The Favoured Child and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more

Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
Buy Used
Used - Good See details
Price: £1.98

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Colour:
Image not available

 
Start reading The Favoured Child on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Favored Child (Wideacre Trilogy) [Paperback]

Philippa Gregory
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.51
Price: £9.45 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £1.06 (10%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Usually dispatched within 1 to 3 weeks.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition £4.99  
Hardcover --  
Paperback £6.29  
Paperback, Jun 2003 £9.45  
Audio, CD, Audiobook, Unabridged --  
Audio Download, Unabridged £32.09 or Free with Audible.co.uk 30-day free trial
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more.

Book Description

Jun 2003 Wideacre Trilogy

The second novel in the bestselling Wideacre Trilogy, a compulsive drama set in the eighteenth century. By Philippa Gregory, the author of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Virgin’s Lover.

The Wideacre estate is bankrupt, the villagers are living in poverty and Wideacre Hall is a smoke-blackened ruin.

But in the Dower House two children are being raised in protected innocence. Equal claimants to the inheritance of Wideacre, rivals for the love of the village, they are tied by a secret childhood betrothal but forbidden to marry. Only one can be the favoured child. Only one can inherit the magical understanding between the land and the Lacey family that can make the Sussex village grow green again. Only one can be Beatrice Lacey’s true heir.

Sweeping, passionate, unique: 'The Favoured Child' is the second novel in Philippa Gregory's bestselling trilogy which began with 'Wideacre' and concluded with 'Meridon'.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Frequently Bought Together

The Favored Child (Wideacre Trilogy) + Meridon (The Wideacre Trilogy: Book 3) + Wideacre (Wideacre Trilogy)
Price For All Three: £21.33

Some of these items are dispatched sooner than the others.

Buy the selected items together


Product details

  • Paperback: 614 pages
  • Publisher: Touchstone Books; Reprint edition (Jun 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743249305
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743249300
  • Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.4 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,215,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Product Description

Review

Praise for ‘The Favoured Child’:

‘For sheer pace and percussive drama it will take a lot of beating.’
Sunday Times

Praise for ‘Wideacre’:

‘This is a story of violent love and unsettling passions. It will never let you rest for a page as you wait for the climax that must come for the people and the land.’
Maeve Binchy

‘Amid all the social upheaval strides Beatrice Lacey, who, for singlemindedness, tempestuousness, passion, amorality, sensuality and plain old-fashioned evil, knocks Scarlet O’Hara into short cotton socks.’
Evening Standard

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

The Wideacre estate is bankrupt, the villagers are living in poverty and Wideacre Hall is a smoke-blackened ruin.

But in the Dower House two children are being raised in protected innocence. Equal claimants to the inheritance of Wideacre, rivals for the love of the village, they are tied by a secret childhood betrothal but forbidden to marry. Only one can be the favoured child. Only one can inherit the magical understanding between the land and the Lacey family that can make the Sussex village grow green again. Only one can be Beatrice Lacey's true heir.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
I am an old woman now. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mysticism, romance, turbulence, rivalry, passion - a gripping historical novel. It is a shock to discover such a great author that I've been missing out on! What a great writer Philippa Gregory is.

The Favoured Child is a sequel to a book called Wideacre, but can equally as well be read on its own. I was over halfway through the book before I realised that I was reading the second book in a series. The story is set in late-eighteenth-century England, on a run-down landed estate on the South Downs, called Wideacre. The estate suffers from a legacy left by the previous Lacey landowner, Beatrice, who perished along with her beloved Wideacre Hall in a suspicious fire a few years previously. The estate is now bankrupt, the village poverty stricken, resentments are felt throughout the estate and this is the inheritance of the next two Lacey heirs, cousins Julia and Richard. The cousins have been growing up together under the protection of Julia's mother and family, in the shadow of the blackened ruins of the Hall, and with little money and just each other for company - friends, rivals and secretly betrothed since childhood, their relationship is a tempestuous one. Although they are to inherit jointly, there is an old saying in the village that only one can be the favoured child, only one of them can have the mystical relationship with the land traditionally passed down to each generation, a connection with the land that can bring fertility and prosperity back to the Wideacre estate; in truth only one of them can be the true Lacey heir.

