A story in two parts, the modern woman stuck in limbo for seven years after her soul mate was lost at sea finds a map that has another story to tell which is much older. And much more interesting. Frieda is a Dutch Hugonaut whose family are cartographers of standing, but persecuted by the Spanish, she takes refuge in Queen Elizabeth's Protestant England. However life is not so simple, and her skills lead her and her family into danger. This part of the story is five stars, sadly the modern story doesn't connect as well and would have been better left out

🗺 BOOK REVIEW 🗺
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheMapmakersDaughter by #ClareMarchant

@avonbooksuk

⏩for synopsis

Anyone who knows me, knows I do love a duel timeline book and I thought this one executed it very well. Both stories ran seamlessly side by side, were uncomplicated and reached a complete conclusion.

I found this book extensively researched and really interesting - not only was I interested in the characters story but also the historical aspects of the plot and the map making craft. I found Freida and Robyn excellent lead characters who carried their stories well; both were believable and relatable and had a story to tell.

At first I found myself racing through the pages but I did find the action that it really needed at the end was a long time coming and it did drag on a little but overall the plot kept a snappy pace.

With thanks to the author, @netgalley and #avonbooks for allowing us to read this one early (sorry it’s late).

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

The Mapmaker’s Daughter is such a unique and interesting tale. A dual timeline narrative told from two women’s points of view, alternating between 1569 and 2022. These two women share a connection not only through a mysterious map but also the men they marry and loved ones they lose.

‘She had placed a part of herself in it, something unique and distinctive that would always connect them together.’

I appreciated the extensive research undertaken for the book. In all honesty, the 1569 timeline was far more interesting with strong characters and an engaging storyline. The detail, inclusive of everything from religious persecution, to map making, to the Elizabethan Court was thorough and well told. The present day timeline, as is often the case, suffered because it was the medium through which the connections and discoveries were to be made. It lacked the same depth and attention to detail. The lead character’s story was not convincing and only became so when she ventured into finding the origin of the map.

The Mapmaker’s Daughter was a good story that came together for a satisfying conclusion. The historical aspect of the book was rich and inviting particularly the cartography detail on creating maps in the 1500s. Lovers of historical fiction are sure to find something inviting from this story.

‘The more she engraved, the more of her soul was being buried in the lines she cut. What had begun as a simple commission was becoming a part of her, every house or building, every street was important to her in some way. This was beginning to be a part of her, her life flowing down the blade of her tool and into the copperplate.’





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Don’t make the mistake I did…..move this book to the top of your TBR list. It’s a dual storyline the present and the 16th century. In the present Robyn is still mourning the death of her husband Nate. She is nearing the 7 year mark to have him declared dead and has been existing is the best description with her father. Helping him in his map shop in a little tourist town, when they discover a very old map that is different from the usual and seems to call to Robyn. It opens up her past reporter investigator passion as she tries to unravel the mystery of the map.
The past is Freida story, the daughter of a mapmaker who’s family was murdered by the Spanish in Holland as were thousands of others due to their beliefs. Freida was hidden and survived and raised by her cousin Abraham also a mapmaker. Mapmaking is in her blood and this is Freida story of overcoming heartbreak, fear and trusting and believing in herself.
A definite must read, one of those books I don’t want to finish reading because I don’t want the story to end. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheMapmakersDaughter

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot (you'll find reviews like that out there already if that's what you're looking for).

This is an enjoyable dual-timeline novel - set partly in present day Hay-on-Wye, and partly in Elizabethan London. I enjoyed the historical sections more - I love that period of history, and the author has clearly done plenty of research to make her writing authentic. The descriptions of the settings, costumes, Queen Elizabeth's court and way of life are spot on, as are the rather gruesome and unpleasant aspects of the way the Spanish treated Protestants at that time.

Although I quite liked Robyn, and felt some sympathy for her situation, I liked Frieda's character more, and admired the way she was able to find an inner strength to help her succeed in overcoming the obstacles in her way.

I was initially drawn to this novel by the title, which intrigued me - I also love maps, and found the descriptions of how Frieda created them fascinating.

I will happily read more by this author - really liked her style of writing, attention to detail, and I love dual-timeline novels.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Historical fiction winner

I am a big fan of historical fiction, strong women characters, dual timeline fiction, etc...and "The Mapmakers Daughter" really hits my happy spot! I also enjoy learning a bit about different skilled trades and the detail on mapmaking are fascinating, as well as the rich descriptions of Elizabethan England. I am thrilled to find a new author, must find her backlist now!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

This is the third book I have read by Clare Marchant. She writes wonderful dual time novels that take place between the present day and Elizabethan England. Her latest novel was as good as the 1st two.

