Diana Norman

One of my favourite historical fiction authors has interviewed one of my favourite historical fiction authors!

Rosina Lippi, who writes the great Into the Wilderness trilogy under the name Sara Donati has interviewed Diana Norman, who wrote the Makepeace Burke trilogy amongst other books and Mistress of the Art of Death under the name Ariana Franklin.

If you are interested in reading the interview, click here.


Pssst....there's a chance to win some books as well, in case you needed extra incentive.

The Sparks Fly Upwards by Diana Norman

A new novel of love and courage in a time of war, from the author of A Catch of Consequence and Taking Liberties. Few of those Philippa loves in London return her affection. Not the love of her life, who has a new bride. Not even her unhappy, widowed mother, Makepeace Burke. Almost inevitably, Philippa decides on a marriage of convenience to a prudish, if kind, campaigner for the freedom of slaves in the colonies. Across the Channel in France, the Reign of Terror is beheading of thousands of the French nobility. Among those in danger is Philippa's old friend, the Marquis de Condorcet. Not only has Philippa the means of rescuing him from the guillotine, she has the courage - and crosses the Channel to do it. Then, as Makepeace falls in love with an actor back in England, Philippa also finds love where she least expects it - while staring death in the face.

All right...I'll admit it. Since reading my first Diana Norman novel last year I've become something of Diana Norman fan girl, regardless of whether we are talking about books written under this name or as Ariana Franklin.

This is the third book in what I am called the Makepeace Burke trilogy, following on from A Catch of Consequence and Taking Liberties. I have no idea if the trilogy has an official name, but I haven't been able to find one so that is what I am calling it.

Makepeace is once again a widow, and as a result of a request from her brother she is now living in London, and running a theatre that is putting on a play which gives the anti-slavery message a voice. Whilst she is finding the preparation for the play challenging, especially as she has to deal with several different problems, she finds the leading man even more challenging, irritating, and frustrating,.

Makepeace's eldest daughter Philippa is dissatisfied, having just watched the love of her life marry another woman - his second wife. Having given up on her love ever noticing her, she agrees to marry a prominent anti-slavery campaigner. When Philippa hears that her friend the Marquis de Condorcet is in danger of being taken to the guillotine, she makes it her mission to save him and his family. When she is unable to get any assistance, she instead takes matters into her own hands and travels to France, determined to save them herself, and so finds herself plunged into the murky world of the French Revolution, and knowing that she has very likely jeopardised her own engagement.

As Philippa finds her situation getting more and more dangerous, it turns out that she might be the one needing to be rescued, more than once, and that despite the terrible predicament that she finds herself in, that that could be the time of greatest personal happiness for her. For Makepeace, she finds that love can be found in the most unlikely of places, with the most unlikely of people.

We get reintroduced to many of the characters from the earlier books in the trilogy, although having said that, Norman is not scared to kill off some of the characters that her readers have come to love. It is however done in such a way as to add a deeper poignancy to the events in this book. This was one of those books where you close it with a contented sigh, secure in the knowledge that you have been touched by the characters and the story, and that one day, you would love to revisit them.

Overall, this has been an excellent trilogy to read. The author has used a very colourful time in history to frame a study of what liberty means, whether it be as a woman at a time where she was little more than a man's possession, as an outsider in the upper levels of society, as a black man captured by the British during war at a time when slavery was still rife, and as a French person during The Terror. have really enjoyed reading all of them, and I am now trying to get my hands on as many of the author's back list as I can!

Rating 4.5/5

Taking Liberties by Diana Norman

She had been a dignified wife, ever mindful of her husband's status, even if she could not respect the man. But when a letter arrives - on the day of the Earl's funeral - asking her to find a young American captured in British waters, she feels free to respond whatever her family's opinion.

Diana Stacpoole's quest takes her to Plymouth, where she meets Makepeace Hedley, a very different woman, who is trying to trace her young daughter - a passenger on one of the captured ships. All the two women have in common is their search and their growing outrage at the conditions in which the captured Americans are kept, deprived of rights given to other prisoners of war. Reluctantly the aloof Diana, with her belief in privilege and the respect due to the nobility, and the outspoken Makepeace, former innkeeper but now one of England's richest females with her passion for liberty for all, are forced into an alliance to find their missing persons and improve the men's conditions.

A remarkable friendship is born as they face social outrage, public scandal and even arrest, and become embroiled with French prisoners, American escapees and English smugglers. Helping others to liberty leads them to splendid liberty for themselves.

Taking Liberties is an unusual novel and a delight to read. It may have a historical setting, but the contemporary echoes are vivid and clear. Diana Norman has written as excellent successor to A Catch of Consequence.

This review was originally posted on my blog, but I am reposting it here in anticipation of my review of the third and final book in the trilogy.

Having read A Catch of Consequence a while ago, I was pleased to get to this book, which picks up the story of Makepeace Burke several years after the ending of the first book.

