I was sent an uncorrected proof of The Illumination of Ursula Flight by Anna-Marie Crowhurst to read and review by NetGalley.
Written as a memoir The Illumination of Ursula Flight is an amusing and entertaining romp through the life of the protagonist Ursula, from birth to maturity. The novel is scattered throughout with the scripts that Ursula has written, the position of playwright being her most fervent wish, and these sections are among the wittiest. The story feels quite lively throughout which seems to fit well with the bawdy times in which it has been set.
Having only had a proof copy I did not have the pleasure of reading it in its final layout with the embellishments and illustrations of the final book, however, I did enjoy it very much and would recommend it to anyone seeking a read that is light-hearted and fun.

The comparison to Sarah Waters certainly rang true to me here, as there is a similar volatile mixture of historical societal mores with women who enjoy sex and rebel against those mores in a way that feels modern to the reader. Likewise I was put in mind of Philippa Gregory’s Wideacre series and considerably older sources such as Tess of the Durbevilles, Jane Eyre or even Moll Flanders.

You will note that all of these books feature a central, titular female character who suffers in a man’s world, but is resourceful, with a will to survive. Although this story does contain romance it is not, strictly speaking, a romance. It is the tale of the coming of age of Ursula as a woman in a world weighted to men; her trials, tribulations, loves and losses, but told with such wit and good humour that instead of being broken by her hardships the reader is uplifted and amused by how she tackles them.

Interspersed at regular intervals in the text are excerpts from Ursula’s journal, letters, and play manuscripts, and these give a clever, intimate insight into some key scenes from a more external point of view than the main narrative. Thus we get different voices, but always filtered through Ursula’s main perspective.

Which brings me to the main delight of the book: Ursula Flight. Ursula is superbly characterised. She is brave and outspoken, obedient and loving, witty and intelligent, oblivious and naive. She is human. And she is instantly both recognisable and likable. She continually surprised me with her reactions and her resilience, and could be considered a role model for how she prompted me to consider my own behaviours, priorities and privileges.

I absolutely loved this story and devoured it whole, then spent a further few days (and nights) reliving and re-enjoying the story and characters in my mental theatre. I sincerely recommend this to those fond of historical novels – about women – with a heart, a brain and a good sense of humour.




‘Come in and tarry awhile, for I am apt to grow bored, and you amuse me with your strange, fierce face, child.’
I went in as she had bidden and stood with my arms crossed behind my back.
‘What do you wish to be when you grow up, Ursula Flight?’ said she.
‘Why, a dashing adventurer, and if I cannot be that, a nun, and if I cannot be that, a mother to ten children, all of them twins and with bright golden hair.’

– Anna-Marie Crowhurst, The Illumination of Ursula Flight

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

This wasn't a quick or easy read but it was a rather fascinating one. It's set in the 17th Century and charts the early life of one Ursula Flight. Ursula is a modern girl born far before her time and this novel shows the difficulties that she faces. The period is well researched (I assume) as far as food, language and dress is concerned, hence, if you're partial to a bit of history you'll enjoy this.

Ursula gives us the story of her life in her own inimitable fashion starting with her birth as a comet crosses the sky and her childhood encounter with an actress that sparks her interest in the theatre. Having an unusually enlightened father, Ursula learns Latin, Greek and other languages, studies astronomy and reads every book and play she can lay her hands on. Soon she’s trying her own hand at writing plays, depicting scenes of love, comedy, mischief and a little wishful thinking that are acted out with her young friends.

Unfortunately for Ursula, all the fun and games come to an end when she is promised in marriage to Lord Tyringham. As well as being an unfortunate match, Ursula misses her friends and family and finds herself bored with the responsibilities of being a wife. Things come to a head when Ursula discovers secrets about her husband that the alert reader may have suspected for some time.

Although I found the whole book entertaining, I’ll admit it really picked up for me in the last third when the location changes and Ursula finally gets a chance to take her future into her own hands. Unfortunately, this is not before she has learned through bitter experience that men are not always to be trusted!

