BOOK REVIEW | COERCIVE CONTROL | FAMILY SAGA
Lady Hartley’s Husbands
Life Ambitions Tarnished
In her debut novel, Lady Hartley’s Husbands, Andrea Emblin follows the fortunes of the Meadows family, in particular, Reenie Meadows, a strong-willed child who grows into an ambitious woman. From a carefree childhood in Cornwall, where outwitting her controlling mother is all part of the game, Reenie is heartbroken when the family moves to London. She is forced to leave not only her beloved Cornwall but also the man she loves. It is the 1930s. There are no easy ways to bridge the gap and stay in touch. Although she was the one to move away, she feels abandoned.
Reenie hasn’t lost her ambition, but events harden her shell and make her cynical. As she climbs the social ladder, her mother is delighted, although there is a shift in the power dynamic between the two of them. It is Reenie’s sister who voices her concerns about the path Reenie is pursuing. But both she — and Reenie’s inner voice — are soon silenced.
The move from Cornwall puts the family at the heart of war-torn London during WWII, but it is post-war England and the years towards mid-century that shine a light on Reenie’s skewed view of life, and how the early years shaped her destiny. With family and friends gone, when things take a dark turn, Reenie has no one left to support her.
It’s an ambitious and compelling tale with contrasting settings that echo the mood of the story. It’s no surprise to learn that Andrea Emblin knows and loves Cornwall. She also has family connections with London docklands that go back to WWII. She evokes the feeling of the unfolding decades and the locations both geographically and socially as the story progresses, and admits to using some family anecdotes within the tale, though she won’t say which ones.
Lady Hartley’s Husbands
The Launch
Lady Hartley’s Husbands launches online at Fantastic Books’ Massive Autumn Book Launch Event (MABLE) on Sunday 29th October. Interviewed in the launch video, Andrea Emblin talks about the overheard conversation that first sparked the idea for the story, and about the decade it took to get from idea to finished novel.
For all nine of the MABLE launch books, in a minor kickback against 21st-century online life, I am allocating a physical location for a Pretend Physical (PP) launch. As the story in this book starts and finishes before most of the world’s population was even aware of the computer networks that would one day evolve into the World Wide Web, a PP launch seems especially appropriate.
The PP launch for Lady Hartley’s Husbands will be held at the Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall. The Minack is an open-air theatre built into the cliffs overlooking the sea. The dramatic setting and breathtaking views make it the perfect place to reflect the drama between the covers as Lady Hartley’s Husbands is launched.
Lady Hartley’s Husbands is one of nine new titles being launched in October when their launch videos will be premiered. Viewers will be given the chance to win a copy of each of the featured books.
MABLE is an online event. It came about after the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the FantastiCon convention from running. At the time of writing, the 2023 MABLE video links are still under wraps, but bookmark THIS LINK TO THE SCHEDULE — the video links will go live soon.
Edited to add: Video links now live HERE!