Lady of Milkweed Manor

To avoid the prying eyes of all who know her, she hides herself away in London's forbidding "Milkweed Manor," a place of mystery and lore, of old secrets and new birth. But once there, she comes face-to-face with a suitor from her past—a man who now hides secrets of his own. Both are determined, with God's help, to protect those they love. But neither can imagine the depth of sacrifice that will be required.

Sprinkled with fascinating details about the lives of women in Regency England, Lady of Milkweed Manor is a moving romantic drama about the redemption of past failings and the beauty of sacrificial love. Paperback , pages. Published January 1st by Bethany House first published Christy Award Nominee for Historical To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Lady of Milkweed Manor , please sign up. Donna Has some biblical references but not preachy. See 2 questions about Lady of Milkweed Manor…. Lists with This Book. Aug 04, Hannah rated it it was amazing Shelves: I think I have a new favorite author I'm more than halfway through her published books and haven't found a dud yet.

This one was so interesting and unusual and well written that I stayed up way late 3 am to read the whole thing in one sitting. One of the best things about Klassen's books other than the excellent stories, characters, and writing is the romance. It isn't all touchy-feely-overmuch-desire-y. The characters act like grown-ups and figure out how to communicate with each other in I think I have a new favorite author The characters act like grown-ups and figure out how to communicate with each other in an adult way.

And there isn't swooning over a shirtless man and a woman's incredible palpitations over such things. Yes, there are grown-up topics mentioned, but it isn't silly, and her heroes and heroines are attracted to each other for the qualities of their hearts. As a result, the books feel authentic and realistic, as though they might really have happened.

And I love the incredible historical details she includes! The tales in this book about the life of a wet-nurse of the day were fascinating. View all 12 comments. Feb 21, Sarah rated it it was ok Shelves: Julie Klassen writes well in a technical sense, but I found this story disturbing.

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Charlotte's predicament, the way she got into it, her miserable family situation, and all the strange and sad and sinister circumstances around her didn't make for a very pleasant tale. The period details were probably the most interesting part. Suspension of disbelief was too much work to be worthwhile. The ending was both predictable and extremely awkward; to jump from the heart of a dramatic climax to a garden Julie Klassen writes well in a technical sense, but I found this story disturbing.

The ending was both predictable and extremely awkward; to jump from the heart of a dramatic climax to a garden scene some decades later and sneak the information about the resolution in almost in passing is NOT a technique I would recommend! It was almost as if, having made Charlotte's situation as agonizing and emotionally intense as possible over the course of the novel, the author suddenly ran out of ways to make things worse, and so dropped her into a happy ending of the cheesiest kind just to be done.

I also missed any kind of good spiritual influences. The father was a pastor, but the type of pastor who deserves to be vilified; Charlotte did read parts of the Bible a few times; and other than that, nothing God-honoring stands out. The way the characters behaved, before, during, and after their various traumatic moments, left me uncertain whether any of them had any real religion, much less personal relationship with God, and I have serious questions as to the author's intentions along those lines!

View all 3 comments. Aug 26, Andrea Cox rated it liked it Shelves: A keener mood to Wuthering Heights I have not found. Chapter after chapter, I was reminded of that old, gothic tale. Aspects of this story were intriguing, inspiring, heartrending, and fascinating. Frankly, I was quite stunned at the immense detail about breastfeeding.

I think a hundred pages of such content could have been removed without harming the story one bit; in fact, it might have created a more wholesome tale. That is not to say the themes are wholesome. A woman fell which, in the specified era, means she had sex outside of the bounds of marriage; I do not condone or support that type of behavior, though Ms. Klassen handled it mostly well, only crossing the line a time or two, I think — again, according to my personal moral code; hers might be vastly different than mine.

This also means a man was involved in the act meaning, he sinned too. The expressive and exquisite way in which Ms. Klassen knitted the broken pieces of this story together captured my interest throughout, despite my misgivings about themes and content. As you might be able to tell by my back-and-forth attitude, this review is not an easy one to write. It opened my eyes to an era and profession I, quite honestly, had not previously considered or learned much about.

