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Harriet Smart

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Green Grow the Rushes Kindle Edition

by Harriet Smart (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 59 ratings

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In the summer of 1900, a group of young people are brought together in the decaying splendour of the Quarro, a Scottish country house owned by the down-at-heel Lennox family. As their lives touch, new alliances are formed – some doomed to failure and bitter despair, others that will endure against the odds to bring lasting happiness.

Jessie Macpherson, newly appointed cook, daily dreams up sumptuous menus and dazzles the Lennoxes and their guests with her skill. But even at this time of triumph, Jessie realises there has to be more to life. Sholto Hamilton, a poor but ambitious lawyer and highly successful ladies' man, offers her a glimpse of other delights, and before long Jessie is trapped in the sensual web he has woven. But what future together can there be for a gentleman and a servant? Will Sholto wish to burden himself with a wife such as Jessie when he still has his way to make in the world?

The future seems far more assured for Celia Lennox, the daughter of the house, and Sholto's friend Ralph Erskine. Heir of an Edinburgh steel magnate, and a passionate admirer of Celia's wild, fey beauty, there could not be a more eligible candidate than Ralph for her hand. But, eligible or not, another man has caught Celia Lennox's eye – and perhaps her heart.

Meanwhile Ralph's sister Alix despairs of ever fitting the rigid mould of society wife and mother. Surely a woman's sphere of influence need not be confined purely to the drawing room and marital bed? Alix overcomes parental opposition and society's disapproval to win herself an education and against all expectations finds a man who shares her views, a match made in heaven – until a shocking stroke of fate robs her of happiness and turns all her passion and commitment on to the fearsome path of martyrdom for the cause of women's suffrage.

A sweeping, panoramic survey of turn-of-the-century Scottish society – from country house to industrial slums, bohemian free-thinking to High Tory Politics – Green Grow the Rushes is peopled with a cast of memorable and vividly realised characters.

"Smart's characters have a feel of authentic life and move in and out of a backdrop which cunningly incorporates political change, trade union rebellion, suffragette noise and good food." – The Sunday Times

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004C0566W
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anthemion; 4th edition (November 11, 2010)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 11, 2010
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 964 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 705 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,507,319 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,378 in Historical Scottish Fiction
- #9,657 in Saga Fiction
- #18,921 in Family Saga Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.3 59 ratings

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Harriet Smart

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Harriet Smart is a novelist living in Northumberland

Educated at the University of St Andrews, Harriet’s debut novel, A GARLAND OF VOWS, was inspired by her research into a firm nineteenth century church furnishers and turned into an epic family saga, spanning fifty years. Her second novel, GREEN GROW THE RUSHES, set in Edwardian Scotland was short-listed for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. She is currently writing a series of crime novels set in early Victorian England.

Along with her husband Julian Smart she has designed Writer’s Café, a software toolkit for fiction writers. For more information see www.writerscafe.co.uk and www.jutoh.com

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Charles G. Campbell

WONDERFUL AUTHOR

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2011

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Harriet Smart writes wonderfully interesting and very meticulously researched novels. I am a fan, because not only does she manage to write intriguing stories and create memorable characters, but she intertwines themes of freedom and women's rights throughout. In "Green Grow the Rushes," Jessie Hamilton watches as industry grows around her, women struggle for the vote, and wives look outwards from the family for fulfillment. This is a lovely story, full of delicious food as well. I had a hard time putting it down, and also found myself wanting to eat delicious things while reading it! Harriet Smart is one of my favorite authors.

10 people found this helpful

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albertagirl

A family saga/romance novel, and so much more!

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2013

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Just finished [[ASIN:B004C0566W Green Grow the Rushes]. After a somewhat slow start, due to introducing the large and varied cast of characters and giving a basic idea of the personalities of each, this novel took off like a shot.

More than just a family saga/romance, this book deals with the changes that the different characters make in response to changes in the times around them, and to changes in their individual circumstances. It also gives an interesting perspective on the very early days of the women's suffragette and trade union movements, and the beginning of the breakdown of the stiff and unyielding "class system," all set in the early years of the twentieth century in Scotland.

As in real life, there's tragedy in this novel, but also triumph; grave errors, but also redemption. Best of all, it's a very good read. Highly recommended.

3 people found this helpful

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LOLITA

I liked it

Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2012

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I have to say that it was well worth reading, especially given the fact that I got this book free. It was not at all what I expected, I thought it woud be just another mediocre subject line but it was not the case. The characters were complex and well developed. I had a hard time puting this book down. I would certainly recommend it.

3 people found this helpful

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Rhonda Gladden

Finished the book but did a lot of skimming

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2012

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I had high hopes for this book after reading what it was about. It was a turn of the century historical novel set in Scotland. There were times that I was really engrossed in the story line but most of the time I was skimming through trying to find something of interest. Unfortunately, there was so little content that was necessary to the telling of the story that skimming was easy to do.

2 people found this helpful

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L. Stauffer

A nice surprise!

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2012

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Got this on a freebie day. Got pulled into the book and interested quite early on. Enjoyed the book very much!!

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2014

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I read this book because it was set in Scotland. I have to say that it could have been set anywhere. There was very little in the book that screamed Scotland in the early 20th century. That being said, the story kept me engaged - although at times I thought "Now why did she do that?" All in all an enjoyable read, and I would read another one by Smart again.

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2015

Fantastic!

Compelling and worth the read

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2017

Harriet Smart keeps on delivering wondering characters an plots.

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Mrs. Dj Shoobridge

Brilliant book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2012

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have to say I was amazed by this book. The characters were believable, some nice, some not so nice and one in particularly very unpleasant.

Gave what I felt was a good insight into upstairs downstairs in the 1900's, the suffragettes and early engineering and the production of motorcars.

Would recommend it to anyone who likes a nice long book

Admit bought it when it was free but have since downloaded (paid for) another of this lady's novels and keeping it for my holiday next week as a special treat.

One person found this helpful

Bugly

A decent read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2012

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A period love story; Having been captivated by Tess of the d'Urbervilles in my teen years I decided to give this one a go. It is actually a decent book, it has obviously had significant thought and input and I enjoyed reading it. This is the sort of novel that makes a good TV drama series that has you looking forward to the next offering but after it finishes you struggle to remember that much about the characters. This isn't a slant of the writer's ability or the novel quality more a statement of the type of fiction it offers.
A good book to read as it is a long book. It has plenty going on, looks at many different aspects of the period and has a theme that shifts between a couple of main characters rather than just becoming a boring dialog of one life. It is not a `Tess' by any standards but them that is a classic for a reason.
If you like romance with a setting, like to read a period novel then this is certainly one to check out, I doubt you will be disappointed.

Juliana

Highly Recommend this Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2013

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My daughter recommended this book to me and I'm loving it. I've not quite finished it, but pick it up every chance I get. It has so many different strands running through it that it holds your attention at all times. Although there is a love aspect to it, it is not simply a love story. It deals with many aspects for the social, political and economic issues of the early 20th century in a very engaging way. I also like the fact that it's set in Edinburgh, as I live in Edinburgh and like the descriptions of the city over a centuary ago.

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