For years my friend, the writer Cynn Chadwick, had heard stories of her family's origin in the UK, as well as the interesting fact that her great grandmother Mary Anne had a somewhat checkered past. Indeed, had been officially labelled an Incorrigible Rogue.
Well. What's a writer to do? With this intriguing tidbit, Chadwick determined to find out more about her great grandmother, born in Lancashire, England in the 19th century. The author says, "She'd been known to me through family stories as: a fishwife, a drunkard, a whore, and a brawler. There were stories of a husband who fled her, a man who beat her, sons who dragged her from fights in pubs, and yet, something didn't ring true as she'd lived long and kept her family close."
So, Chadwick went to Lancashire to talk to family members and to immerse herself in the surroundings. As she pursued what bits of May Anne's history she could find, she came to the realization that what she was trying to do was to redeem Mary Anne by exploring the possible causes of her behavior.The novel is rich in incident and the setting is beautifully realized, thanks to the author's extensive on-site research. And Mary Anne is a terrific and sympathetic protagonist.Chadwick does an excellent job in redeeming her great grandmother, building on fragments of family legend and imagining the circumstances that produced the woman she began to know. It's a lively tale, a roller coaster of a life, and a redemption song to touch the heart.
