I read Clare Marchant’s two previous books and was delighted to receive an ARC of her third.

In this dual timeline book we have two leading ladies. In the 1500s, Frieda Ortelius, is living with her young son and Sea Beggar husband in London. Descended from a family of map makers, her parents were killed in front of her as a child. Frieda’s story centres around her life and work as a cartographer when she is asked to create a map for Sir Francis Drake by Queen Elizabeth.

In the present day, Robyn is living in Hay-on-Wye with her father. We soon learn her husband was lost at sea and she is struggling to accept his presumed death. When an old map is found in their shop, they have no idea of it’s provenance. Robyn is determined to learn the history and embarks on a research quest to discover the origins of this beautiful and mysterious map.

I very much enjoyed this story. I preferred the historical chapters as I found Frieda such a strong and inspiring character. I understood why Robyn was more damaged, but I admit to feeling quite impatient with her! That said, I enjoyed the journey that both perspectives took me on.

This book is well paced and written with great accuracy of detail, allowing a very clear picture of the court of Queen Elizabeth to emerge. I found it fascinating! I would recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction without hesitation. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.