Home > Books & Magazines > Printed Book >

A respectable trade - Phillipa Gregory


 A respectable trade - Phillipa Gregory Printed Book
amazon

A respectable trade - Phillipa Gregory

 
Description: ISBN 0006473377 / Author: Philippa Gregory / Genre: Fiction / The devastating consequences of the slave trade in 18th century Bristol are ... more
A respectable trade - Phillipa Gregory ... explored through the powerful but impossible attraction of well-born Frances and her Yoruban slave, Mehuru. Bristol in 1787 is booming, from its stinking docks to its elegant new houses. Josiah Cole, a small dockside trader, is prepared to gamble everything to join the big players of the city. But he needs ready cash and a well-connected wife. An arranged marriage to Frances Scott is a mutually convenient solution. Trading her social contacts for Josiah's protection, Frances enters the world of the Bristol merchants and finds her life and fortune dependent on the respectable trade of sugar, rum and slaves. Once again Philippa Gregory brings her unique combination of a vivid sense of history and inimitable storytelling skills to illuminate a complex period of our past. Powerful, haunting, intensely disturbing, this is a novel of desire and shame, of individuals, of a society, and of a whole continent devastated by the greed of others.

Newest Review: ... African being a priest/witch doctor type of character), and the slave traders themselves (especially Frances Scott). They end ... more

 ... up meeting as Frances' husband Josiah decides to import slaves on his ships and sell them as there is much more profit to be made than dealing in goods alone. Now, it's quite unusual really, but I did study the American slave trade for a year in school, and I don't remember being anywhere near as shocked about it as I was when I read this book. This is probably because Gregory is truly skilled as crafting descriptions and story. The writing is not particularly complex, but it is very vivid, and it is appalling. Som...more

Read Reviews for A respectable trade - Phillipa...

jennikitten
Crowned Review A respectable trade - Phillipa Gregory: If you read one book in your life, make it this one (1092 words)
by - written on 08/01/09 (Very useful, 111 readings)
Rating:

A Respectable Trade is a book I picked up on Amazon as part of a gift voucher birthday present. At only £1.99 new, it was a great bargain as it retails around the £8 mark normally. I was surprised to find that this book was actually written around 1996 and has been made into a BBC serial, as I've never heard anything about it. If you've heard of Philippa Gregory, it's probably because of her book The Other Boleyn Girl, which has fairly recently been made into a film starring Scarlett Johanssen and Natalie Portman. This in turn has created a wave of popularity for all her books - and that's how I discovered them too. Gregory is best known ...  Read the complete review

thehonesttruth
Premium Review A not so respectable history... (981 words)
by - written on 13/10/07 (Very useful, 75 readings)
Rating:

I love historical novels, and Phillippa Gregory is probably one of my favourite historical authors. Her most well known works deal with the Tudor and Elizabethan Court, and excellent though these works are, they contain characters I am already familiar with, and although her style of writing is gripping, it doesn't mask the fact that I know Anne Boleyn's in for a beheading. So, when I came across a respectable trade, I was refreshed to see that there were no well-known characters in the plot. No kings, no queens, and no whores with three nipples. Instead this is a tale of the slave trade, told primarily from the point of view of Frances Scott. When ...  Read the complete review

 

Products similar to A respectable trade - Phillipa...

Great historical fiction (Cornwall 1790 - 91) with varied sub-plots. The election sub-plot wasn't as gripping as the rest of the story.

Good adventure, suitable juvenile read Too simple, crazy ideas

Good story line Drifts off in a lot of places


Funny in places, good characters Bit slow at the start, not as good as her first

Great narrative and characters Too much detail at times, therefore makes the book a needless 500 pages

More products in Printed Book

Owl at School - Helen Nicoll
Bright illustrations and popular characters. Too many speech bubbles.

The Wind in the Door - Madeleine L'Engle
well written, positive messages without preachiness, richly detailed imaging vocabulary may be difficult for younger readers

Winnie at the Seaside - Valerie Thomas
lovely story and illustrations none!

It's Bathtime Titch - Pat Hutchins
Young ones can associate with the character none

Pele: His Life and Times - Harry Harris
Sports - Harris, Harry

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Aeschylus Vol 1
Beautiful, powerful, emotive, cries out to be read aloud Sometimes hard to follow

The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East - Robert Fisk
Valuable insight into the political history of the Middle East Badly written in places but still a great work

Aquarium Fish - Dorling Kindersley
good pictures and basic information it is only basic

Cross - James Patterson
Great furthering of a popular character Much will be lost on you if you haven't read the previous books

Night World No. 2: Dark Angel / The Chosen / Soulmate - L. J. Smith
A nice selection of stories. Some are stronger than others.

Advantages and disadvantages from the dooyooCommunity
 
Top