The Sumerton Women by D.L. Bogdan Review and Giveaway for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

SYNOPSIS
Orphaned at age eight, Lady Cecily Burkhart becomes the ward of Harold Pierce, Earl of Sumerton. Lord Hal and his wife, Lady Grace, welcome sweet-natured Cecily as one of their own. With Brey, their young son, Cecily develops an easy friendship. But their daughter, Mirabella, is consumed by her religious vocation - and by her devotion to Father Alec Cahill, the family priest and tutor. As Henry VIII's obsession with Anne Boleyn leads to violent religious upheaval, Mirabella is robbed of her calling and the future Cecily dreamed of is ripped away in turn. Cecily struggles to hold together the fractured household while she and Father Alec grapple with a dangerous mutual attraction. Plagued with jealousy, Mirabella unleashes a tumultuous chain of events that threatens to destroy everyone around her, even as the kingdom is torn apart...

About D.L. BOGDAN

D.L. Bogdan is an ongoing student of history, musician, and avid reader who enjoys travel, the outdoors, and time with her family and friends. She is a proud wife and mother who makes her home in central Wisconsin. She is the author of Secrets of the Tudor Court, Rivals in the Tudor Court and The Sumerton Women.

For more information on D.L. Bogdan and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE.  You can also find her on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.
Link to the tour schedule:  http://hfvirtualbooktours.blogspot.com/2012/03/dl-bogdan-on-tour-for-sumerton-women.html
Twitter Event Hashtag:  #SumertonWomenVirtualTour


My Thoughts:
The Sumerton Women is a historical novel that takes place during the reign of Henry Tudor although he is not a main character his deeds as king definitely affect the Sumerton household.. At the beginning of the novel Lady Cecily Burkhart is a small child and is taken as ward to Harold Pierce, Earl of Sumerton after the death of her parents. She grows up in the household with their children Brey and Mirabella and are tutored by Father Alec. Harold and his wife Grace do not have a good relationship, which is not unusual in the 1500's among the nobility. The household is a sad place to live but the children persevere and with the tutoring and mentoring of Father Alec they have a relatively happy childhood.


Cecily is betrothed to Brey but he falls ill and dies young. Mirabella wants nothing more than to become a nun and has strong feelings for Father Alec. After the death of her mother she goes to the monastery to give her life to God. But things do not always work out as planned and after the monastery is dissolved her world and dreams are turned upside down. Cecily marries Harold and becomes Lady Sumerton and is happy with the Harold and their family, until a dark secret and vindictive people threaten their happiness. 


The Sumerton Women is a character driven story about a family who's secrets threaten the very existence and tears the family apart, but it is also a story of redemption, forgiveness, love and hope in a time where the political climate is at it's worst where anything can happen. A wonderful historical novel which had me in tears more than once... I highly recommend it.
Historical Fiction Book Tours
I received a copy of this book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.


GIVEAWAY!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway