Josiah Stubb: The Seige of Louisbourg
1758 Louisbourg, Canada. It’s several years into the Seven Years’ War, and Britain has brought its military might to Louisbourg to lay siege to its famous, and supposedly impregnable, fortress. Should it fall, it might prove the key to French Canada.
Josiah Stubb, a young grenadier, must face the bloodshed ahead while fleeing the evils and denigrations that were his childhood. Having been raised by a whore who in turn taught him to sell his own body, he is eager for a new life and new opportunities. But it all catches up with him when an officer whom he had admired instead forces him back into his old role. As the siege rages on, Josiah must face down both the enemies without and the demons within.
This novel is well-written, and Josiah proves to be a sympathetic character. I was looking forward to my first foray into historical fiction set in this era. Marketing blurbs on this book compare it to Forester’s Hornblower or Cornwell’s Sharpe. But that’s only if you add in graphic scenes of incest, rape, forced prostitution, and more. Though Lovatt portrays this all as tragic and it’s meant to make the reader sympathize with Josiah, it proved far too much for this reviewer. I cannot recommend it, which is a shame. Lovatt is a talented writer.
