The Surgeon’s Daughter is actually the sequel to The Girl in His Shadow but members found it unnecessary to read the first book to enjoy the second as a stand-alone novel.
Joseph Banks (1743-1820) was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences.
Members were less effusive about this title than was the case with last month’s book. We found the stories of the women quite interesting
Members all gave this book 9/10 – unusual for us. We described it as uplifting, confidence-building, humorous, a good plot with several good subplots and great characters
Members were unconvinced by this novel. None of us liked the main character, Margot, and found her behaviour both professionally as a psychologist
Members agreed that reading this novel was enjoyable, like watching a detective show such as Midsomer Murders or Death in Paradise.
Members were delighted with this book, saying it was their favourite of the books we have read over the years and that they would read it a second time.
One member got sick of ‘staring up the fannies of women giving birth’ in this novel.
Members enjoyed this engaging, humorous story about the broke dairy farmer Tom Murray who decides the bank won’t have his house and burns it to the ground, but sadly manages to kill himself in the process.
Some of us found the book a bit slow initially and hard to get into. Others were keen to find out whether The Promise of the title is kept, given the self- absorbed characters in the novel.
