Mistress Of My Fate; The Confessions Of Henrietta Lightfoot (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
After reading this book, I am quite grateful to have been at the time and place that I was! Though young Henrietta is fictional, I have no doubt that there were many kernels of truth in her experience. Henrietta was raised by an aristocratic family, told that she was the orphaned daughter of the Earl of Stavourley's brother. Then, when she is just 17, Henrietta feels driven to flee her childhood home. She then must rely upon her own resourcefulness, learning many difficult (and sometimes degrading)lessons along the way. She goes from being a shy, naïve girl with a set and comfortable place in the world, to a savvy woman who must navigate her fate on her own.It was hair-raising to see what Henrietta had to put up with. Reading about her protectors pawing at her and how she learns to cope with it was difficult to read. Ick! I admired her cleverness, as well as her desire to live life by her won terms. The account is told in the first person, written as a memoir in which Henrietta very self-consciously tries to refute the gossip against her. At moments I wondered if the lady doth protest too much, though I can well buy into the idea of a virtuous woman driven to disgrace by necessity. I agree with her argument that mistresses are created by circumstance, not by a disposition towards vice and lewdness. This is a good book for people who enjoy reading about Georgian England, or who want to enjoy the resourcefulness of a plucky heroine. I received this book for being a part of Blogger Connection Book club this is the first book in a Trilogy. This book was written as a first person narrative and I myself really enjoyed following along with the character as if she was telling me her story. Henrietta lives a decent life, not good or great, with relatives and her whole life is turned upside down at the death of her half sister and "love" of her half sister's husband. She travels all about in search of him and runs into many unfortunate events. After the birth of her child, it seems like her life continues to spiral, still in search of the "love" and the mystery of the unknown. She falls into the life she never imagined in search of answers. I, honestly, didn't know if this was going to be a book I would enjoy not for any particular reason other than I just judged before i read it. After beginning the book it became a definite page turner and I could not put it down. I had to find out what was next in Henrietta's misfortunes. I can not wait for the second book to come out as the first one was so interesting.
What do You think about Mistress Of My Fate; The Confessions Of Henrietta Lightfoot (2011)?
I thought this was a good Historical Read.
—jbbarnett
