Rutherford Park (Book) Review
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Rutherford Park is a book that pulls you right into the often tragic tales of a somewhat typical household in turn of the century England. Lord and Lady Cavendish, their family, their obligations, and the many people who both serve and depend on them make for a gripping story that leaves you longing for more. This is a well written novel that entertains as much with its historical detail as with its relatable characters. You’ll be hooked from page one.
Lose yourself in times long past.
Rutherford Park is the perfect book to lose yourself in this summer. With fascinating historical details enmeshed into every page, it’s a history buff’s dream. Throw in an engaging tale of scandal, tradition, war, and a family on the edge, and you have all the makings of your next obsession.
Rutherford Park tells the tale of Lord William and Lady Octavia Cavendish, and their three children: Harry, Charlotte, and Louisa, in a time of changing traditions and burgeoning war. William, a man steeped in generations of family tradition, is haunted by a secret that could tear his family apart. Octavia, so much younger than her proper husband, feels trapped in a gilded cage, living a loveless marriage and bound to traditions she doesn’t agree with, is aching to be released from the prison that is her life. But is she willing to throw away everything she knows for a chance at a different kind of life?
The children, too, are torn. To the servants that silently tend to their every need, theirs is a life to be envied. But to Harry and Louisa, it is a life seemingly lived for them, with no personal choice allowed. They are bound by the traditions that guide their place in society, but both long to be free to live their own lives – but at what cost?
Rutherford Park is a book steeped in the history and traditions of England over a century ago. Readers are given a peek into the lives of the aristocracy, which are fascinating in their own rite. While a life of privilege undisputedly offers so many advantages to those lucky enough to be born into it, the rules and constraints of society leave little room for choice or freedom. The life of their servants, of course, was even more constraining, with society dictating that they be neither seen nor heard while in the service of their betters. But station cannot stop the heart, though the consequences may be dire.
Rutherford Park is a book that pulls you right into the often tragic tales of a somewhat typical household in turn of the century England. Lord and Lady Cavendish, their family, their obligations, and the many people who both serve and depend on them make for a gripping story that leaves you longing for more. This is a well written novel that entertains as much with its historical detail as with its relatable characters. You’ll be hooked from page one.