We have two strong women main characters, one in each time frame.

1500's: Freida Ortelius a married woman with an infant son who she is afraid to let out of her sight. Her parents were killed while she was locked away in a cupboard as a child. She now fears those she loves will disappear as well including her seafaring husband.
Learning her skill from her father as a child, this cartographer is tasked by Queen Elizabeth to make a map for Sir Francis Drake.

Present Day: Robyn Willoughby lives with her father and is having a hard time in life accepting her husband is presumed dead, lost at sea as the seven-year period is almost here and she must declare him.
In her father's antique map shop one day she finds a bloodstained Tudor map who neither have any memory of its receipt into the shop. Her story is the embarkment of fascinating historical research into this map and the secrets it carries.

Though both stories were fascinatingly intriguing I did enjoy the historical side more. Finished this in one day as I could barely put it down.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Clare Marchant delivers another fantastic novel with The Mapmaker's Daughter. This dual-timeline story connects Frieda in the 1500s and Robyn in the present day through a mysterious map discovered in Robyn's father’s shop. The chapters skillfully weave their stories together, immersing readers in the richly detailed Tudor era and the secrets of mapmaking. Just as you’re hooked on one timeline, the narrative shifts to the other, keeping the intrigue alive. Well-researched and captivating, this book continues Marchant's tradition of excellence, leaving me excited for her future works.

I love a dual timeline story, though this is my first where one of the times is the 16th century, so I had no idea what to expect. I am simply so happy that I read this book, albeit well after publication date - sorry, Madame author. Beautifully written wonderful story. I may have to search out more.

Another amazing book by Clare Marchant!

I read her first novel as part of our local book club, with everyone enjoying it so much that we decided we had to read the sequel. Of course, that simply meant that I had to read her third book as well!

The Mapmaker's Daughter features a dual timeline, with Frieda in the later 1500s and Robyn in the present day, tied together by a mysterious map Robyn has discovered in her father's shop. The chapters flesh out the connection between the women, along with the story of the map that brought them together.

Like Marchant's other books, this one is truly well researched and well done. She elaborates on the details of Tudor times, including how the maps were made, drawing the reader in. Just as one is totally invested in one story, the timeline swaps and is brought back to the amazing other timeline story. I look forward to her future books as well, having already set an alert to check for new titles.

Marchant's books transport you right into history, this one being no different. I am a sucker for a dual timeline and strong women, this book gives you both. However, it also gives you heartache and sadness. Marchant is able to balance that with hope and strength creating one story that crosses centuries.
Highly recommend!

A story or rather two spanning hundreds of years between, connect by one map. the lives of Frida and Robyn may be different in more ways than one, but they both have a small tragedy that they need to overcome. A slow read that may a times makes you wonder as to what is the end going to look like, but a story that will make you think about holding on to past grief and each person's ways of moving past it. A book that will make you think for a bit.

The Mapmaker’s Daughter

by Clare Marchant

In The Mapmaker’s Daughter, the reader will find:
A successfully handled dual timeline
Two women who love their men
Two men who love the sea and adventure
Some history concerning the control of England
Settings of time: 1569, 1580, and 2022
Settings of place: Amsterdam, Low Countries; Hay-on-Wye, Wales; London, England
Filth and dangers of the cities
Persecution of Protestant Huguenots by Spanish Catholics
Cartography, engraving, map shops
Queen Elizabeth’s court and appropriate dress and protocol
The place and function of women
Sea battles
The knighting of Francis Drake

This work of historical fiction focuses on Freida, a woman from a family of cartographers. She survives a massacre as a child, but finds herself in similar circumstances as a mother. She becomes uncomfortably entangled with Queen Elizabeth’s court where her husband, a dashing privateer, is not welcome. Moving forward to our century, the protagonist is Robyn who has been studiously avoiding the declaration of her husband’s death for seven years. The Mapmaker’s Daughter will reveal how their stories intertwine.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Notes: 1. I was interested in reading information in general on what was fact and what was fiction. There was nothing that addressed this in my Advanced Reader Copy.
2. I find the many references to clothing quite interesting and scurried to the Internet on multiple occasions to look up words like “kirtle” to more fully understand the garb of the time.

Publication: September 1, 2022—Avon Book, UK

Memorable Lines:

The queen may be the bee at the centre of the hive, but she was still harbouring enemies within.

What filled her inside, always there, twisting her guts and suffocating her, was the anger that Nate had chosen such a dangerous career, that he had opted to race a yacht sometimes in perilous, risky waters, which had ultimately taken him from her.

The temporary confidence she’d arrived with drained through her body to her feet and disappeared into a puddle on the floor. Other guests pushed around her until she felt like a piece of flotsam being dragged back and forth on the dark waves of the sea she’d recently sailed upon.