In the present is Robyn Willoughby, a young widow and journalist who has been living with her father in Hay-on- Wye, that wonderful book lover’s town. Her father owns a map shop and she has been helping out and quietly exisiting since the disappearance of her husband, a yachtmaster who disappeared on a race and is presumed dead. The seven year anniversary of his death is coming up and Robyn faces the painful task of formally declaring him dead, To take her mind off the task ahead, Robyn starts to investigate a Tudor era map that was found under another map iin her father’s shop.

In Tudor times is Freida Ortelius a member of a famous map making family. When she was a young girl she saw the soldiers of Phillip of Spain attack and kill her parents and neighbors. She was taken in by other members of the family in Amsterdam., and taught the art of mapmaking. When she is grown she marries a sea pirate who runs his ship between England and Amsterdam dodging the Spanish on his trips. They have settled in England and Freida, who suffers from PTSD from the childhood trauma of witnessing her parent’s murder just wants to live a quiet life, drawing and engraving maps for her family business., and raising her infant son. Freida however comes to the attantion of the Queen’s astrolger John Dee and he brings her to the Queen with a copy of a map she made. The Queen is intrigued and requests that Freida make a map of the coast of England for Sir Frances Drake, her favorite sea pirate, to help him defend England in case Phillip of Spain decides to invade. Freida complies. (She really has no choice).

The two time lines converge through Robyn’s investigation and the past and present meet for a satisfying ending. Once again Ms. Marchant has written a great dual time novel with mystery, history and interesting characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

A historical novel with dual time lines, and a connection between two women, centuries apart, involving a map, is the starting point here, but what a journey of discovery and intrigue awaits the reader.
Freida is living in Elizabethan England in the 1580’s, she is working for her Uncle as a cartographer, which is an unusual career for a woman in those times. She lives with her husband Willem, a sailor and privateer, he secretly supports William of Orange in his bid to take the Dutch Throne, and their son Jacob. As a child, Freida saw her parents murdered for being of the Huguenot religion, and she fled to the sanctuary of English soil.
Queen Elizabeth hears of her skills and commands her to make a map for Sir Francis Drake, that will keep him safely away from the Spanish ships, it must be throughly up to date, detailed, and done in secret, in case spies get wind of this endeavour.
Robyn is the modern day woman. She is living with her father, in his bookshop in Hay on Wye. He deals in antique maps and old prints. Robyn was widowed nearly seven years ago, still deeply in grief, and seemingly unable to move on in life. She and her father find an old map hidden in a box, and Robyn decides to do some detective work to find out who made the map and whom was the intended recipient. As she finds out more about the past events of the map and it’s creator, she starts to regain some enthusiasm and gradually comes to terms with her loss.
Elements of this novel are really stand out, there is a determined and brave female, who is willing to risk everything to keep her family safe, even as her loyalty is severely tested. Freida is a very likeable character, a wonderful role model.
Life at the Elizabethan court is so vividly described, the clothes, food and people who support the Queen, and those who are against her and her religion. The street life, the poverty, is grim, but the experiences of being on board a ship being pursued, is absolute fun and a bit scary!!
Robyn doesn’t seem to have the same strength of character, but quiet and subdued aside, when she begins to throw off her sorrow, it doesn’t disappoint.
I found this book to be full of likeable people, and the Tudor sections provide a gentle immersion into this period of history, especially events taking place abroad that compare and contrast in great detail. A good Young Adult read as well.
My thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK, for my advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review. A five star read.

Clare Marchant is one of my auto buy authors and I love her writing. This dual timeline story about Frieda and Robyn is cleverly written and brilliantly researched and I loved learning about the skill of cartography. The palace descriptions were beautifully detailed and I could image the opulence of the court as seen by Frieda. I loved the link between the two women with their loved ones so fascinated and drawn to the sea - the strength Frieda was able to give Robyn was really emotional and I loved how the map gave them both the courage to move forward.

If you've been here a while you'll probably know I'm a sucker for dual timeline historical fiction, especially those involving the Tudors.

I loved Clare's previous two books so it was a given that I would love The Mapmaker's Daughter. Since studying them last year I have noticed the Huguenots popping up a lot in novels I read & they are truly fascinating people. The religious persecution they suffered was horrific, the skills they brought to the UK when they fled were incomparable & this made for an excellent background to the book.

