Tidelands

Written by Philippa Gregory

Narrated by Louise Brealey

This New York Times bestseller from “one of the great storytellers of our time” (San Francisco Book Review) turns from the glamour of the royal courts to tell the story of an ordinary woman, Alinor, living in a dangerous time for a woman to be different.

A country at war
A king beheaded
A woman with a dangerous secret

On Midsummer’s Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter the ghost of her missing husband and thus confirm his death. Until she can, she is neither maiden nor wife nor widow, living in a perilous limbo. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run. She shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marshy landscape of the Tidelands, not knowing she is leading a spy and an enemy into her life.

England is in the grip of a bloody civil war that reaches into the most remote parts of the kingdom. Alinor’s suspicious neighbors are watching each other for any sign that someone might be disloyal to the new parliament, and Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her as a woman who doesn’t follow the rules. They have always whispered about the sinister power of Alinor’s beauty, but the secrets they don’t know about her and James are far more damning. This is the time of witch-mania, and if the villagers discover the truth, they could take matters into their own hands.

“This is Gregory par excellence” (Kirkus Reviews). “Fans of Gregory’s works and of historicals in general will delight in this page-turning tale” (Library Journal, starred review) that is “superb… A searing portrait of a woman that resonates across the ages” (People).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Aug 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9781508281115

Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory is the author of many New York Times bestselling novels, including The Other Boleyn Girl, and is a recognized authority on women’s history. Many of her works have been adapted for the screen including The Other Boleyn Girl. She graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and was awarded the 2016 Harrogate Festival Award for Contribution to Historical Fiction. She is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. She was awarded a CBE title for services to literature and charity in 2022. She welcomes visitors to her website PhilippaGregory.com.

Reviews for Tidelands

[Grace Douglas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Note: this is not a stand alone book.
It is a good story. Just know going into it that it is book one of a series, and at this time, Book 2 is not available in audio form from Scribd.

[geah457 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic book. Phillips makes her characters come to life, strong women. I felt every emotion Alice and Aloneer(?)felt

[Rachel Mundy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is well written, very engrossing, read by a great narrator, but the ending... are you serious! So abrupt, and unfulfilling. How frustrating!

[Linda Gila · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fabulous! Cannot wait for the next book. My new favorite.

[Nancy Anson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found the book interesting, the herbal information, telling of the hardship of life for woman of the time, the fear of the people and the plague overwhelming, considering what we are going through now. The ending was unexcepted, Thank you. A great read.

[karenbayly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating journey through the last few months of Charles 1 and the lives of the people of that time. The story focuses on the the folk of the Tidelands and a doomed romance between a poor woman and a privileged man. However, it is story that could have played out anywhere in those times, with the ever-present threat of "witch" bubbling under the surface of everyday life for any woman who deviated from the norm.

[Stacey Schanda · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a beautifully written historical fiction of one woman's undying love and loyalty to those she loved. Philippa Gregory brought Alinor to life in Cromwellian England, at a time when the monarchy was out of power and women's public opinion was at its lowest. Always having been a poor woman, Alinor only wanted what was best for her children, despite her runaway husband and his slanderous tongue. I was a little upset that we never saw Alinor use her sight, despite the rumors and accusations.

This was my first novel written by this author, and I am eager to continue Alinor's story. I hope that only good things come to her from here on out, because Lord knows, she deserves it!

[Renae Barrett Salisbury · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kept me enthralled from first to last word. Well plotted and carefully crafted to take us into Alinor's 16th century world.

[Amanda Reyes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book so much!! Not at all the ending I was expecting but never the less, it left me so satisfied.

[Brittany Elizabeth Wilson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful character development and interesting story. I’m just not a fan of endings as abrupt as this one. All in all Phillipa Gregory is a fabulous author, just not really my taste in writing or vibes.

[Dawni · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Loved the book but the ending seemed unfinished. Such a letdown.

[tina1969_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

1648, England is in the midst of cival war between the king and Cromwell. It's Midsummers Eve and Alinor is waiting in the churchyard for the ghost of her husband to appear. She is neither wife or widow and needs to know if he is still alive. Bringing up her two children making and selling ointments from herbs Alinor has to avoid suspicion. Instead of her husband comes a stranger seeking help.I have read nearly all of Philippa Gregory's books but have found her Tudor novels very hit and miss. I was excited when a new book came out which gave me hopes that she had returned to work similar to her Wideacre trilogy.I have however again been left disappointed. The story started very well with spooky vibes. Then for me it just went downhill. The first chunk of the book became very repetitive with plenty of descriptions of the Tidelands. The story of Alinor for a while held my interest but that didn't really pick up until the latter part of the book.There were elements I did enjoy. I liked the descriptions of the old ways, the herbs and Alinor's work. I enjoyed the superstitions and was expecting the book to be along the lines of The Wise Woman, which for me is one of PG best.This book for was disappointing, I became bored and was just flicking the last part just to see if it got any better. The book was overlong and at the moment there isn't enough for me to read book two. PG is a well respected author and historian and I have enjoyed many of her books but equally have been disappointed.

