Book of the Week: The Mazzard Tree by Marcia Clayton #HistoricalFiction #VictorianEngland #FamilySaga #RecommendedReading

The Mazzard Tree

Hartford Manor Series, Book #1

by Marcia Clayton

1880 North Devon, England

Annie Carter is a farm labourer’s daughter and life is a continual struggle for survival. When her father dies of consumption, her mother, Sabina, is left with seven hungry mouths to feed and another child on the way. To save them from the workhouse or starvation, Annie steals vegetables from the Manor House garden, risking jail or transportation.

Unknown to her, she is watched by Robert, the wealthy heir to the Hartford Estate, but far from turning her in, he befriends her.

Despite their different social backgrounds, Annie and Robert develop feelings they know can have no future. Harry Rudd, the village blacksmith, has long admired Annie, and when he proposes, her mother urges her to accept. She reminds Annie, that as a kitchen-maid, she will never be allowed to marry Robert. Harry is a good man and Annie is fond of him. Her head knows what she should do, but will her heart listen?

Set against the harsh background of the rough, class-divided society of Victorian England, this heart-warming and captivating novel portrays a young woman who uses her determination and willpower to defy the circumstances of her birth in her search for happiness.

Praise for the Hartford Manor Series:

“This lovely, emotional, and powerful story set in the 1800’s includes an array of interesting characters and their personal tragedies, conflicts, and means of survival.

The writing transported me to this place in time where struggle and hardship was a way of life if you weren’t born into the well -to -do. Quite a read!”

~ Amazon 5* Review for The Mazzard Tree

“What a lovely, full story.

I couldn't put it down either. It's been a long time since I stayed up until 1 am reading & woke up 4 hours later to finish a book. Really, a wonderful tale.”

~ Amazon 5* Review for The Mazzard Tree

“Marcia Clayton’s The Angel Maker, set in 19th-century North Devon, is a captivating continuation of her Hartford Manor Series. Clayton expertly immerses readers in the Victorian era, blending romance, societal struggles, and intricate relationships into a seamless narrative. The story revolves around Robert Fellwood’s determination to marry Annie Carter, a village girl, much to the dismay of his upper-class parents. The tension between the classes is a central theme, explored through the intertwined lives of manor and village residents.

Clayton's characters are richly developed, especially Sabina, whose kindness towards Peter Webber and his son Arthur brings warmth to the story.”

~ Amazon 5* Review for The Angel Maker

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This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.