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The Swift and the Harrier
Minette Walters
590 pages
Allen & Unwin
Published 2022
Genres: Historical, General Literary, Romance
This is a standalone historical fiction novel by a British author who is better known for her crime fiction. I found it in a holiday park book exchange and gleefully grabbed it as I’ve enjoyed her previous books and was in the mood for something different. It is about a fictional female physician in the time of the English civil war. I absolutely loved it – the characters, the medical aspects and the real-life events and figures that were skilfully blended into the story.
Jayne Swift is an unmarried young woman from a wealthy Dorset family who has defied convention and trained as a physician under a respected teacher – but is not allowed to call herself a doctor because of her sex. Fiercely independent, she’s happy to treat rich and poor alike, and those on both sides of the nascent war between the forces of Charles I and the parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell – but when drawn deeper into the conflict, ultimately Jayne must pick a side.
This had it all – action, adventure, a slow burn romance with an appealing hero, rich historical detail and atmospheric battle scenes, and plenty of well researched medical minutiae – leeches anyone?
I adored Jayne who is intelligent, kind and appropriately bolshy when required, and Lady Alice her elderly friend and occasional saviour. I feel like I learned a lot about a conflict I knew very little about, despite growing up in England (in my defence I went to a French school, but I also hated history as a kid – whereas now I find it fascinating!) and will be looking out for more of Walters’ HF – an easy 5 stars.

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