[Ellen: The Craft Quotient · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought it ended rather abruptly. Which was disappointing.

[lou_intheberkshires · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I understand the author’s ambition to write a big historical series out of this genealogy, which I think is interesting enough to be done. But there were problems with a lack of authenticity in these characters because she didn’t do a good enough job letting us know them. When Alinor freaks out at the harvest festival, it was so uncharacteristic of her, then it doesn’t happen again in the story. Why not give us a little more explanation during/after to make it more believable? If it was strength the author was going for, Alinor can still be resolute without this big anomaly. At the end she didn’t convince me that the neighborhood climate would do a 180 turn on Alinor. I wanted more development from Alys too—at this point she’s too flat a character to do what she did in the end.
There’s also some messy editing points that were annoying & should have been caught, like repeating information as if it’s the first time it was said. Sometimes this happens with authors of such renown, as if the editor doesn’t have to still read the text closely.

[kwagnerroberts · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

Hmmmm. The ending, pretty damn good. Gregory's writing is well done, but I found myself doing the eye-roll more than I would have liked and thinking... Get on with it already.

It is worth the read, but don't beat yourself up if you feel you want to skip a few pages....you will figure it out and not feel you missed much.

[almin-70827 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good historical detail about the English Civil War and King Charles I and a woman deserted by her husband, left to support her family and face the irrational prejudices of the 17th century. The ending makes you eager to start the second book in the trilogy. Highly recommend....

[flourgirl49 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book in a new series by Philippa Gregory - this time not about English royalty but about a common woman (Alina) and her two children in the mid-1600s who live in extreme poverty. Alina's goodness, integrity and intelligence shine through, however, which lead to some good opportunities - and also some very bad ones - for her kids and herself. I found it to be pretty interesting, especially the archaic beliefs about witchcraft. The story will continue in the second book, "Dark Tides."

[lbswiener · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Tidelands: A Novel(1) (The Fairmile Series) is a book that describes an alleged area in England as awful. The people are extremely poor and living very harsh lives. There is a lot of hatred, jealousy and finger pointing that lead to one poor woman being accused of being a witch. This only leads the reader to ask oneself, how come a man who uses leaves and herbs for cures is called an apothecarist and a woman who does this is called a witch? The story went on and on therefore three stars in this review.

[karenleefield · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tidelands is the first book in a new series, The Fairmile. As Philippa Gregory is one of my favourite authors, I grabbed the audiobook when I saw it on special.

At first, I found the book to be quite dark and depressing and, in all honesty, I thought this might be the first book by this author that I would be marking as “unfinished” or giving just one star to in a review.

However, I’m glad I kept going as the dark and depressing feel was actually part of the storyline. It seriously showed how bad the main character’s life was. Remembering the book is set in 1648 when life would have been difficult for the poor and underprivileged, and if you were a woman, if was even worse so I gulped and rethought any fanciful wish to live in the period.

Once the setting was truly set and Alinor’s storyline became clear, I was captivated and could hardly wait to continue reading (or in my case, listening) at every opportunity.

Yes, there is a political thread, but it is not overbearing. The politics are required to set the mood, but the characters actions, reactions, and dire need are always the main focus of the book. Alinor, Alys and Rob are wonderful characters and we are taken on a journey where a single decision can change the course of all their lives. And they all make decisions that effect all of them, without the knowledge of other decisions being made around them.

The story is full of love, romance, desperation, rumours, suspicion, secrets, fear, judgement, and superstition. The emotions twist and turn along the way for all of them, for different reasons. But they all want one thing in the end, to feel secure and happy.

Philippa Gregory did it again. She wrote a book that is captivating, meaningful and paints a true picture of what it would have been like living in 1648. I loved this book.