This was a wonderful story of Freida, Willem, and their son Jacob. Also, Robyn, her dad, and friend Sam. It has different time frames. One in 15th-16th century, which was Frieda, Willem, and Jacob. And one in the present time, but in 2022, with Robyn, her dad, and Sam. Freida is a cartographer/mapmaker, but she is a mother and wife, running her household. She is a woman who in this time she’s in usually a woman would not be doing these type things. They were thought that they couldn’t be thinkers or have an education or have a career. But Freida made a name for herself with the beautiful and accurate maps she created. Jacob was her son and she loved him deeply. She was a real mama bear and when you read a certain passage in the book you will know why I say this……Robyn, in 2022, has come home to live with her dad and help him with his shop. He has come across a map that he thinks Robyn will love to investigate. And that’s what she does. She puts a lot of work in trying to find out all about this beautiful, wonderful map……This is a wonderful, intriguing story. I really liked it a lot. I hope if you decide to read it as well that you will enjoy it too. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers, Harper Collins, and the author, Clare Marchant, for the opportunity to read and review, #TheMapmakersDaughter , with my honest thoughts and opinions.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

I was really excited for this book (yet didn't pick it up for months...). We follow two women in different time lines. Frieda is a Dutch woman who has had to flee her home in 1569, and has caught the eye of the Queen of England with her talent of making maps. In the current day we follow Robyn who has found the map and wants to find out the story behind it. Sadly, I didn't care for either of these ladies. Both of them are acting in certain ways because they are dealing with trauma... yet I failed to feel sympathetic for them. I mainly thought they were irrational and annoying. I was also really looking forward to reading a book with a largely Dutch set of characters and seeing Amsterdam... but I never felt the connection I thought I would have. There were some more faults I found with the writing... like we were constantly being told how strong these women are. For me this is something that I need to be shown through the characters actions and determine myself, not constantly being told that they are. The dual timeline also added nothing to the story in my opinion. There certainly are good elements to the book as well, mainly considering the mapmaking process. But the potential this book had was let down by the writing and exhausting characters.

Another brilliant duel timeline story that really captured my imagination. It was so interesting reading about Freida and her mapmaking skills. Such a thrilling read that had really intense moments thought out the stories. The modern timeline was also intriguing, wondering about Robyn and her own heartbreaking journey.
It was so fascinating to see both women overcome their difficulties and to find their places in the world.
Absolutely incredible book that was jam packed with historical stories and human emotions.

Such a beautiful tale !

I couldn’t put it down and was completely captivating from the first page to the last !!

Thank you netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this

The Mapmaker’s Daughter was a dual timeline between modern-day and Elizabethan England. I have to say that I really liked the historical timeline. I was intrigued by Elizabeth England, and I found it fascinating. I did not really care for the modern-day storyline. The novel is very well-written. However, some scenes seemed to be very drawn out and repetitive. Nevertheless, I recommend this for fans of Nicola Cornick, Lisa Jewell, and Barbara Erskine.

I enjoyed reading 'The Mapmaker's Daughter' as much as I enjoyed listening to 'The Secrets of Saffron Hall'. Clare Marchant has a knack of bringing history to life!

The Mapmaker's Daughter is also a dual timeline story covering the journey of modern day Robyn Willoughby and Freida Ortelius in 16th century England with a map created by Freida connecting the two timelines.

Like her previous book I enjoyed reading about the historical period more. Clare Marchant has brought 16th century England and especially the court of Queen Elizabeth I to life. The time period covers the persecution of the Protestant Huguenots by the Spanish and I could clearly see and feel every scene described in my mind from the conversations, the feasts, the court life, the costumes, the sea journeys and the court intrigue that was rampant back then. It felt like I was there experiencing everything that Freida was experiencing and the conversations between Freida and Queen Elizabeth I were one of my favourite parts of the book. The mapmaking process was also described in a way that made it interesting to read about. Along with other names belonging to the time period, one of the most prominent names in Queen Elizabeth I time, Francis Drake, also makes an important appearance in the book and it's the map that Freida has to make for him that eventually connects the two timelines together.

Another winner from Clare Marchant and now I am very much interested in reading her other book 'The Queen's Spy' since that also covers the time period of Queen Elizabeth I.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books UK and the author for the e-Arc of the book.

This one took me a while to get into. In some places, it felt quite repetitive, with constant reminders of the past and why the characters behaved and reacted as they did - which felt unnecessary with the extent the author repeated them.

However, the dual timeline plot was great, the lives of Frieda and Robyn worked well together with similarities to play on. I enjoyed the Elizabethan storyline more so than the present day, but this is purely my taste. The vivid descriptions of the clothing, food, locations, herbs, etc. were brilliant. The insights into cartography and navigation during the Tudor and Elizabethan age was fantastic and well researched.

Once I got into the storyline I was compelled to keep reading and finished the book in just over a day.

A nice read, but not one to gush about.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for approving me for an ARC of this book. I have read Clare’s two previous book and love her writing style so I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one.

This is a dual timeline story told by two women, Robyn and Frieda. Robyn’s story is set in the present day, where she stumbles across a map that her father never knew was hiding in his shop. This mystery proves to be the perfect distraction whilst Robyn is coming to terms with a difficult decision. Frieda’s story is set in the 1500’s during Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Whilst constantly fearing for her life Frieda finds herself being invited to court to carry out a task for the Queen.