Clare's writing has an easy flow to it so even though you are jumping time periods you never lose track of the story & her occasional cliffhanger end of chapter is killer at driving you on for just a few more pages 🤣

I didn't connect with the characters quite as much as in her previous books, but I do think that is only because I was so invested in Tom in The Queen's Spy having met him in The Secrets of Saffron Hall that any character would have struggled to meet that.

I have loved Clare’s writing since I read an ARC of The Secrets of Saffron Hall, then The Queen’s Spy and now this, Clare’s third book.

What a talented storyteller this lady is. Her writing always has me completely absorbed.

In this dual timeline book, two women centuries apart are connected by a map, and also by their husbands’ love of sailing.

In the present, Robyn’s husband was lost at sea during a yacht race and it is coming up to seven years. She needs to find the courage to officially declare him dead but she is struggling with letting go. She is working with her father in his shop when he finds an old map in the bottom of a box he didn’t know he had. Robyn takes it upon herself and draws upon her journalist knowledge to try to find the origin of the map.

In 1580 Freida is living in London after being rescued from Amsterdam where she witnessed her parents being murdered by the Spanish, simply for being Huguenots. She is following in the footsteps of her famous family of cartographers and is quickly gaining a name for herself as a competent cartographer in her own right. It is virtually unknown for a woman to achieve such status.
Freida lives with her husband and baby son in constant fear that the Spanish will come and murder her and her family. When she is reluctantly presented to the Queen, and requested to produce a special map for Francis Drake to help defend England against a possible Spanish invasion, she finds herself in danger from the Spanish Ambassador.
She must save herself and her family this time.
With her husband away from home for long periods of time due to sailing back and forth to Amsterdam with goods and letters for the residents of Lime Street, she needs more protection in order to carry out the Queen’s request. She is a strong and determined woman who will not back down but will this cost her everything she loves?


An engrossing read and I thoroughly enjoyed both timelines.

I was truly captivated and quickly turned pages while reading this book. The Story goes back and forth between two time periods- the present day and 1569.

In the 1569 era, we are introduced to Freida Ortelius living in London, England, who fled her homeland of Holland to escape persecution from the Spaniards. She is from a family of master mapmakers. Queen Elizabeth I is made aware of her skills and commissions a map from her to present to Sir Francis Drake to assist him in fighting the Spanish threat. The Spanish Ambassador stationed in London has become aware of Freida's talents, and soon she finds she is once again being targeted by the Spanish.

In the present day, we meet Robyn Willoughby, who has experienced much pain in her life. While working for her father in his antique map shop, she uncovers an ancient map that sends her searching for its origin and to understand what caused the blood stain.

I was hooked with this storyline. I loved the back-and-forth search for answers about the map. I also loved that this story highlighted a female mapmaker during a time when this was a male-dominated role. I was disappointed with the ending. (spoiler alert) There was a lot of build-up about the blood on the map, and I thought that one of the main characters might have met with a fatality—overall an entertaining story with good character development.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good story with a dual timeline and The Mapmaker’s Daughter is a brilliant example.
Freida is the daughter of a Dutch mapmaker and is forced to escape to London during the Spanish persecution of Huguenots in the 16th century. There she carries on her family tradition of mapmaking and her skills come to the attention of Queen Elizabeth. In the present day, Robyn is working in her father’s antique map and bookshop in Hay on Wye when she discovers an old map.
The story of Robyn’s investigation into the map while trying to come to terms with the disappearance of her husband runs in parallel with Freida’s life in London. She is given a commission by Queen Elizabeth but this brings her to the notice of the Spanish Ambassador and her life and that of her young son are in danger.
The majority of the book is concerned with Freida and the descriptions of life in London, Elizabeth’s court and the people she comes into contact with such as Doctor Dee and Sir Francis Drake are marvellous. I also loved the technical aspects of mapmaking and Freida’s love for what she does is clear. The threat of the Spanish is always present and the sense of danger is vividly portrayed.
I also loved the present day timeline. Robyn isn’t such a vivid character as Freida but her story was still compelling and her research into the map was fascinating.
I would definitely recommend this book to any lovers of historical fiction. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for my ARC. This review is purely my own thoughts and opinion.

