A Respectable Trade - Philippa Gregory



Why did I choose this book?
After reading the Tudor books by Philippa Gregory I stumbled upon this one. Completely different subject. But why not give it a try?

About the author:
Philippa Gregory (1954, Kenya) is a writer and broadcaster for radio and television (Tudor expert for Time Team). She holds a PhD in eighteenth-century literature from the University of Edinburgh. She has written several historical novels. The Other Boleyn Girl was adapted for BBC television and a film has been made of it with Scarlett Johansson as Mary Boleyn, Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn, and Eric Bana as Henry VIII.

The Story:
A group of slaves is brought to England to be trained to become servants. The trader who brings them over marries above himself to a lady, hoping to become one of the Merchant Traders in Bristol in that way and prosper even more. But things don't go as planned when his wife falls in love with one of the slaves and he is betrayed by the rich traders and loses his fortune.

Review:
I really thought the story was a bit far-fetched; a lady faling in love with a slave. I'm not saying it could not have happened, but... And then her becoming pregnant after having sex with him only once. Again, it might happen, but not very realistic. But I did like the things it told about slavery. And how the whole society benifited from it. Not just the plantation owners in America, but also the general public back in England.


Rating: