The Bars of Iron

Ethel May Dell

Jan 1916 · ReadHowYouWant.com

About this ebook

This romance novel begins with a bar room brawl in Australia between two men: one is the English aristocrat Piers Evesham, aged only 19, the other is an unknown. Piers kills the unknown man, and this event haunts the rest of the novel. Piers, the hero, lives with his grandfather Sir Beverley Evesham, who is a broken, bitter man whose only affection is for his grandson. Sir Beverley had a short, unhappy marriage to an Italian woman: this Italian blood makes Piers passionate, patrician, hot-tempered and violent. Piers falls in love with a woman called Avery Denys, who is the mother's help at the Vicarage. She is unsuitable for Piers because of her class, age, social position and because she was married before. However, she is a strong heroine: capable, experienced, loving and mature. The novel contains many scenes of violence, including sexual violence, children being whipped, and a battle in World War One.