Book tour: The Rufford Rose - Margaret Lambert

When gifted young woodcarver Cuthbert Watts is sent to assist in the building of a new hall in Lancashire in 1530 little does he realise what difficulties lie ahead. The Master builder, Abel, resents his presence, refusing to see his work whilst Abel’s apprentice, Will is a lazy, jealous young man who thwarts Cuthbert at every turn. Supported by his fellow workers Cuthbert perseveres and after saving his life, befriends the young son of the owner, another reason for Abel to hate him. What is the reason behind this animosity? What great secret dominates Abel and Will’s life to the extent that lives are threatened, jealousies grow and violence, arson, kidnap and murder are committed?

Set in the Lancashire countryside in the 16th century this is a story which combines the practical difficulties of building a Tudor Hall with the loves and jealousies of those involved. When will Abel realise the value of Cuthbert’s work, when will Will realise he is notwho he believes he is and can Cuthbert win the heart of the girl he loves. Follow Cuthbert through the trials and challenges of his new life and discover whether the hall can finally be completed.

My opinion.

I have to admit, seeing that Tudor rose alone would have convinced me to read this book. I'm a huge history geek with an even bigger soft spot for the Tudor era. Tough audience, maybe? But Margaret Lambert had me convinced from the very first chapters: she knows her history. The amount of detail and research that went into this book is astounding. I could almost smell the wood of the construction site through the pages. 

Cuthbert's story isn't just any guy's story you could copy paste into any other era by tweaking just a couple of details. His craft is described so beautifully and so detailed, as is the rest of the building process and crafts needed to complete it. I loved getting this "behind the scenes" insight into the construction of an historical building of this scale. If we're lucky, we get to visit a well preserved house or manor somewhere tucked away in the English countryside. Sure. But to actually understand it, the way it was constructed, the methods used, all the pieces that are needed to complete the puzzle, the priorities of both builders and owners,... it adds a priceless layer that's tough to get and which is so incredibly valuable.

As thorough and intricate Margaret Lambert's account of the building is, in the description of the personal relationships and emotions of the characters, it fell a bit flat for me. Not that those stories weren't beautiful, but I didn't feel as invested in those characters and their hardships as I would have wanted in a book as detailed as this one. That's the only thing that's keeping me from describing this book as "perfect". Because 'The Rufford Rose' is a brilliant, memorable read that makes for a very deserving addition to any history geek's collection.