A quirky tale of what it means to be a 17th century independent woman!
First of all the cover - what a beauty! It draws you in by itself, as does the somewhat strange title. Who is Ursula Flight and how exactly is she illuminated?
Over the next 400 or so pages we make many discoveries about the life of a 17th century woman (of class). Firstly that being of a decent family does not stop you getting married off to a bloke 20 years your senior when you are only 14.
As a teenager full of hopes and dreams Ursula's world pretty much comes to a shuddering halt. Her father has made the mistake of giving her an education so she doesn't fit the mould of being a docile wife happy to languish in a dark, dreary house with only a stern Mother-In-Law and slightly batty Sister-in-law for company.
She dreams of being a writer and visiting the playhouses in London. Luckily for her she catches her dullard of a husband in a compromising position with a servant and he agrees to take her to the capital.
When she meets an old sweetheart you know he's not necessarily as he seems but he is the catalyst for massive change. Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom in order to find your dreams.
The book is written in a charmingly whimsical fashion - many chapters being presented as a screenplay - and some of the descriptions of 17th century life are suitably grim. It's hard to imagine now that bathing twice a year was deemed to be positively luxurious!
Ursula is a funny but naïve heroine and you can't help but keep all you fingers and toes crossed for her.
Over the next 400 or so pages we make many discoveries about the life of a 17th century woman (of class). Firstly that being of a decent family does not stop you getting married off to a bloke 20 years your senior when you are only 14.
As a teenager full of hopes and dreams Ursula's world pretty much comes to a shuddering halt. Her father has made the mistake of giving her an education so she doesn't fit the mould of being a docile wife happy to languish in a dark, dreary house with only a stern Mother-In-Law and slightly batty Sister-in-law for company.
She dreams of being a writer and visiting the playhouses in London. Luckily for her she catches her dullard of a husband in a compromising position with a servant and he agrees to take her to the capital.
When she meets an old sweetheart you know he's not necessarily as he seems but he is the catalyst for massive change. Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom in order to find your dreams.
The book is written in a charmingly whimsical fashion - many chapters being presented as a screenplay - and some of the descriptions of 17th century life are suitably grim. It's hard to imagine now that bathing twice a year was deemed to be positively luxurious!
Ursula is a funny but naïve heroine and you can't help but keep all you fingers and toes crossed for her.