Highly recommended.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Set in the years immediately prior to Cromwell's rule through Charles II's reinstatement as King, Tidelands focuses on residents of the island of Fairmile, particularly Alinor Reekie and her family. We see the remnants of the system of lords and their servile tenants. Alinor's husband left about a year prior to the book's beginning, and she's doing her best to support her two children with her midwife practice and through various jobs, mostly involving distilling herbs, milking cows, and other farm duties for the local miller's family. Her husband's accusations of her "magic" led many persons to be suspicious about where she obtained her cures. The resident lord, a papist, hired a man posing as a teacher, but working as a spy for the king, to tutor his son. He extended an invitation to Alinor's son to study with his son and to be his son's companion until he went to university. Too much sex outside the bonds of matrimony occurs for my taste, but it is central to the plot. I found the historical elements interesting, but I had a love-hate relationship with the story itself. The ending ruined the book for me. It seemed abrupt, leaving too much for future installments. While I want to know the resolutions, I'm not sure I want to wade through another installment this long to discover them. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Louise Beasley who did a capable job.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Because I had read the second book in the series I knew some of what was going to happen to the characters, which did ruin some of the suspense that was built in the story. I did find that a lot of what could possibly happen was very much flagged by the author, I had a fair idea of what was going to happen and I didn't really care all that much about the characters.
Although there is some romance in the story I wouldn't really regard it as a romance and I didn't find the relationship all that great. Alinor was a woman trapped by expectations and assumptions of others. Her ability with herbs and midwifery is starting to trigger suspicions of witchcraft, not helped by her missing husband who spread rumours about her.
I was readable but it didn't leave me feeling like revisiting it.

[siri51 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Atmospheric settings; mud, marsh, tides, harsh climate. Historical times; changes to king and parliament, plots and changing allegiances. Strong charachers, poor women, unreliable men, changes in fortune, rather too much idealistic romance that leads to unhappy endings. Could be a great series.

[nwieme-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

WOW! I am not fond of this time period (I'm not versed in England's history) but this was TERRIFIC!! Philippa Gregory can tell a tale! I won't give the ending away, but I couldn't stop reading to get to the end.

[joannemonck · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am a follower of Philippa Gregory books but this this one takes a little different turn. She remains in the past and the arrest of King James but the story is a love story and mostly takes place in the tidelands (which is a tidal community of rather poor people. There is a woman who has been abandoned by her husband and has 2 children to raise. A rather rebellious daughter and a younger son. Some believe her to be a witch or at least one of the fairie people. Along comes a young man of high morals (a priest) and it goes from there.

[mojomomma_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This got some bum reviews for being overly long, but I enjoyed the detail. Alinor is a poor woman living on the English coast during the English Civil War with her two children. Her husband abandoned her and her ambiguous status in society means she must fend for herself as an herbalist and midwife. The religious folk of the area are frightened of her knowledge and assume she is a witch. This is a bad time to be accused of witchcraft. Then she meets a young priest who is headed to the area nobleman's house. He is still a royalist and the the priest is a spy. It's interesting to see how Alinor's life changes with this chance encounter with the handsome stranger.

[okies-600424 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh yes, I enjoyed this. I was glued and I found the historical context was an enriching aspect of the book - in the period of Charles I while Cromwell was in power - how they lived, and their mores and views. I haven't read an historical novel forever and was pleasantly surprised Narrated by Louise Brealey.

[asheley-627878 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My intention was to pick Tidelands up and read it slowly, but I devoured it. I could not put it down.

Alinor Reekie is a midwife and herbalist, like her mother and grandmother before her. Her husband has been gone for nearly a year, a fisherman that left on their boat one day and never came back. Without knowing for certain if he is dead or not, Alinor is not quite a widow, but she's not quite a married woman either. And living in the tidelands, it's nearly impossible to have any sort of success and comfort in life without being married.

Alinor is close to the earth. She lives near the water, but she fears it. She is not afraid of hard work because she knows her station in life. She is exceptional at things like milking cows and baking bread, at working with her hands outside on her landlord's farm and making the ale that they all drink. She sells fish and lobsters to earn a little extra money for her family. She also works with wool and making oils. She does everything, and she is way more of a woman that I could ever be. But she cannot help that she was born to her exact station and that her husband turned out to be a deadbeat, and this sealed her fate as poor, poor, poor when he left.

I haven't read anything else by Philippa Gregory before, so I have no concept for her historical fictions involving life at court with queens and princesses and the like. But I do know that she wrote this poor woman's English life beautifully. Alinor describes the tidelands as "Neither sea or shore. Neither wet or dry and no-one ever leaves." That is exactly how life is looking for the Reekie family, with daughter Alys in desperate need of a dowry in order to even think about marrying and son Rob without any prospects in the absence of his father. Fortunately for Alinor, she meets a holy man by chance early in the story and BOOM! this opens worlds of opportunities for her family.

Alinor has to tread lightly, though, because things like special chances make her stand out, as if she has spoken a spell and good fortune has come to her. She also has to tread lightly because many of the people in her community equate being a herbalist and healer with using spells and witchcraft, and whispers of witching is one of the worst things that could ever happen to a woman in 1648 England.

