
Set against the turbulent backdrop of the English Civil War, the story unfolds at Swaffham Manor, a centuries‑old house steeped in memory and stone. Captain Israel Swaffham, a staunch supporter of Oliver Cromwell, returns to the battlefield, leaving his wife and children to tend the ancestral home. Their lives are marked by the clash of duty and devotion, as the manor’s great hall echoes with Puritan councils and the distant rumble of marching soldiers.
Within those walls, the Swaffham daughters embody the era’s conflicting currents. Jane, though modest in stature, possesses a fierce spiritual resolve, shaped by mystic Puritan teachings, while her mother wrestles with lingering sympathies for the fallen king and the uncertainty of a kingdom without a crown. Their intertwined stories reveal the personal cost of a nation torn between faith, loyalty, and the promise of a new order.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (625K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2016-01-19
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1831–1919
Known for sweeping historical fiction and a remarkably resilient life story, this Victorian-era novelist turned personal tragedy into a long and successful writing career. Her books often blend strong-willed characters, careful research, and a deep interest in faith, family, and place.
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