When Makepeace's young daughter is on a ship that is captured during hostilities between the Britain and the fledgling colonies of America, Makepeace rushes to Plymouth. On arriving there she finds that one of her close circle of friends has been captured and put into jail, when being put into jail often means a death sentence because of the horrific conditions.

Diana has also made her way to Plymouth to try to release a young man from the same prison as a favour to a friend from her youth. When she sees the conditions, Diana is immediately moved to try to do something for the prisoners, a cause that is both unpopular in the corridors of power and with her family.

With Diana and Makepeace working together, what hope is there that the authorities won't eventually capitulate. Well, it's not as simple as that sounds. Whilst having some of the settings within the dingy and dangerous prisons, other parts of the novel are set in a tiny fishing village where they supplement their income with a little smuggling. Along the way we meet dashing French smugglers, evil Revenue men trying to stop the smuggling trade and the gritty and realistic characters that make up the village life. In some ways, Makepeace comes full circle in this book. The only thing that I would have liked to see in relation to Makepeace was more of Andra. He was stuck in France for most of this book, and she was portrayed as not being quite as confident without his love and him to back her up at times. Their relationship has definitely bloomed from business partners to love to life partners during these two books, and was lovely to read.

As the links between these two worlds are established and bought closer together, the end result for some of the characters may well be freedom, not only for prisoners, but also from memories and marriage and yet for others there may be even less freedom than they currently have.

I really did enjoy this book. Diana Norman write complex and yet simple stories with good characters, out of the ordinary settings and view points and has the ability to move me both to tears and laughter. My thanks again to Jayne from Dear Author for bringing this author to my attention. You can read her thoughts on this book by clicking on the link. I am off to nag my library to hurray up and buy the third book in this series, The Sparks Fly Upwards.

Rating 4.5/5

A Catch of Consequence by Diana Norman

Makepeace Burke, colonial tavern keeper, accepts an offer of marriage from the aristocrat she rescues from a rebellious mob, and sets sail for London.

As the second Lady Dapifer, Makepeace soon realises that English society will not easily accept an uneducated colonial.And the first Lady Dapifer, well-connected and refusing to acknowledge her divorce, proves to be an extremely dirty fighter once her silk gloves are off. But Makepeace, having been chased out of one town by prejudice and intolerance, is damned if she'll let that happen again.

Makepeace Burke and her collection of friends, from rescued waifs to Grub Street scribblers, from Northampton miners to prime ministers are irresistible characters. Diana Norman is an addictive discovery.

This review was originally pasted on my blog, but I am going to post reviews of the first two here in anticipation of me posting the review of the third book in the trilogy sometime soon!

I first heard about this author when the girls at Dear Author blogged about a couple of her books. With historical fiction being one of my favourite genres, this book, with it's setting in Boston just before the start of the war between Britain and it's young colony, is right up my alley. Boston is full of unrest, and when innkeeper Makepeace Burke rescues a man from the waters of Boston Bay she is dismayed to find that he is an English Lord. The rebels that use her tavern as a meeting place will be less than pleased if they find out that she is harbouring him...not to mention the reaction of her future mother-in-law when she finds out that Makepeace had the man in her bedroom alone for a whole night. The fact that he was unconscious at the time is irrelevant. And then it is Sir Pip's turn to rescue Makepeace and her loved ones, and Makepeace finds herself not only married to him, but falling in love with the dashing Sir Pip, and on her way to make her mark in London society.

Unfortunately, Sir Pip was in Boston trying to obtain a divorce from the first Lady Dapifer, a lady who is finding it very difficult to let go of her former husband, and his money, and she does her best to make as uncomfortable as possible for Makepeace. Well, actually, truth be told the first Lady Dapifer is pretty much a psycho bitch, especially at a time when Makepeace is at her lowest ebb. Luckily she has a quirky and loyal group of friends who are willing to support her, something that she needed after have to move on with her life after a terrible tragedy.

As Makepeace learns to live again, she finds herself in the tough and cold world of Northern England, having to start with very little and try to build a life for herself, always with an eye on vengeance against those who destroyed her life. It is however a fine line between gaining vengeance and allowing that unquenchable thirst for revenge to destroy her again.

I really liked Makepeace as a character. She was tough and resilient, noble and still vulnerable, loyal and direct. It could be said that she might be a little too modern, but to be honest it would only be marginally true, and it is such a minor flaw compared to the very many positive aspects to this book!

As we follow Makepeace as she transitions from innkeeper to society lady to businesswoman, I was completely drawn into her various worlds. When I was reading this book, I was very disappointed when I had to get off the train because it was my stop. I would have been happy to keep on riding the trains until I finished the book! Unfortunately, whilst my previous boss was a reader, I don't think even she would have appreciated that as a reason for me being late for work!


Highly recommended!