The Poacher’s Daughter
Rosie Waterhouse is the local poacher’s daughter growing up in a tenanted cottage in the grounds of Thornsby Manor, a large Lincolnshire estate. The year is 1910 and whilst Rosie knows a thing or two about poaching, she’s determined to make a better life for herself and has set her sights on becoming mistress of Thornsby Manor. The only problem is that it’s promised to the son and heir of the current owner, Byron, whose father William Ramsey is a heartless and cruel man, determined Byron will marry well.
The heir and Rosie meet by chance one day and a friendship quickly develops that is something more: a predetermined destiny for them both. But ruthless William Ramsey has other ideas, and the threat of war is looming.
What follows is a romantic family saga that ticks all that genre’s boxes. Dickinson’s characters are well crafted and multi-dimensional, and she draws on her clear love of the Lincolnshire landscape to form an evocative backdrop to the novel. The period details are well-researched and transport the reader easily to that era. The voices of Rosie and Byron are particularly strong, although the plot’s predictability does prevent them from fully developing as characters.
Dickinson has a legion of fans who eagerly await each new novel. The Poacher’s Daughter is a milestone thirtieth novel. For this reviewer, the plot did feel a little formulaic at times, and it delivered no real surprises. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant way to while away an afternoon as the story moves on at pace. A solid if ultimately not very memorable novel.
