young woman finding the right man. It's more about the development of Ursula's creative talent for translating the lives and issues of her day into drama. Gradually she learns how real life can be folded into fictional dramatic works in such a way that it entertains and reflects back to people their own prejudices as well as their humanity. She also discovers theatre is a collaborative hive where the actors, writers and producers all interpret and transform the playwright's text into become a live show. Opportunities for women to creatively express themselves were obviously severely limited in this era but Ursula finds a way to testify to her own experience and that of the women of her time.

Crowhurst's writing has a wonderful lightness to it. A lot of literary fiction can be so gloomy when confronting serious subjects, but “The Illumination of Ursula Flight” is extremely engaging in how it seriously shows the plight of a creative woman in this time and the challenges she faces without getting bogged down in misery. The story evocatively comes to life in the details of the smells and sights of what life was like in this period from one character who refuses to have a rotten tooth extracted to the messy streets of London covered in refuse. She also gives a keen sense of the women's fashion as well as the politics of the Stuart period rumbling in the background. Most of all I became enamoured with Ursula's character and became wrapped up in following her journey. This historical novel is impressively imaginative, clever and fun in the way it brings her to life and shows the development of her artistic sensibility.

I was sent an uncorrected proof of The Illumination of Ursula Flight by Anna-Marie Crowhurst to read and review by NetGalley.
Written as a memoir The Illumination of Ursula Flight is an amusing and entertaining romp through the life of the protagonist Ursula, from birth to maturity. The novel is scattered throughout with the scripts that Ursula has written, the position of playwright being her most fervent wish, and these sections are among the wittiest. The story feels quite lively throughout which seems to fit well with the bawdy times in which it has been set.
Having only had a proof copy I did not have the pleasure of reading it in its final layout with the embellishments and illustrations of the final book, however, I did enjoy it very much and would recommend it to anyone seeking a read that is light-hearted and fun.

The comparison to Sarah Waters certainly rang true to me here, as there is a similar volatile mixture of historical societal mores with women who enjoy sex and rebel against those mores in a way that feels modern to the reader. Likewise I was put in mind of Philippa Gregory’s Wideacre series and considerably older sources such as Tess of the Durbevilles, Jane Eyre or even Moll Flanders.

You will note that all of these books feature a central, titular female character who suffers in a man’s world, but is resourceful, with a will to survive. Although this story does contain romance it is not, strictly speaking, a romance. It is the tale of the coming of age of Ursula as a woman in a world weighted to men; her trials, tribulations, loves and losses, but told with such wit and good humour that instead of being broken by her hardships the reader is uplifted and amused by how she tackles them.

Interspersed at regular intervals in the text are excerpts from Ursula’s journal, letters, and play manuscripts, and these give a clever, intimate insight into some key scenes from a more external point of view than the main narrative. Thus we get different voices, but always filtered through Ursula’s main perspective.

Which brings me to the main delight of the book: Ursula Flight. Ursula is superbly characterised. She is brave and outspoken, obedient and loving, witty and intelligent, oblivious and naive. She is human. And she is instantly both recognisable and likable. She continually surprised me with her reactions and her resilience, and could be considered a role model for how she prompted me to consider my own behaviours, priorities and privileges.

I absolutely loved this story and devoured it whole, then spent a further few days (and nights) reliving and re-enjoying the story and characters in my mental theatre. I sincerely recommend this to those fond of historical novels – about women – with a heart, a brain and a good sense of humour.




‘Come in and tarry awhile, for I am apt to grow bored, and you amuse me with your strange, fierce face, child.’
I went in as she had bidden and stood with my arms crossed behind my back.
‘What do you wish to be when you grow up, Ursula Flight?’ said she.
‘Why, a dashing adventurer, and if I cannot be that, a nun, and if I cannot be that, a mother to ten children, all of them twins and with bright golden hair.’

– Anna-Marie Crowhurst, The Illumination of Ursula Flight

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog