Against the ferment of the French Revolution, the novel is set in Bristol where a small group of idealistic radicals, including women, embraces the prospect of change. These are not the famous but ordinary people who leave no mark on history. Concurrent is the collapse of the building boom of Clifton's terraces because of the political uncertainty. Most important are the family relationships about which she writes so well and a mystery. Well worth reading.
Ed Note: Birdcage Walk does exist as a path leading through the overgrown graveyard of a Clifton church which was bombed in the Second World War. If you know Bristol, you will find yourself walking recognisable parts of the city with the author.
(Christine Miller - bwl 84 Spring 2017 ) |