Whilst we flip back and forth between these two women’s stories we learn many things about cartographers, life at sea, Huguenots and so much more. I was fascinated with Frieda’s story from the first chapter. She came from shocking circumstances and I had nothing but sympathy for her when her fears manifested in her adult life too. She was clearly a compassionate and lovely women who just wanted a simple life away from fear and trepidation. As her story unravelled and more was revealed about her husband’s final task I felt the fear leaping from the pages.

I loved being back in the royal court, especially Queen Elizabeth’s as her reign is infamous. I almost wish we had been there more as with Clare’s previous books I’ve felt there was more focus on that aspect. Learning about our Royal history is fascinating to me and the introduction of Francis Drake certainly piqued my interest.

This was brilliant storytelling, filled with history and adventure. Clare Marchant has the knack for drawing her readers in and keeping them on tender hooks until the very end.

Wow! This book is PHENOMENAL! It is gripping, mysterious, heart-wrenching, intriguing, and so much more. Whenever I picked up "The Mapmaker's Daughter", I was whisked away on such an emotional journey with this story.

I have read a few of Clare Marchant's books, and she is such an amazing author! Her attention to detail is astounding, and the way she reveals each piece of the puzzle in the story she is telling is so unique. This book was so difficult to put down, and I was truly hooked from the first page to the last.

This is a dual-timeline novel, taking place in in the 1500s, as well as in the present day. In the 1500s, a woman from the Netherlands, Frieda, is a cartographer. At a very young age, Freida witnessed the horrific murder of her parents. She, herself, is able to escape to London. She marries a man whose work is at sea helping to protect the Netherlands and England. Her talent for mapmaking soon becomes more known, and Freida is soon commissioned to make a map by Queen Elizabeth I for Sir Francis Drake, and is thrust into danger once again. In the present day, Robyn is grieving her husband who was lost at sea and is sadly presumed dead. She is currently working with her father in his shop, in the hope it may be able to help her if at all possible. Soon, an extremely old map is found hidden. Robyn wants to look more into the history of the map. I do not want to say too much of the plot due to spoilers, but, I will simply say, this book is a must-read! This book has so much in it: mystery, twists and turns, heartbreak, hope, history (so detailed oh my goodness), and so much more. How does a map bring them together? How is everything connected? You will just have to read to find out!

If you enjoy historical fiction and / or dual-timeline novels, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages into the early hours of the morning to see how everything would connect, and I so look forward to reading what Ms. Marchant writes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wow - the research in this book was next level. Clare Marchant painted a vivid picture of life in the 1500's, with a nautical feel and historical inputs of Sir Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth I.
This is yet another dual timeline book, as popular in the historical fiction genre. The 1500s, London living Frieda Ortelius comes from a strong family line of cartography (map making and embellishing in that time).  Her husband is on the side of the Dutch and English (a Sea Beggar), taking any opportunity to pillage Spanish ships.  It's personal - as Freida's parents were killed in front of her as a child by the Spanish sweeping through her home country of Holland. Frieda’s story centres around her life and work as a cartographer and specifically on a commission for Queen Elizabeth I that would be gifted to Sir Francis Drake and provide detail of coves and bays that could be utilised to outwit the Spanish.
In the present day, Robyn is living in Hay-on-Wye with her father. They come across an old map secreted behind another in their shop. Robyn turns detective, to learn the history and discover the origins of this beautiful and mysterious map. Along the way she gradually rediscovers herself. It is coming up to seven years since her husband was lost at sea and she is at the cross roads of declaring him legally dead.
So many nautical tales intertwining across the ages. Both Willem's career and Frieda's map making skills lead the family into danger. The scenes of escape are rivetting!
Lovers of historical fiction will revel in the detail of life at the Elizabethan court, so vividly described. The clothes, food, the heat and smells, and the people who surround the Queen. And the historically accurate detractors against her and her religion. The street life, the poverty, the hardship and danger of Frieda's everyday life conflicts with life in the palaces.
I loved this book, having not read anything of such an early age. I almost wish I found that map and could uncover the history myself! And will actively be searching out other books by Clare Marchant.

Very good book which was really interesting to read about Queen Elizabeth 1 time and the conflict with the Spanish.

It is an dual time line and really enjoyed it about Freida and her family. Robyn from the present day has had grief to deal with. Frieda is a mapmaker and ends up getting a commission from the Queen. This is where things change for Frieda and puts her in danger.

It is well written and found that it was more interesting in the Elizabethian time than the present day which was interesting.

Would recommend this book.

Read if you like: dual timelines.
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Frieda comes from a famous mapmaking family in Holland, who flees to England due to the Spanish persecuting Huguenots. In England, she catches the eye of Queen Elizabeth I and is commissioned to make a map for her. Then in the present, we have Robyn who finds the map and investigates the history behind it.
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I loved reading about Frieda and her family. I think I am a little done with the dual-timeline historical fiction. I just don't care about the present timelines and find that it takes away from the historical story.
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I do love Elizabethan history and enjoy reading about that time period!
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CW: death of parents, death of a spouse, violence, stabbing, religious persecution, placing a child in danger, drowning.