This book is set in Dorset during the English Civil War of the seventeenth century. Supporting either the Royalists or the Parliamentarians split families in two, in a way that parallels our current disagreements over vaccines and mandates.
There were several mentions of Bridport, where I stayed in 2013, the only time I’ve slept in a four poster bed, which definitely felt historical.
The main character is a woman who is a qualified doctor, determined to remain neutral and treat people from both sides of the conflict. She’s brave and feisty, and seemed to me to be slightly fantastical, like a modern feminist transported back to the 17th century. Despite this (or maybe because of it) I found the story absorbing and stayed up till 1am this morning to finish it. The author gives a good outline of the development of the Civil War, and an intriguing romance alongside.
The Civil War portrayed crescentic
the heroine not quite authentic
Ruth's Reflections 
Despite your misgivings about the character, isn’t it great to have a book which keeps you enthralled? Better than books I’ve read sometimes which I dread picking up or give up on because I know it’s going to have a violent end. Sometimes we just need our reading to be a joy.
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There was quite a bit of fighting in this one, but the emphasis was on wounded people being treated.
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