Having read the blurb for this book, I wasn't particularly gripped. I am not somebody that would normally find a book about the civil war particularly interesting. However I am really glad that I picked the book up.
The Swift and the Harrier centres around Jayne Swift, a physician during the period of the civil war. As a woman, Jayne is not allowed the title of Doctor despite being more than capable. Throughout the book we follow Mistress Swift as she treats patients from both sides of the conflict, regardless of their views.
I thought that this was a really interesting way of portraying the civil war and allowed me to learn about the history from a perspective that wasn't entirely centred on the battles. I enjoyed learning about how families were split in their allegiances and how people at the time dealt with differing views among those they knew.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed viewing the civil war through the eyes of one trying to treat those at war, though I felt it was a bit long and found myself losing concentration a bit in the middle.
The Swift and the Harrier centres around Jayne Swift, a physician during the period of the civil war. As a woman, Jayne is not allowed the title of Doctor despite being more than capable. Throughout the book we follow Mistress Swift as she treats patients from both sides of the conflict, regardless of their views.
I thought that this was a really interesting way of portraying the civil war and allowed me to learn about the history from a perspective that wasn't entirely centred on the battles. I enjoyed learning about how families were split in their allegiances and how people at the time dealt with differing views among those they knew.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed viewing the civil war through the eyes of one trying to treat those at war, though I felt it was a bit long and found myself losing concentration a bit in the middle.