The story is told in the distinctive voice the author has created for Ursula and interspersed with excerpts from Ursula's plays, diary entries and personal notes that reveal her innermost thoughts. I really enjoyed the humour in the plays and some of her lists are extremely funny. For example, her ‘Discourse on Matrimony & Wiving for New Brides’ by ‘A Married Woman Who Knoweth’ in which the most useful piece of advice is probably: ‘If all other courses fail you, and you are brought down by worries or woe or other encumbrances suffered by the dutiful wife and feel fit to burst with ill feeling and frustration and love-lack, steal yourself out of doors away from prying eyes and running as fast as and as furious as you can, scream every oath you know in English, and other languages.’ Yep, I reckon that still works. There’s also the particularly saucy list she comes up with later in the book. (Those who have read the book will immediately recognise the bit I’m talking about.) The quirky chapter headings (such as ‘In which we dine en famille and I am perturbed’) also give a sense of the period in which the book is set.

The Illumination of Ursula Flight is great fun and deserves all the curtain calls and cries of ‘Author, Author’ it will no doubt receive.

I received an advance review copy courtesy of publishers, Allen and Unwin, and NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. Ursula Flight is a wonderful creation and I loved, in particular, reading about the details of her childhood - things which children have in common across the centuries - and the striking differences. I loved the latter part and all the rich historical detail.

I went into this pretty blind. But I soon discovered it wasn’t my type of book. But I was still willing to carry on and give it a try. Hoping I would become interested. However the writing just isn’t for me. It came across too young.

Ursula came across younger than she actually is aswell. Instead of imagining a 15 year old I imagined a girl who could possibly be 10 maybe 11 at most. A little juvenile to me. Whether that was intentional or not I don’t know.

My other issue was at the beginning of every chapter is starts with “In which I…”. This gave away what each chapter was about. I understand it’s written as journal like entries however I prefer to go into chapters without a line summing up what each chapter is about.

Due to these problems I sadly ended up DNFing at 50%.

Set in the seventeenth century, Ursula Flight is an unusual girl with a curious mind and a hankering for adventure. As a child she applies herself to learning to read and to learn about the world in ways that girls of her era seldom do, then a chance meeting with an actress leads her to fascination with a vocation with a bad reputation that is outweighed by the appeal of life on the stage.

Ursula is a likeable character from the start. She's intelligent and curious, more interested in an experience for its own merits than in 'what people will think'. However, although her father encourages her learning, when a local Lord takes a fancy to young Ursula, her father effectively orders her to marry him. Needless to say, Ursula is not pleased with being effectively sold into marriage.

The story is mostly told in first person, so we get a look inside the thoughts of a young girl, her fancies, and her unspoken opinions all along. One of her interests is in writing plays, so we are given interludes that she has depicted as a playwrite and have to wonder how much embellishment Ursula has added to her private writings.

Facing some difficult circumstances in an era when women were treated much as property brings out the strength in the character, even through girlish fancies. The story kept me interested all the way through and made me wonder if I would have had the courage to do some of the things she does to overcome obstacles to her happiness.

Ursula Flight has a father who named her for a star and who educates her beyond what is expected for a lday of her station - Ursula loves her father and words and wants to become a playwright. It is not, however, her place in life to do as she pleases - she must marry well and be a dutiful wife. Unfortunately, Ursula's new husband and his family are nothing like her or what she is used to and Ursula is anything but a dutiful wife. Here is the story or Ursula Flight...

It is quite hard to find a completely original character or story these days (and I'm sure it's even harder to write one) so when you do find a gem like this, it's definitely one to be savoured. Ursula is a fabulously feisty young woman who isn't just content to do as she's told and sets out, not always intentionally, on a lifetime of incident and adventure.

Ursula herself is a wonderful protagonist who just can't help getting into and out of "interesting" situations which are most definitely not fitting for a lady of her station. I love a strong female character but Ursula is so much more than that - she's a strong character who just happens to be female and Anna-Marie Crowhurst brings her alive on the page with a zest for life which the reader can do nothing but be swept along with. I loved this book and Ursula and I can't recommend it highly enough.

This a story about a girl, Ursula, growing up in England in the latter part of the 17th century which is told in her own, often witty words, mostly in the form of a journal or memoir (and occasionally play scripts or letters). The story follows Ursula from her very beginning. Born in to a well-to-do family on the night Haley's comet streaked across the sky, she grows in to a somewhat cheeky child with big ideas of becoming a playwright or actress. However, Ursula's childhood is cut short when her parents inform her that she is being married off to a gentleman 20 years her senior.

The story is a little slow but Ursula is a wonderful, lovable heroine, growing from a bright and bold child in to a strong, determined young woman, and you can't help rooting for her in all the trials and tribulations she endures. A lovely, charming period romp.

