Mary Powell & Deborah's Diary

A tender, first‑person record opens the book, inviting listeners into the quiet world of a young woman whose life revolves around gardens, buzzing bees, and the rhythms of country chores. Through Mary’s keen eye we hear the rustle of lavender, feel the cool shade of hedged lanes, and sense the simple joys of a modest manor house that once cradled her family. Her prose blends gentle humor with earnest devotion, offering a glimpse of a marriage that feels both ordinary and extraordinary in its intimacy.

The diary introduces a lively cast—an impulsive father, a domineering mother, a cousin and her parson husband, and the famous poet John Milton, who drifts in as a distant, almost mythic presence. As Mary moves from the dairy to the bowling‑green, the narrative paints a vivid portrait of 17th‑century rural life, hinting at the tensions and tenderness that will shape her future. Listeners are left with the lingering scent of rose‑brier and the echo of a world that has since faded, but whose beauty endures in her words.