Books › The dwelling place
The dwelling place
544 pages
A gritty yet triumphant historical romance about a fiercely devoted sister fighting to keep her family together against the harsh realities of the 1830s working class.
What it feels like
This historical romance immerses the reader in the stark, unforgiving landscape of 1830s Northern England, balancing the grim realities of working-class poverty with a fiercely beating heart of familial devotion. The narrative unfolds at a steady, determined pace, mirroring its young heroine's relentless drive to build a sanctuary for her orphaned siblings. The mood is initially heavy with grief and the desperate threat of the workhouse, yet it gradually warms as resilience and unexpected romance take root. The prose is grounded and earnest, capturing both the bitter struggles against societal cruelty and the tender, hard-won moments of love. It is a deeply moving experience tailored for readers who crave sweeping, emotional sagas about tenacious women overcoming devastating odds to forge their own safe havens.
- Mood
- harsh
- gritty
- hopeful
- atmospheric
- Tone
- earnest
- dramatic
- resilient
- romantic
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- working-class struggle · familial devotion · survival against the odds · healing power of love
- The writing
- Grounded and emotive, focusing on the stark realities of poverty and the fierce resilience of the human spirit.
- The arc
- Moves from devastating loss and desperate survival to hard-won stability and the cautious embrace of love.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love sweeping historical sagas about fiercely protective heroines overcoming immense poverty and hardship.
Content notes
- death of parents
- illness
- extreme poverty
- threat of the workhouse
About the book
When fifteen-year-old Cissie Brodie loses her parents to cholera, she is forced out of the family cottage and left to raise her nine siblings alone. Although desperately poor, the strong-willed Cissie determines to build a new home for the Brodies. It is only a rough stone shelter, but to Cissie and her family it is enough to keep them from the workhouse.
They have friends, but charity cannot always spare them the harsh reality of their struggle and the bitterness of those who wish them harm. But can love, when it arrives, teach Cissie not to fear the world beyond the dwelling place?
Set in the 1830's, The Dwelling Place is the powerful tale of a tenacious family's battle to overcome the odds.
Description from Open Library.
Books like The dwelling place
See why they match
Feathers In The FireCatherine CooksonA gritty, atmospheric drama where the weight of social class and personal sins traps a rural community in a cycle of tragedy.
The glass virginCatherine CooksonA sweeping historical saga that shatters the illusion of sheltered innocence against the harsh realities of industrial England.
Fire in the HeartKatherine SutcliffeA sweeping, high-angst tale of a brooding aristocrat and a desperate waif caught in a tempestuous battle of wills and desire.
Devil's EmbraceCatherine CoulterA tempestuous, high-stakes battle of wills where captivity breeds a dark and feverish passion.
A Wild YearningPenelope WilliamsonA sweeping, feverish journey into the rugged wilderness where desperate escapes collide with forbidden, untamed desires.
The Highlander's BrideDonna FletcherA sweeping, trope-rich Highland romance where a desperate bargain ignites into fierce, unexpected devotion.