A Respectable Trade by Philippa GregoryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Philippa Gregory is a go-to of mine when I don't know what to read. And getting toward the end of pregnancy, I was definitely looking for something good to read that I knew I would like.
This book was a really interesting read. In it, Frances, a woman of "marrying age" is sent from the English countryside to marry Josiah, a man in the city, and while he is reasonably kind, he is controlled by his desire to climb the social ladder, and by his sister, a spinster. Meanwhile, black slaves in England are beginning to be used as house servants, and Josiah decides to acquire several and train them. One slave in particular, formerly a priest in Africa, is brought into their household and develops a relationship with Frances.
Over time, Josiah's business interests become increasingly less successful; his sister becomes increasingly critical, and Frances learns that there is significantly more complexity to the slaves' situation than she believes at first.
I really enjoyed the character development in this book, as well as the history. As usual, I found Gregory to have meticulously researched a particular era in history and created a compelling narrative.
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