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Based on the real figure of the fascinating Elizabeth Poole, The Crimson Ribbon is the mesmerising story of two women’s obsession, superstition and hope.
May Day 1646: Ruth Flowers finds herself suddenly, brutally, alone. Forced to flee the household of Oliver Cromwell, the only home she has ever known, Ruth takes the road to London, and there is given refuge by Lizzie Poole.
Beautiful and charismatic, Lizzie enthrals the vulnerable Ruth, who binds herself inextricably to her world. But Ruth is still haunted by fears of her past catching up with her. And as Lizzie’s radical ideas escalate, Ruth finds herself carried to the heart of the country’s conflict, to the trial of a king.
May Day 1646: Ruth Flowers finds herself suddenly, brutally, alone. Forced to flee the household of Oliver Cromwell, the only home she has ever known, Ruth takes the road to London, and there is given refuge by Lizzie Poole.
Beautiful and charismatic, Lizzie enthrals the vulnerable Ruth, who binds herself inextricably to her world. But Ruth is still haunted by fears of her past catching up with her. And as Lizzie’s radical ideas escalate, Ruth finds herself carried to the heart of the country’s conflict, to the trial of a king.
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Reviews
The vibrant new voice of historical fiction
One of the most atmospheric and gripping historical novels I've ever read. The twists and turns kept me totally mesmerised...and the heroine, Ruth, is an utterly captivating character. The complex relationship between Ruth and Lizzie is wonderfully convincing, tender and devastating in equal measure right up to the last heart-breaking moment
Begins at a cracking pace, plunging the reader into the turbulent Civil War period and the terror of witchcraft that came with it. Ruth grows in resilience and pride as she faces loss, tough choices in love, political confusion and intimate betrayal... A compelling novel
Impressive and inspirational...an original and entertaining story
The Crimson Ribbon is an exceptional debut novel: literate, engaging, passionate, intelligent and thought-provoking, it offers insight into a part of Cromwell's life about which I, at least, knew nothing at all, and it does so from an entirely unique angle. Deftly written, uncluttered and impassioned, this has to be one of the leading historical debuts of the year.