The Illumination of Ursula Flight is absolutely wonderful!
I haven't read much historical fiction but I knew I had to give this book a chance as soon as I read the synopsis.
Thankfully it did not disappoint.
The writing is delightfull and it has left me wanting more from the author!

Ursula was born under a lucky comet in the 1600s. Unconventionally her father educates her but dies when she is in her teens - prior to his death he has arranged, at her mother's insistence, a married to a much older aristocrat. She hopes she will learn to love her husband but this doesn't happen - he doesn't like her using her mind and believes women should just play musical instruments and sew. A sad and uplifting tail of a naive girl who is unused to life. Highly recommended.

Entertaining historical life story of a young woman with big dreams.

This was superb, a really enjoyable light romp in 1600s England, a much less tense read than a Philippa Gregory or some such royal history. It wasn't quite Fanny Hill bawdy, or Weir/Gregory true story, but it was wonderful social history with romance, humour, theatre, scripts.

Ursula was born on the night of a comet, and grows up in Restoration England with a progressive father who teaches her mathematics and astronomy, she reads and writes playscripts, acts them out and dreams big dreams about her future. It is a shock when she is married off at just fourteen to a much older man and taken to his country house reigned over by his elderly mother whose aim in life now is to see a grandchild born to continue the family line.

Her husband's work in the royal court gives her a chance to experience life when he takes her to London with him and she yearns to both visit a theatre and maybe... someday... write and act in one...

This was a great story, a fantastic period with a spirited heroine. I especially liked the chapters that Ursula writes in playscript, some rather intimate and personal, others very amusing. There is great detail about the life of a woman in the period and boy how boring it could be! The court scenes are probably the most glossed over, but making up for it are later scenes in theatres and behind the scenes of a play.

Ursula reminded me of Fanny Hill a little, though not in such an outrightly titillating story, she has highs and lows and must rely on her own talents to make her fortune, rallying against the norms of the time, the limitations placed on her by her gender and position.

This will make a superb TV production, or film, it's uplifting and modern-feeling, with a female protagonist that feels of-her-time while managing to hold some contemporary values as well.

A really enjoyable read, I was surprised by how taken I was with Ursula's story and the style of the narrative.

With thanks to Netgalley for the sample e-copy.

When I saw this was available to me on Netgalley, it sounded absoluetly fascinating and seemed like a book I was in the mood for, When I saw that one of my fav authors said she liked it, it sealed the deal.
I do not know why, but this book took me a while to read and took me a little while to get into, I do not know why as this is a charming book, quite witty and adorable.
This weaves a tale about Ursula ,whom was named after a constelation, and it is told in first person, we read it as if she was telling us the story,Journal style.
This is a historical work of fiction, that sets itself in the era of 1600's, features alot of theatre, if that is your thing, it is not mine per say, but it still enjoyable to read about.
It is obvious that alot of research has taken place during the birth of this book and it always shows.
the beginning did make me giggle as she called her dog 'Muff' and that to me conjoured up other images *chuckles* ( gosh dang my filthy brain tee hee)
The writing ws pretty , if that makes any sense to you, it was absolutely engaging too, I wish I had that type of education when I was younger. that Ursula had!
However her childhood was broken off too soon and sent away to be with a man that did not make her happy.
Fortunatly, this was not the last for Ursula and she survives with aplomb.
This is a book I really want to buy in print, so I can treasure it and read it at my leisure again, I sometimes feel pressurised to read Netgalley books quickly so they do not think I do not read them and sometimes it takes some ofthe enjoyment out of the book.
I am sure that I will find new things and nuances upon the re read and with a print book, you can feel somewhat closer to the book.
A review will appear on my blog nearer the publication date.
Thank you once again Netgalley and the publishers Allen & Unwin for giving me the opportunity :)

I did not enjoy reading the little bit that I read, so I am unable to leave a review. Sorry

A delightful journey through life in the 17th Century. The main character is pushed into adult life at a very young age and her story tells of how she coped with all that life threw at her and yet, was always her own woman and knew what she wanted from life. I loved how the story unfolds to us, the 21st Century readers, the habits and beliefs of people from that time especially the apothecaries selling their quack medicines and curealls - which cured nothing. A lovely read and recommended.

