Wideacre: A Novel

Philippa Gregory

Nov 2007 · The Wideacre Trilogy Book 1 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory comes the stunning first novel of a thrilling trilogy about the Lacey family, and the captivating woman at the heart of a power-hungry estate willing to go to any means to protect her family name.

Beatrice Lacey, as strong-minded as she is beautiful, refuses to conform to the social customs of her time. Destined to lose her heritage and beloved Wideacre estate once she is wed, Beatrice will use any means necessary to protect her ancestral name. Seduction, betrayal, even murder—Beatrice’s passion is without apology or conscience. “She is a Lacey of Wideacre,” her father warns, “and whatever she does, however she behaves, will always be fitting.” Yet even as Beatrice’s scheming seems about to yield her dream, she is haunted by the one living person who knows the extent of her plans...and her capacity for evil.

Sumptuously set in Georgian England from the “queen of royal fiction” (USA TODAY), Wideacre is intensely gripping, rich in texture, and full of color and authenticity. It is a saga as irresistible in its singular magic as its heroine.

Ratings and reviews

One of the best books I have ever read. Well rounded flawed antiheroine main character with incredibly vivid setting, explores a lot of themes in history that are still relevant today.

As long as she can remember, Beatrice Lacey has loved Wideacre, her family's estate in Sussex, with a passion bordering on obsession. Contrary to the social order of the day, it is Beatrice who rides out with her father every day, learning every nuance of the land and the people who work it, as well as how to care for it, rather than her older brother, Harry. Although she is not the heir, it is Beatrice who learns to love Wideacre with her entire being, so when she realizes it is her destiny to be married off and to leave the land that she loves, Beatrice's skill and care for the land turns dark as she plots and schemes for a way to anchor herself to Wideacre. Nothing, not even seduction or murder, are too high of a price to pay as she plots against even those she once loved. But as she commits more and more evil acts, will she bring about her own destruction, or even the destruction of the only thing she truly loves--Wideacre itself? The haunting and deliciously evil Beatrice grabbed my attention right from the beginning. As a woman with so few options to control her own destiny, to be so competent and to have such a fierce love for the land and its people, but to be so wholly disregarded and callously destined to be sent away with nary a thought to her own wishes seemed a tragedy. But as her behavior slid further and further from clever into atrocity, then into absolute evil, the tragedy was further compounded to see so many people suffer at her hand. While an excellent and entertaining historical romance, this book also provides an excellent indictment of the economic and social order of time and the agrarian revolution that led to the starvation of many of England's rural working poor. This book is a must read, and I am very much looking forward to reading Tbe Favored Child!

Loved this whole series

About the author

Philippa Gregory is the author of many New York Times bestselling novels, including The Other Boleyn Girl, and is a recognized authority on women’s history. Many of her works have been adapted for the screen including The Other Boleyn Girl. She graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and was awarded the 2016 Harrogate Festival Award for Contribution to Historical Fiction. She is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. She was awarded a CBE title for services to literature and charity in 2022. She welcomes visitors to her website PhilippaGregory.com.