Book Details

I thank the author for the history lesson and thoughtful note after the completion of the story, as I enjoyed gaining knowledge while being entertained for hours on end. Otherwise, it was a cleanly-worded novel. This was quite out of character, as she had previously and afterward shown a very compassionate heart, especially toward infants and children.

This book was a bit hard to follow at times, for two reasons. First, random POVs would show up at the drop of a hat. Sure, they were people already mentioned in the story, but there was no warning they'd have a POV, say, in the middle or second half of the story. Second, there were many memories that were suddenly delved into in great, lengthy detail for many pages or the complete chapter, at times.

That was disconcerting to me and, like I said, hard to follow. View all 4 comments. Jan 15, Michelle rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is truly one of the most emotionally gripping novels I've ever read and it is sure to make my best of list. My heart pounded with anticipation so many times I lost count. Just when I thought I knew what would happen next, something different took place. The author did an amazing job pulling the reader into Charlotte's life.

I longed for her happiness. And there were so many powerful subplots that my head is still swimming with amazement, and my heart is still gripped by this strangely This is truly one of the most emotionally gripping novels I've ever read and it is sure to make my best of list. And there were so many powerful subplots that my head is still swimming with amazement, and my heart is still gripped by this strangely sad, yet hopeful and deeply romantic tale of love and loss, of sacrifice and reward.

This story is so full of passion that it will make your heart sing. Best of all, Lady of Milkweed Manor shows in a tangible and emotionally gratifying way how all things do work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. The element of sacrificial love in this poignant novel is so incredibly powerful that it will stick with me for years to come.

I am so impressed with this author's "voice" and her ability to draw my heart into a story that I plan to read every books she pens from this day forward. I highly recommend this story. If you take my advice, you'll see why. First of all I have to say this book's plot surprised me Neither the book cover nor the synopsis betray it, though if you pondered the latter a while you might guess it. I however, did not stop to.

I personally think the author did it on purpose, because if they knew, most people would probably not pick it up. I confess I would've probably been in that group I loved this book!!! Considering First of all I have to say this book's plot surprised me Considering the plot, I was genuinely surprised at how clean it was. Julie Klassen has this way of revealing just as much of things as to keep the reader aware of the goings-on, and yet keep plenty hidden.

In other words, it was my kind of romance! Another thing I found interesting was the way in which tiny facts about milkweeds and monarch butterflies were masterfully sewn into the very fabric of the story. Now, I actually think I can heal someone with a bit of milkweed root, if the need ever arises. Also, I found the ending very satisfying. Usually I long for more, but this story ended so sweetly, I was fully satisfied Feb 13, Beth rated it it was amazing Shelves: When I first began this novel, I was a little disheartened to think that it might be similar to Klassen's most recent novel, The Girl in the Gatehouse, but I soon found that the similarity was just that, a small similarity.

From the novel's beginning, I felt totally pulled into the story. There was such a depth of sacrifice and a tangible quality to the emotion in the story, but none of it was overdone or too dramatic. From what appears to be a setting and a situation that was devoid of hope, Kla When I first began this novel, I was a little disheartened to think that it might be similar to Klassen's most recent novel, The Girl in the Gatehouse, but I soon found that the similarity was just that, a small similarity.

From what appears to be a setting and a situation that was devoid of hope, Klassen created a powerful story of love and sacrifice. It's obvious that Klassen made researching for this novel a top priority. Having never read anything about wet nurses or a novel that deals directly with the life of unwed mother's during this particular time in history, I found all the detail to be engrossing.

Review - Lady of Milkweed Manor ~ A Book and A Teacup

The plot was steady and realistic. It held my interest the entire time. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, a new circumstance would appear, but it all felt natural to the flow of the story. In a genre that has issues with predictability, Klassen kept me guessing the entire time. I wasn't entirely certain how the story was going to end. Speaking of the ending--the ending also worked so well, in my opinion. While it was happy, not everything was perfect. As in real life, not every relationship was mended, and the characters did not achieve their happiness without some regret along the way.