I COULD NOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS STORY. I could not imagine it being any better and more interesting to me. The details and descriptions are delicious, and more than once I went to the internet to learn more about objects that were used or to learn more about the details of the war between King Charles I and Parliament. (King Charles believed in his divine right to rule, the right given to him by God, and this was the beginning of some huge changes in England.) It was riveting! This book is well-researched and meticulous, and I felt like I was standing inside of the story watching and hearing everything unfold around me. I felt BIG emotions and I held my breath, anticipating some things that I dare not mention, because spoilers. OH it was so good. AND THAT ENDING!! I am desperate for the next installment. DESPERATE for it.



I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, Atria Books!

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.*

Set in during the English Civil War but focused on life in a small English village, this novel tells the story of Alinor, a village midwife, mother of two, suspected witch, and abandoned wife. Hoping to discover evidence of her husband's dead, Alinor instead meets a young man called James, a Royalist spy and secret Catholic priest. As their lives become intertwined and the danger mounts, Alinor struggles to find a way to ensure a better future for herself and her children. I've loved some of Philippa Gregory's books and hated others; this one is definitely one the love side of the spectrum. At her best, this author can recreate the past and take the reader on a rich and colorful journey into a previous era, an ability on full display in this novel.

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have read many of Philippa Gregory’s books as I enjoy historical fiction and English history is a particular favorite. Tidelands is a bit different in that instead of dealing with royalty the main female character is a poor woman living in a village in an area known as the Tidelands; dependent on the sea and dangerous to traverse if you didn’t know where to walk. Her name is Alinor and she lives with her two children in a state betwixt and between as her husband went out to sea to fish and he never came back. She doesn’t know if he is alive or dead so she has no husband present nor can she call herself a widow. Alinor is a midwife and healer as was her mother before her but rumors fly in a small place and some think evil thoughts about a beautiful young woman without a husband.

One night as she finds a man sneaking across the land and knows he does not belong. She helps him and gives him a place to rest and this small favor changes the course of her life in so many ways. It’s a dangerous time to be helping strangers as the country is still trying to settle from the civil wars that have led to King Charles I being held prisoner and the Parliament presenting demands for him to change how he rules.

As Alinor’s favor rises with the local lord there are those that attribute it to supernatural means and petty jealousies lead to accusations. There are additional intrigues revolving around Alinor’s daughter and her son and all the stories weave together to a shocking end.

As with all of Ms. Gregory’s books the research is evident in many ways; from the detail in the description of the lives of the people in the village to the details of the politics of the time. The conflict between the high born priest and the lovely Alinor made for an interesting dynamic and like today the difference between the haves and have nots is stark. It’s a book that kept my interest and I am very much looking forward to the second volume so as to see how the story continues. It was not an easy time in history for the common man (or woman) so it is fascinating to have a series focus on a character like this.

[lauriebrown54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed “The Other Boleyn Girl”, so I was very happy to get a pre-release copy of ‘Tidelands’. I was disappointed I read it; I felt it wasn’t nearly as well written as TOBG was. It’s the first in a series, so there is a lot of stage setting to be done, and it was done well and in detail. But the pace is slow, although that may have been on purpose, to put the reader into the feeling of life for the poor in 1648.

In the Sussex tidelands, Alinor Reekie, a 27 year old herbalist and midwife lives in a shack right in the muck and mud. Her two children work for the biggest employer in the area, the farmer and owner of a tide-driven mill. Alinor has an odd status; her fisherman husband disappeared months ago, so she is not a widow but she has no man to support her. Her brother Ned runs the human powered ferry. They live in Dickensian poverty, but at least they have shelter and *some* food. This is during the time of the English Civil War, when Charles I was exiled on the Isle of Wight- nearby to where Alinor lives. Parliament was running the country, and Catholicism was outlawed. Royalists practiced their faith in secret, and plans were always afoot to restore Charles to the throne.

One night Alinor meets James as he flounders about in the tide flats. She leads him to the manor of Sir William. In thanks for that, he persuades Sir William to hire Alinor’s son, Rob, on as companion to his own son, to be educated by his side, giving him a chance to obtain a job inside. William also pays Alinor some money, in thanks for keeping some secrets. Alinor’s daughter, Alys, at 13 has turned into a beautiful young woman who is attracting the eye of the miller’s son. The family’s sudden good fortune- and Alinor’s profession- makes the area people jealous and suspicious that Alinor is a witch- a common fear in that time and place- the ruling Puritans really seem to have hated women. There are plots brewing and there are secrets that could lead to death.

For a book this long, there is a strange lack of character depth. Even Alinor is not really fleshed out. I felt sorry for her, but she never came to life for me. Alys comes off as just annoying, the son barely exists, and I ended up despising James in the end. My biggest complaint, however, was the ending. It all happens suddenly, after over 400 pages of slowness, and with a Deus ex machina appearing. It was very unsatisfying. I loved all the details of life on the tideflats- the setting itself came alive for me- but that didn’t make up for the other deficits. Only 4 stars.