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I relish the uneasy feeling you get as you try I figure out who the true villain is. Enjoyable read.
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Moonraker's Bride
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Born in a Mission in China, Lucy Waring finds herself with fifteen small children to feed and care for. The way she tackles this task leads to her being thrown into the grim prison of Chengfu, where she meets Nicholas Sabine - a man about to die.He asks her a cryptic riddle, the mystery of which echoes through all that befalls her in the months that follow...She is brought to England and tries to make a new life with the Gresham family, but she is constantly in disgrace and is soon involved in the bitter feud between the Greshams and a neighbouring family.There is danger, romance and heartache for Lucy as strange events build to a point where she begins to doubt her own senses.How could she see a man, long dead, walking in the misty darkness of the valley? And who carried her, unconscious, into the labyrinth of Chiselhurst Caves and left her to die?It is not until she returns to China that Lucy finds, amid high adventure, the answer to all that has baffled her.
319 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1,1973
This edition
- Format
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319 pages, Mass Market Paperback
- Published
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June 12, 1978 by Fawcett
- ISBN
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9780449235942
- ASIN
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0449235947
- Language
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English
Characters More characters
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Lucy Waring
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Nicholas Sabine
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Lucy Waring, an orphan living in a Chinese mission, is the only one who can take care of the fifteen children living with her. In order to provide food, she's forced to steal, for which she ends up in the prison, where she meets Nicholas Sabine, a man with only a few hours to live, his execution is coming up shortly.
Inside a prison cell the two struck a strange friendship that culminates with Nick's marriage proposal. Lucy, unable to deny a dying man, accepts. The next day, she's a widow.
She returns to England, attempting to put her life back together, but the shadows of the past quickly catch up with her.
This is a great gothic romantic suspense set against the backdrop of China and England at the turn of the century, culminating in the great Boxer rebellion in China.
The author's narration makes the characters rise to life before the readers eyes, sweeping us into a fascinating tale of romance, intrigue, horror, and mystery.
Lucy is the typical female of that time. Even though she wasn't as sheltered as her contemporaries in England, having grown up in a Chinese orphanage, she's still pretty naive and a little too trusting for her own good.
Her upbringing is more than evident as she returns to her homeland, where she struggles to fit into the "pampered" society, when she's been used to work, gain her own money since she was a babe.
Nicholas Sabine is an intriguing character. Though his looks may liken him to the male leads of nowadays romance, his actions belay the same resemblance. Though we don't comprehend his behavior at the beginning, his motivations and true feelings make complete sense in the end.
Though the plot seemed a little unrealistic at times and the perils kept accumulating, it was a very refreshing read. For a man, the author had quite an uncanny ability to peek into the female psyche, belaying the male protestations that women are a complicated lot no one seems to understand.
Inside a prison cell the two struck a strange friendship that culminates with Nick's marriage proposal. Lucy, unable to deny a dying man, accepts. The next day, she's a widow.
She returns to England, attempting to put her life back together, but the shadows of the past quickly catch up with her.
This is a great gothic romantic suspense set against the backdrop of China and England at the turn of the century, culminating in the great Boxer rebellion in China.
The author's narration makes the characters rise to life before the readers eyes, sweeping us into a fascinating tale of romance, intrigue, horror, and mystery.
Lucy is the typical female of that time. Even though she wasn't as sheltered as her contemporaries in England, having grown up in a Chinese orphanage, she's still pretty naive and a little too trusting for her own good.
Her upbringing is more than evident as she returns to her homeland, where she struggles to fit into the "pampered" society, when she's been used to work, gain her own money since she was a babe.
Nicholas Sabine is an intriguing character. Though his looks may liken him to the male leads of nowadays romance, his actions belay the same resemblance. Though we don't comprehend his behavior at the beginning, his motivations and true feelings make complete sense in the end.
Though the plot seemed a little unrealistic at times and the perils kept accumulating, it was a very refreshing read. For a man, the author had quite an uncanny ability to peek into the female psyche, belaying the male protestations that women are a complicated lot no one seems to understand.
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I cannot believe how much I loved this book. I have a soft spot for well-written gothic a la 1960's when they had editors and educated writers and this was just more than I could have ever hoped for. At first I was turned off by the idea of China but I'm so glad that this idiocy did not keep me from reading. Holy cow. WHAT A BOOK!!!!!! What I loved most about it was the strength of the female character. I genuinely liked her. REALLY LIKED HER. And that just, well, come on. Doesn't happen. She's resourceful, brilliant, hilarious and practical. Every time I thought the book would fall into some cliched trapping, it surprised me. Lucy is a girl who can handle herself and who wouldn't want to be a "Moonraker's Bride" if it meant ending up with that piece of delicious. Yum! What a beautiful world to realize that Madeleine Brent (yes, I know this is really a man) wrote at least 9 more books! Off to Amazon!
