Monday, June 17, 2013

Review & Giveaway: She Rise By Kate Worsley

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; First Edition edition
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
ISBN-10: 1620400979
Genre: Historical Fiction
She Rises
Book Description:
It is 1740 and Louise Fletcher, a young dairy maid on an Essex farm, has been warned of the lure of the sea for as long as she can remember--after all, it stole away her father and brother. But when she is offered work in the bustling naval port of Harwich, as a lady's maid to a wealthy captain's daughter, she leaps at the chance to see more of the world. There she meets Rebecca, her haughty young mistress, who is unlike anyone Louise has encountered before: as unexpected as she is fascinating.



Intertwined with her story is fifteen-year-old Luke's: He is drinking in a Harwich tavern when it is raided by Her Majesty's Navy. Unable to escape, Luke is beaten and press ganged and sent to sea on board the warship Essex. He must learn fast and choose his friends well if he is to survive the brutal hardships of a sailor's life and its many dangers, both up high in the rigging and in the dark below decks.

Louise navigates her new life among the streets and crooked alleys of Harwich, where groaning houses riddled with smugglers' tunnels are flooded by the spring tides, and love burns brightly in the shadows. Luke, aching for the girl he left behind and determined to one day find his way back to her, embarks on a long and perilous journey across the ocean.

The worlds they find are more dangerous and more exciting than they could ever have imagined, and when they collide the consequences are astonishing and irrevocable.

About Kate Worsley:
Kate Worsley was born in Preston, Lancashire, and studied English at University College London. She has worked variously as a journalist, a massage practitioner, and spotlight operator, and has a master’s in creative writing (novels) from City University London. She now lives on the Essex coast. She Rises is her first novel.

Review:
In her debut novel, Kate Worsley proves herself to be a very gifted and talented writer of historical fiction with a keen eye for detail.  I was immediately drawn to Worsley's writing style filled with immense historical detail that utterly swept me away to another time and place.  I could easily close my eyes and imagine myself in the midst of the 1700's in Britain with all of its sights, sounds, and even its sea-worthy aromas.  This is exactly what I want from a story..I want to feel as though I'm walking among the characters as well as the surrounding landscape, and Worsley certainly delivers!  Another intriguing aspect of She Rises is the incorporation of parallel stories told from the perspectives of Louise and Luke.  This is no easy undertaking for even the most accomplished of writers, and yet, Kate Worsley has done a remarkable job.  The unexpected twists and turns provided continuous pieces to the puzzle that didn't fully come into view until the very end, making for a very suspenseful and unpredictable reading experience.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and would highly recommend it to any mature fan of historical fiction.   Kate Worsley is a wonderful new literary voice and one that I look forward to reading more from in the future...FOUR stars.

Giveaway Details:
Kate Worsley is currently touring with TLC Book Tours and you can find her complete tour schedule here. As part of her tour, Kate has graciously offered me the opportunity to giveaway one copy of She Rises to any resident of the US or Canada.  To enter, you must be a follower of this blog and leave a comment on this post (new followers welcome).  Share this on Twitter and Facebook, and receive one additional entry for each.  I'll announce the winner here on July 1st.

12 comments :

  1. Sounds like an excellent book - sign me up for the contest, please!

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  2. I love historical fiction. I can't wait to read this. Thanks!

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  3. Thanks for this captivating novel. I am an e-mail subscriber. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. Sounds like a great read!
    I follow by email farmaki(at)live(dot)com

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  5. Shared on twitter https://twitter.com/MistyRios_/status/346919712741019648

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  6. Shared on FB https://www.facebook.com/MistyRios/posts/10151454216662793

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  7. I love books set in England and that it is a historical novel makes it even better.

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  8. I love this cover! Please count me in. Thank you!

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  9. Tweet:
    https://twitter.com/nfmgirl/status/347446151206809600

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  10. sounds very good, thanks for the giveaway
    ehc16e at yahoo dot com
    here is my tweet:
    https://twitter.com/wordsandpeace/status/347872374496063489
    it's also on my FB page [Emma Cazabonne]

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  11. I love the premise of this book - it sounds so unusual! I'm glad to see how much you enjoyed it.

    Thanks for being on the tour. I'm featuring your review on TLC's Facebook page today.

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  12. Krista Startzman shared a link via The Book Barista.

    2 minutes agoThe Book Barista: Review & Giveaway: She Rise By Kate Worsleywww.thebookbarista.com.thanks for the giveaway!

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