Synopses & Reviews
1660. King Charles II has returned from exile, but memories of the English Civil War still rankle. There are old scores to settle, and religious differences threaten to overturn a fragile peace. When Alice Ibbetson discovers a rare orchid, the Ladys Slipper, growing in a wood belonging to Richard Wheeler, she is captivated by its beauty— though Wheeler, a Quaker, is determined to keep the flower where God intended it to grow. Knowing that the orchid is the last of its kind, she steals the flower, little dreaming that her seemingly simple act will set off a chain of events that will lead to murder and exile, and change her life forever…
Review
"The Civil War and its aftermath have finished and the King is back on his throne, but the memories of the awful conflict are never far from peoples minds. In Westmoreland, Alice Ibbetson mourns the death of her young sister and takes solace only in the painting and propagating of wild plants. To this end she steals the almost mystical orchid known as the ladys slipper from land belonging to Richard Wheeler.
Wheeler, an ex-soldier and Quaker, is drawn to Alice, but longs for the return of his orchid as a token of his faith. At the same time he is being drawn into the political maelstrom again when the Quakers start to make a stand against oppression. But Alice and Richard are not the only ones with their eyes on the prize. Sir Geoffrey Fisk believes that the ladys slipper will restore his fortune and his health. Wise woman Margaret Poulter is also drawn to its reputed medicinal powers.
Then a murder takes place and Alice finds herself fighting for her freedom and her life. With so many people turning against her, Alice finds that the one person she can trust is the one she has been lying to all along.
The Ladys Slipper is a fabulous debut novel from Deborah Swift. Using prose that is remarkable for its simplicity, clarity and beauty - her attention to detail is commendable - she effortlessly evokes the early years of the Restoration and the beginnings of the Quaker movement. The novel grips from the opening lines and carries the interest throughout. The several plot strands are seamlessly blended and come together in a wholly satisfying conclusion. Her characters are so real that they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf.
Highly recommended."
--Sara Wilson
Synopsis
Vivid, gripping, and intensely atmospheric, "The Lady's Slipper," set during the reign of England's King Charles II, is a novel about beauty, faith, and loyalty, and marks the emergence of an exquisite new voice in historical fiction.
About the Author
DEBORAH SWIFT, a set and costume designer for the BBC, lives in Windermere, England. The Ladys Slipper, shortlisted for The Impress Novelists Prize in 2007, was inspired by her own discovery of the rare orchid during a summer walk.
Reading Group Guide
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. In the novel, Richard says that it is not possible for him to pledge peace unless he were to live in a “golden age.” What sort of a golden age do you think he is imagining? And do you live in one now?
2. What does the ladys slipper orchid represent to the various characters in the book? Why do you think that Alices slipper is such a potent symbol for Ella?
3. One of the reasons that Alice takes the ladys slipper is because she wants to preserve it for future generations. Later she replaces it with an American orchid. In your view, was she preserving or violating the English countryside?
4. Both Richard and Hannah have a “religious experience” in the book. Which do you find the most convincing, and why? What makes an experience religious?
5. Stephen says of Ella Appleby: “She has given us lives we would never have anticipated.” Discuss Ellas role and influence throughout the novel. To what extent do you think our lives are determined by the actions of other people?
6. Alice says that flowers have “a lost innocence, outside man-made time, the flower of a thousand years ago repeating itself over and over, reminding the world of natures order.” What do you think of this statement? How would you define “natures order”?
7. Geoffrey is in some respects the villain of the book. To what extent are his character traits a product of his upbringing and station in life? Some views that were acceptable in 1660 would be totally unacceptable today. Is our morality changing with the times? Or do you think there are aspects of our morality that are fixed?
8. Discuss Stephens use of disguise in the novel. What does he learn about his true nature by being someone else? Have you ever pretended to be something you are not for a particular purpose? How do you recognize the real you?
9. Richard Wheeler embarks on a journey from being a Quaker pacifist to becoming a soldier ready to defend his homeland. What is the meaning of “home” to Richard? What does it mean to you—and would you be willing to defend it with your life?
10. Ella says that she was “beginning to believe she really had seen the body of an old woman in that ditch. After she had claimed to see it, six more of the villagers, including Audrey and Tom, had unaccountably confirmed that they too had seen the Mistress bending over the body.” How does the “Rashomon effect,” in which observers of one event are able to produce different but equally plausible accounts of it, play out both in the novel and in real life?