Cavendon Hall (Cavendon Hall #1) by Barbara Taylor Bradford

 

Summary (from the publisher): From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an epic saga of intrigue and mystique set in Edwardian England. Cavendon Hall is home to two families, the aristocratic Inghams and the Swanns who serve them. Charles Ingham, the sixth Earl of Mowbray, lives there with his wife Felicity and their six children. Walter Swann, the premier male of the Swann family, is valet to the earl. His wife Alice, a clever seamstress who is in charge of the countess's wardrobe, also makes clothes for the four daughters. For centuries, these two families have lived side-by-side, beneath the backdrop of the imposing Yorkshire manor. Lady Daphne, the most beautiful of the Earl's daughters, is about to be presented at court when a devastating event changes her life and threatens the Ingham name. With World War I looming, both families will find themselves tested in ways they never thought possible. Loyalties will be challenged and betrayals will be set into motion. In this time of uncertainty, one thing is sure: these two families will never be the same again.

Cavendon Hall is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her very best, and its sweeping story of secrets, love, honor, and betrayal will have readers riveted up to the very last page.

Review: Cavendon Hall is home to the aristocratic Inghams, as well as the Swann family who serve them as their loyal servants. Charles Ingham, the sixth Earl of Mowbray lives happily with his wife Felicty and their four daughters and two sons, lovingly tended to by the Swanns. But on the horizon, the first world war looms. And at home, a devastating event occurs to the most beautiful of the Ingham daughters. 

This novel had very strong Downton Abbey vibes: shifting perspectives between upstairs and downstairs residents of the house, domestic drama of a large and aristocratic home, and a way of life that is slowly being threatened by changes from the outside world and within. I was immediately drawn to the time period and the particular intrigue of this Edwardian household. I was ultimately wrapped up in the various plot lines and was invested in the fates of the characters.

However, there were some problematic elements of this book for me. First, there is a fairly massive cast of characters, meaning that few are well fleshed out. In the end, the novel focuses most attention on Charles, Charlotte, Daphne, and Cecily, but it weaves in and out of so many characters. I did feel like character development felt poor. Further, the reactions of some characters to certain events felt inauthentic. For instance, given the time period and expectations for women during this period, I do not believe that everyone would have responded so graciously and helpfully to Daphne after the great secret event that occurs. They also seem to lack appropriate emotional response in other areas, such as Hugo's failure to seem to really mourn his first wife. 

There are also a lot of odd details thrown out that are never really explained. Why does the gypsy girl wander around giving members of the family charms? Why does Daphne lie about the identity of the villain of this tale? What is the full story behind the drowning and banishment of cousin Hugo? Why are the Swanns sworn by oath to loyalty to the family? For that matter, it felt difficult to believe that the Swann family just lived to serve the Inghams for centuries with no thought to their own interests or wishes.  Maybe these storylines will be fleshed out in the next installments of the series but so many things are set up with no resolution.  

In short, I loved the setting, the time period, the beautiful Ingham women, and the love story between Hugo and Daphne. But otherwise, the writing and character development was severely underdeveloped. 

Stars: 3