It's been less than 24 hours since I finished the book, but I already know that this story will stay for me for some time. Ursula is born at the end of Cromwell's reign and grows up during the restoration of Charles II. Her father indulges her, teaches her to read, instructs her in sciences, languages and mathematics and yet at the age of 15 and a good match is sought for her and she is married off to a man, 20 years her senior that has a lot of property and an influential position. He and his puritan mother and sister do everything to clip Ursula's wings. She processes what is happening to her by writing playscripts, lists and letters. We are entirely in Ursula's head and I know that many people do not like that kind of narrative. We know nothing of the motives of the others in her life, but to me that made this books so delicious. I adored Ursula's voice, the little girl voice at first, the teenage Ursula, the downtrodden Ursula, the Ursula who becomes a woman. For me, this was a wonderful book and Ursula's charm and wit will stay with me for a long time yet.

A young woman,who has the temerity to be well educated,experiences an unhappy marriage with a much older husband ,falls in love with a childhood sweetheart and is abandoned by the swine,finds her true calling in the licentious world of the stage,whereupon she becomes a lady playwright,an unmarried mother to a beautiful daughter and is content.
This is so wonderfully creative! The language is perfect for 17th century England and the history of the stage and theatre life is well researched. It is a very entertaining read with a strong female character,but it is not a novel that casts all men in a bad light. Written partly in the style of a journal,the saucy details and innuendoes of a bad married life,the thrills of a lover and the despair of being abandoned are related in the form of a script that gives such hilarious asides to the reader,that we know exactly what is happening in the life of Ursula Flight.
I loved this novel,it's unusual in its concept,but it works well. It is full of resourceful females, some bad eggs in the male department, but it is a story of hope and education. The life that Ursula wanted for herself ,is now available today for the majority of young women,and there are many laws passed that enshrine these rights. I was intrigued by the book cover and have really enjoyed this novel. It would make a great film.
I have copied this review to Goodreas today,with a three star rating given.

This debut, coming of age, historical fictional book is set in 17th century England. It dallies with issues relating to the power in relationships, the vulnerability of women during that era and captures an example of a life led that with hard work, amidst tough circumstances, lest a strong will, allows a young woman to undertake a difficult journey that ultimately gives her the ability to lead an independent and influential life.

For Ursula has yearned to be a playwright since a young girl. The eldest of 3 children her father educated her so she could read and write and be quite scholarly, despite wider views that she should not. They discussed many varied things and her horizons were broadened. Yet at just 15 years old she is betrothed to an old bore and swept away to a country estate, where she is constrained in everything that she can do. She can read only occasionally and in absolute secret.

Suffocated by tedium at home, a visit to the king’s courts of London with her husband offers her the chance to become worldlier and flourish; albeit it is not necessarily an easy experience. But her life will never be the same thereafter.

It is written with flair and an independent style that a playwright may evoke. It is generally an easy read, which has good pace and progression to the somewhat expected denouement. Ursula is likeable and you want for her to break free from the constraints and control of her lusting husband. She is naïve but circumstances accelerate her maturity and she faces it head on without self-pity or maudlin. As such she is inspiring and I did shed a tear towards the end. A good mix of situations, with great discussion points and a saga that make for a worthy, authentic and charming read.

As mildly entertaining as this is, I found the book a little less surprising than needed, and was forever reminded of other stories of a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage. Yes, there is some novelty here with her being a wannabe writer and actress in the days of Shakespeare, and yes the play dialogue sections, diaries, lists and so on help perk things up a bit, but I still felt a little underwhelmed. There's no denying the research and background reading the author has done ('Piquadillo', anyone?) but I sought something with a little more of the new, and a little more grit. Here the historical setting was only reminding me that all that the blurb promised of gender equality and emancipation had also been written about long, long ago.

I really, really enjoyed reading about Ursula Flight's life of adventures. Ursula is a sheer delight and the qualities that make her something of an oddity in society-well educated, intelligent and self reliant with an irrepressible sense of humour that allows her to always seeking the positive in every situation-are what made me warm to her. She faces hardships in her young life and experiences the trials of trying really hard to fit into the expectations of a society lady in the 17th century, whilst still retaining her very special essence. It is when Ursula stops trying to meet the expectations of the men in her life that she really soars and I delighted in reading about her life in London in the theatre.
This is a really fun novel that is a perfect escape from the grey weather.
Thanks go to the publishers and net galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.