Once again a great novel by Clare Marchant using the dual timeline to engae thr reader in her novel. The main character in the present is Robyn Willougby a widow who is reluctantly coming to the seven year anniversary of her husband being lost overboard from his round the world yacht and having to declare him dead. She has left their home and has settled in her father's flat above his Antique Map Shop and is finding it hard to decide what to do with her life. She comes across a Tudor map which has blood stains and begins to discover how such an unknown map has come to be. Meanwhile in 1569 Frieda Ortelius has gone to London sent by her cousin who protected her after her parents were killed as Hugenots by the Spanish troops occupying the Low Countries. Here she works as a cartographer with the cousins who produce maps dfor the sailors of the day and her work is highly valued by her family. Frieda has married one of the captains of the fleet known as Sea Beggars who work to protect trade between Holland and England whilst still attacking andd capturng any Spanish boats they encounter. Officially Elizabeth the First banns such men, but her favourite Francis Drake is one of them and she is delighted when he brings the bounty he has ceased from vessles -gold, silver and jewels. At Court the Queen has to allow the Spanish Ambassador to attend but she is wiley and knows he is seeking to spy on England and that a Spanish fleet may attack at any time. When Frieda is introduced at Court the Queen is intriqued and commisions a map to help Francis by mapping even the smallest inlets. How the two main characters link across the century and how they cope with decisions is carefully crafted so that the reader is on the edge of one's seat as the novel comes to its climax ! A skillful creation of the Tudor Court and the threat from Spain is clear set out. A great read.

I love historical fiction, especially those with a strong female character and I love a dual timeline as such, I truly loved this book, it’s such a spellbinding, heartbreaking and beautiful read.

The story is bound together by a map and told across two timelines 1569: where 20 year old Frieda is forced to flee Holland after the massacre of Huguenots. She starts a new life in London where her mapmaking skills result in her being asked by Queen Elizabeth to provide a map for Sir Francis Drake in the fight against the King of Spain. And current day where 36 year old mourning widow Robyn, in need of a project to distract her, finds a blood-stained Tudor map in her father's antique map shop and decides to investigate the origins of the map.

I wholeheartedly advise anyone who like me, adores historical fiction to pick up this book right away!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books Uk for the opportunity to read and review this compelling arc.

A fascinating dual time line story set in the present day and during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The story is well plotted and well researched, I like the two strong female characters and the mix of history, personal story, and intrigues.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I love a good historical novel and my favourite era is the Tudors so this was ticking all my boxes from page one. This is a duel timeline novel set in London, Amsterdam and Hay-on-Wye in 1569 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth and present day. Beautifully written and clearly well researched as the historical detail was wonderful. Two great characters in Robyn and Freida, although Freida seems the stronger of the two, with both women having had tragedy in their lives; I found their stories completely absorbing.

Briefly, Freida Ortelius is a talented cartographer working in London following her escape from Holland. Her life has been fraught with danger - as a child she saw her parents killed and now she has been asked to provide a map for Sir Francis Drake and persuade her husband to sail for England, a risky mission. More than 400 years later Robyn Willoughby finds a bloodstained map in her father‘s antique shop and decides to find out more about it, and what she discovers will change her life.

A very enjoyable read, well paced and a great plot line with the two stories meeting beautifully at the end. I particularly enjoyed the historical part of the book with the present providing a satisfactory support role. A great read for any historical novel lover or anyone who just wants a great read

Excellent story with really interesting historical details. I loved reading about map making in Elizabethan times, seafaring and intrigue at court.. It was all most enjoyable with a good story in both timelines. Good stuff

I wanted to enjoy this book but there was so much of it that simply didn’t gel with me. It was clear from the beginning that the late 1500s storyline would inform the 2022 one and obvious that a certain map would be the link.

Both main characters were annoying – Frieda because of the melodrama she partially created and Robyn because of her inability to help herself. They were both held back by their reliance on men. This is even reflected in the title of the book where the mapmaker in question was defined by her relationship with a man.

The most interesting parts of the story were the technical aspects of creating maps in the first storyline. I’m fascinated by maps and that’s what drew me to the story in the first place. Sadly, though, the novel was disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I loved this book. A dual-timeline read.

We meet two characters Frieda from the past and Robyn in the present.

In the 1500s Frieda is trying to protect her family from being mistreated by the Spanish in London. In the present, Robyn is mourning losing her husband and getting used to life without him. Both their worlds cross when Robyn finds a map in her fathers shop…. one that Frieda made and begins to look into who made it and when.

The story follow both their lives, one woman who started her life in Holland and moved to London after the massacre of Huguenots and the other working in her fathers map shop in Hay.

There is love, mystery and historical figures, in the story. The characters were relatable, even from the 1500s.

I highly recommend this book.