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Moonraker's Bride was my first Gothic experience- read it when I was 12. I had enjoyed reading up to that point in my young life, but MB developed a deep and passionate love for books that has stayed with me since. It is THE book for me.
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If you want a book that keeps your attention, this is it. I read this book over a weekend and could hardly stand to put it down long enough to eat.
Lucy is an English orphan in China around the turn of the 20th century. She winds up in jail for stealing and meets Nick Sabine, an Englishman condemned to death. After learning about her situation, he marries her in the prison and gets her out, sparing her a brutal punishment. She is then helped out of the country and sent to England, a foreign land to her. Blundering her way through unfamiliar customs, dealing with the family she's been stuck with, and courting a man whose own parents don't seem to trust him, all leads Lucy to unlock a mystery no one else has been able to solve.
This is my absolute favorite Madeleine Brent book. The characters stay with you, the story line is still exciting despite knowing the end, and even the jacket description is awesome. It's the perfect weekend read.
Lucy is an English orphan in China around the turn of the 20th century. She winds up in jail for stealing and meets Nick Sabine, an Englishman condemned to death. After learning about her situation, he marries her in the prison and gets her out, sparing her a brutal punishment. She is then helped out of the country and sent to England, a foreign land to her. Blundering her way through unfamiliar customs, dealing with the family she's been stuck with, and courting a man whose own parents don't seem to trust him, all leads Lucy to unlock a mystery no one else has been able to solve.
This is my absolute favorite Madeleine Brent book. The characters stay with you, the story line is still exciting despite knowing the end, and even the jacket description is awesome. It's the perfect weekend read.
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Love this book. Great combination of strength, romance, adventure and mystery!
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Lucy Waring has lived all her life in a christian mission in China. Her english parents have both died when she was a child.She finds herself in a dire situation, taking care of 15 orphan girls in the mission, because the lady in charge becomes ill with no hope of recovery.
Without money and any help from other english missions in China, she is forced to steal in order to make ends meat.
One one of this occasions she is caught in act and taken to prisson, where she faces a grim punishment ,probably loosing her arm for the theft.
But help comes in a surprising way, as a fellow inmate, the englishman Nick Sabine, bribes the guards to free and marry her.
As he is to be executed the next day for desacrating the family tomb of a powerful chinese lord, Nick writes his will and leaves all his possesions in England to Lucy.
As Lucy travells to England, due to the upcoming of the Boxer Rebellion, she has to face new challenges, adapt to a new culture with confusing customs and try to solve the riddle of the "tiger's eyes", a chinese treasure searched by many.
I realy liked this novel, most of all the main character Lucy who is witty, determined, kind and altruistic.
She is also direct in speach, which causes hillarious moments in the stiff english conversations.
Highly recommend!
At present I have read 3 books by Madeleine Brent and loved them all.
Somehow, the first read remained number one to me, that being "Stormswift".
Nontheless, this one and "The long masquerade" are also worthy of your time.
Without money and any help from other english missions in China, she is forced to steal in order to make ends meat.
One one of this occasions she is caught in act and taken to prisson, where she faces a grim punishment ,probably loosing her arm for the theft.
But help comes in a surprising way, as a fellow inmate, the englishman Nick Sabine, bribes the guards to free and marry her.
As he is to be executed the next day for desacrating the family tomb of a powerful chinese lord, Nick writes his will and leaves all his possesions in England to Lucy.
As Lucy travells to England, due to the upcoming of the Boxer Rebellion, she has to face new challenges, adapt to a new culture with confusing customs and try to solve the riddle of the "tiger's eyes", a chinese treasure searched by many.
I realy liked this novel, most of all the main character Lucy who is witty, determined, kind and altruistic.
She is also direct in speach, which causes hillarious moments in the stiff english conversations.
Highly recommend!
At present I have read 3 books by Madeleine Brent and loved them all.
Somehow, the first read remained number one to me, that being "Stormswift".
Nontheless, this one and "The long masquerade" are also worthy of your time.
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This is one of my favorite novels. I first read it as a teenager when my Mom gave it to me. I have read it many times since then. The author's characters come alive for me, the plot moves quickly and is never boring. The novel incorporates historical fiction, mystery, suspense, and romance. The main character, Lucy, is a heroine who never sees herself as one. I completely identify with her emotions and decisions.
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