Overview

Queen of the genre” Sunday Times

A WOMAN’S AMBITION… In the brooding moors above a humble Yorkshire village stood Fairley Hall. There, Emma Harte, its oppressed but resourceful servant girl, acquired a shrewd determination. There, she honed her skills, discovered the meaning of treachery, learned to survive, to become a woman, and vowed to make her mark on the world.

A JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME… In the wake of tragedy she rose from poverty to magnificent wealth as the iron-willed force behind a thriving international enterprise. As one of the richest women in the world Emma Harte has almost everything she fought so hard to achieve-save for the dream of love, and for the passion of the one man she could never have.

A DREAM FULFILLED-AND AVENGED. Through two marriages, two devastating wars, and generations of secrets, Emma’s unparalleled success has come with a price. As greed, envy, and revenge consume those closest to her, the brilliant matriarch now finds herself poised to outwit her enemies, and to face the betrayals of the past with the same ingenious resolve that forged her empire.

Review

There is so much I want to say about this book. I read it back in the 80’s. It was around 1986 or 1987 due to a recommendation from my librarian mother. When I told her I was asked to review the 40th anniversary edition…she had no idea what I was talking about. Go figure!!! But, I DO REMEMBER this book. It made a huge impact on me at the time. It was probably one of the first family sagas I had ever read. It was amazing then and it is amazing now. It just did not have the same impact on me at this time in my life. This is what is marvelous about books. They make an impression on you when you when you need them the most.

I remember reading about Emma Harte when I was a young teenager. She is such a wonderful character. She is strong and fierce. She is a character which literally changed her stars. However, life is so tough, whether you have money or not. And this is one of the many aspects of life which this book shows you.

As a young teenager, I took away from this book that with hard work you can achieve anything you want. And this is mostly true, luck and circumstances have a lot to do with it as well. Another take away from this book as a 50 year old woman is that life will always be hard. There will always be something or someone who wants to stand in your way. You must always be strong and fight.

Emma Harte was a fighter till the end. This is a fantastic story about strength, power and greed. No family or life is immune to challenges. I did find out family sagas are not my favorite reads anymore. I like books which move faster and are not so long…I know I know… I am just older and want to read more and more!

I received this novel from Suzy Approved Book tours for a honest review.

About The Author:

Barbara Taylor Bradford was born and raised in England. She left school at 15 for the typing pool at the Yorkshire Evening Post. At 18, she became the paper’s first woman’s editor and, at 20, moved to London and became a columnist and editor on Fleet Street. Barbara has had 33 books published, all worldwide bestsellers, including her first novel, A Woman of Substance which is ranked in the top ten bestselling works of fiction of all time and this year marks its 40th anniversary. Her books have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide in more than 90 countries and 40 languages, and ten miniseries and television movies have been made of her books. In The Lion’s Den will be her 34th book.

 Barbara is an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust and in 2007 was awarded an OBE for her services to literature. She currently lives in New York and was married to her beloved husband, television producer Robert Bradford, for 55 years until he died in July 2019. https://barbarataylorbradford.com/

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