Happy One Year Anniversary Of Publication
Maid Of Steel by Kate Baker is a fabulous historical novel that I just could not put down.
The action is set in 1911 moving from New York to Queensland in Ireland. Immediately my heart was in my mouth as I read that the maiden voyage of a brand new ship was planned for April 1912. I read with ever increasing heart-rate as the dreaded date approached. Which way would the action go? You will have to read it to find out!
The main theme was women’s suffrage. We witness the strength needed by the women in order to pursue this course. They were treated abominably by the forces of law and order.
Another theme is that of survivor’s guilt. A character is wracked by guilt of actions done and not done. We can never change the past, all we can do is to learn from it. “Life is about what’s coming, not what’s been.”
PTSD in soldiers and sailors is also addressed. Homes are set up to offer comfort and care for those damaged by the forces.
People are living a lie, hiding who they really are. Near tragedies open eyes in order to be the person they were created to be.
Unmarried mothers were viewed with shame in 1911. It takes strength and courage to stand up and declare that all babies are a gift.
All the characters were well drawn, likable and easy to empathise with.
I absolutely adored Maid Of Steel. It consumed me as I read. I cannot wait for more from Kate Baker.
I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Maid Of Steel
It’s 1911 and, against her mother’s wishes, quiet New Yorker Emma dreams of winning the right to vote. She is sent away by her parents in the hope distance will curb her desire to be involved with the growing suffrage movement and told to spend time learning about where her grandparents came from.
Across the Atlantic – Queenstown, southern Ireland – hotelier Thomas dreams of being loved, even noticed, by his actress wife, Alice. On their wedding day, Alice’s father had assured him that adoration comes with time. It’s been eight years. But Alice has plans of her own and they certainly don’t include the fight for equality or her dull husband.
Emma’s arrival in Ireland leads her to discover family secrets and become involved in the Irish Women’s Suffrage Society in Cork. However, Emma’s path to suffrage was never meant to lead to a forbidden love affair…
Purchase Links
Publisher’s link: https://www.bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/book/486/maid-of-steel-SMwd/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/191535269X/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/191535269X/
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/maid-of-steel/kate-baker/9781915352699
Author Bio – Maid of Steel is Kate’s first full length novel to be published. She also writes short stories and is presently drafting a second novel.
She writes at a desk covered in to-do lists and lights candles in the hope the lists disappear in the shadows.
She lives in East Anglia in the UK with her husband where they attempt to look after farmland for generations to come.
A small, very small, dog can be frequently found on Kate’s lap. Otis is her first miniature dachshund.
https://www.instagram.com/KateFrancesWrites/
https://www.facebook.com/KateBakerAuthor
Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Maid of Steel, candle and lipsil (Open to UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