I was already a fan of Klassen, but this is by far my favorite of her novels that I've read thus far. She is definitely one of my favorite writers in the Christian fiction world and historical fiction, in general. Aug 19, Jennifer rated it it was amazing. I love this book! And it took a million turns and had me so upset at times but I love the way Klassen writes a story. Jan 28, Kellyn Roth rated it liked it Shelves: I never realized that I didn't write a review of this novel.

Well, it was fairly good It dragged in places and was pretty confusing at points. It was sad, too, and it didn't end "just so. I do have a couple content concerns, too. Oct 29, J. IV rated it really liked it Shelves: A very nice tale by Ms. One scene that did stand out to me in particular was the closing sc A very nice tale by Ms.

The overall story was fantastic and if you are a fan of Ms. View all 5 comments. Sep 19, Celestria rated it did not like it. Too many inappropriate moments, I finally had enough. View all 6 comments. Jan 20, Sarah rated it it was ok Shelves: I pity the poor year-old who picks up this book. Yes, it was a moving story about sin, trial, forgiveness, redemption, love, loss, duty, motherhood, etc, but the majority of the first half of the book I was embarrassed to read, even alone to myself!

Much of what goes on is alluded to discreetly, but other references are not so subtle and left me cringing or feeling sick. The idea itself, of an unmarried Charlotte having a child and being faced with difficult decision after difficult decision, I pity the poor year-old who picks up this book. The idea itself, of an unmarried Charlotte having a child and being faced with difficult decision after difficult decision, is an original one I have yet to read another regency era book that addresses this topic , but I felt it was a bit much.

Not being a mother myself, I had no emotional connection to what Charlotte was going through. I didn't relate to her situation at all. There were frequent unexpected twists in the plot line, which surprised me, and the ending was well done, but really the only reason I read the whole thing was to be able to review it accurately.

I love other books by Julie Klassen, but just May 21, Shantelle rated it it was amazing Shelves: Lady of Milkweed Manor was very informative, well-written, and seemingly well researched. It was also a very bittersweet story, filled with twists and turns, happiness and agony, mistakes and good deeds.

Julie Klassen weaves an amazing story in Lady of Milkweed Manor - not the everyday book. I absolutely recommend it. Dec 04, Kalena rated it it was amazing Shelves: I enjoyed the historical and medical details along with compelling stories that illustrated how a single choice or moment could alter one's life forever. There were realistic characters that were both likable and detestable. Overall, this was a wonderful story. I cannot wait to read another book by Julie Klassen. Jul 23, Cintia rated it it was amazing Shelves: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.

To view it, click here. Julie Klassen takes the best from both historical romance and fiction, and blends it together to create these wonderful novels that keep you up at night, needing to know what will happen next.

Lady of Milkweed Manor

From the very start you know that something went horribly wrong, and Charlotte Lamb, the twenty-year-old protagonist, is about to pay the dire consequences. As Charlotte arrived at Milkweed Manor, nothing looked good, not even the house in itself. Honestly, I first thought she was going to enter a brothel, as the implications seemed to suggest.

That was serious indeed. Something I loved about her is how we can read the birth and growing of her strength both as a woman and human being. She paid for her mistakes, but became selfless, and found more love with the other women in the Manor and her son, than with her own family. She got beaten down, but still managed to get up and keep fighting, making the ultimate sacrifice as she gave her son to his father, Harris, in replacement of his own stillborn baby, to save her cousin Katherine from madness.

It broke her heart and mine , but she understood that she was doing what was best for her son. And from that decision on, she grew and became stronger, as she decided to help in the Manor the best she could, instead of sinking in her pain and she would have had a good excuse for it. On the other hand, we have Daniel Taylor, the hero in this story. He had met Charlotte in the past, as Dr. But years passed, he married another woman, and later on, we find out she was also hospitalized in the Manor, and was also pregnant.

I guess his part in the story could be read as a way to say that, even without Charlotte, her father and sister continued with their lives as if nothing had happened, although more bitterly. Their attitude made me so angry! One would think that a vicar would know about forgiveness and righting wrongdoings, but he died without wanting to ever see her again.

He chose his reputation and his name over his own daughter! Same as Beatrice, who decided her sister was dead to her, but even after parting ways, she managed to keep vying with her over Harris! In fact, the only one willing to help Charlotte, that went beyond rules and gossip, was her cousin Katherine, married to Harris, and foster mother to Edmund without knowing it. She never suspected or knew her real son had died at birth, and she died giving birth to her second child, who died along with her. But it was incredibly tragic, and not at all what I was expecting. I confess I almost cry when I thought Lizette, in her madness, had drowned her baby with her, but then I let out a sigh of relief when I read Charlotte had her.

It makes these characters a lot more human and relatable. The two of them are deep characters, they feel like real people, with both virtues and flaws, struggles and fears, and you can understand how and how much they got not only to love each other, but to need each other. Along the whole book, milkweeds are mentioned over and over again, and I loved how they were a metaphor of their relationship, and of Charlotte herself: But Daniel saw beyond that. He saw her healing powers, her many virtues, merits and talents, that were always there, but nobody cared about, choosing to discard her, to treat her like the disposable weed they considered she was, when in fact, there was so much more in Charlotte Lamb that what met the eyes.

She learned from her mistakes and became a better, stronger, person, ready to face the world once more and make her life count, even with all her disadvantages. The only flaw in their story is their first kiss! I hate when it is left for the very last page. They literally kiss at the last paragraph before the epilogue, and such a thing is always disappointing. He deserved to know, and, if she decided to do so, that would be an excellent scene I would read biting my nails.

As I said before, these character feel so like real people, that you just know their lives will continue long before the book has ended! I knew nothing about the world of wet nurses and foundlings, and I found it utterly fascinating.

See a Problem?

This story is filled with historically accurate details that make it even more of a gem. Julie Klassen is an amazing, passionate author, and everything she writes is worth reading, as she creates deep, layered characters and stories that will keep you at the edge of your sit. Klassen's writing is always masterful. This book is about a girl who gets pregnant out of wedlock and has to go to a home for unwed mothers. There are details about pregnancy and nursing that some people might not like, however, having grown up with a mother who nursed and being very involved with my little siblings when mom was pregnant, I didn't find any of it offensive at all.

So why only three stars? Honestly, it was just sad. While it had a happy ending, there was a lot of sadness all throug Klassen's writing is always masterful. While it had a happy ending, there was a lot of sadness all through the book. It just left me feeling sad. Sep 02, Elizabeth rated it it was amazing Shelves: Originally published here Highly recommended! Lady of Milkweed Manor is probably one of the most bittersweet Christian romances I've ever read.

It's one of those novels that make me feel so sorry for the main character that I shed a few tears I appreciate how Klassen brings an appropriate setting to the story by including lots of relevant historical detail. Many times, slapping a label of "Regency England" on a novel without research that a Originally published here Highly recommended! Many times, slapping a label of "Regency England" on a novel without research that actually enhances the story is somehow enough for some people. But Klassen adds historical detail to Lady of Milkweed Manor that gives a picture of why certain characters act as they do.

Another thing I like about Lady of Milkweed Manor is that the supporting characters are well-developed. Their stories and personal experiences are only told to help the main character achieve personal growth, and their characters never overshadow the main characters. I especially like the unconventional romance between Charlotte and Daniel. Even though their love is thwarted in the beginning, their love resurrects despite all.

His wife suffers from severe depression following the birth of their child. There is a lot going on in this book. This book covers a lot of hard topics: Unwed motherhood in Regency England, pregnancy-induced insanity, class struggles. There are some interesting — and somewhat horrifying — details that Klassen provides about the nature of houses for unwed mothers. However, she does her best to make it as complete as possible. This is a strong start for Klassen. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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