I picked up this novel on a whim and am so glad I did. I used to read quite a lot of historical fiction and then gave them up when I found the plots were becoming quite thin and reedy, or too similar to each other. But now I've discovered Philippa Gregory I shall definitely be reading some more of her novels. There is nothing predictable about The Favoured Child. The historical background is superb (without being overly detailed) - the history does not intrude on the novel, it just adds to its richness and sense of drama. I'm looking forward to reading the final book of the trilogy, Meridon.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Dispiriting novel from a usually engaging author 20 Jan 2010
By Bookish
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having been introduced to Philippa Gregory via the brilliant and compelling 'Other Boleyn Girl' I was keen to get my hands on as many of her other books as possible. So far so good until I started reading the Wildacre trilogy. The first title in the series was gripping albeit dominated by unlikeable characters and miserable plotlines of incest and murder! I began 'The Favoured Child' in the hope that with the villains of the first book out of the way it would be a little more light-hearted and hopeful. Nope, still thoroughly depressing! My biggest issue is how Julia, the 'heroine' of the story keeps harping on about how much she loves Richard despite the fact he is a bully, rapist and serial killer. I liked her much more in the Bath chapters and was hoping that she would develop into a stronger and more powerful force in Wildacre. Instead I became increasingly more irritated with her as the book went on.

The Wildacre Trilogy was written much earlier in PG's career and I would recommend sticking with her more recent books, particularly those based around the Tudors. I am as yet undecided about reading the third Wildacre novel, only because I want to know how it all ends.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars not good...unfortunately 25 April 2010
By nona
Format:Paperback
When I stumbled over "the other Boleyn girl" a few years back I was delighted to discover Philippa Gregory. I gulped that book up in a few days and read the whole Henry 8th series in one go. Since i have dipped into some of her earlier work and also recently bought a few of her newer ones ("the white queen" and others) but have been very disappointed. Her newer work retain her flowing prose but have become slightly dull. The earlier stuff is pretty terrible though. The Favoured child initially caught my interest but it is veeeeery long and about one third into the book i was struggling. The story is unbelievable and inconsistent throughout. The prose is unsure and there are too many repetitions of phrases and even long sections. It was lightly entertaining but stick to the Henry the 8th stuff and you will get Gregory at her best
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars good read
excellent story, follows onfrom Wideacre. must read next installment asap. Philippa gregory is a brilliant writer, holds the atention and suspence.
Published 26 days ago by di
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!!
Yet another great book from Philippa Gregory couldn't put it down, well written felt like part of the family can't wait to start the final book in trilogy!!!
Published 1 month ago by tanya
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic trilogy
Didn't dislike anything about these 3 books. After reading the first part of the story, you can't wait to read the second and third.
Published 2 months ago by cheryl onraet
4.0 out of 5 stars Part two of trilogy
I thought I could predict how the story would develop. I was wrong. Looking forward to reading the final part.
Published 2 months ago by kay harper
5.0 out of 5 stars Not your average regency novel
When I started this book I immediately thought I would enjoy it more than Wideacre but by the time I got to the final third of the book Julia had turned from the strong young woman... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Judder
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Simply amazing... could not put down!! Interesting to see how the wideacre characters developed. Julia lackey is so admirable...do buy
Published 3 months ago by Kelly Pyart
5.0 out of 5 stars Sequel to Wildacre
Having read and enjoyed the first book in the series I just had to read the sequel which was just as enjoyable. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Supernanny
3.0 out of 5 stars The Favoured Child
A bit boring at times but did get interesting about half way through. Not up to her usual standard in my opinion.
Published 4 months ago by Kathleen Deans
5.0 out of 5 stars iteresting read
I have only started to read this second book in the Wideacre trilogy but im hooked!
I find all of Philippa Gregory's work very well written and this is a shining example.
Published 5 months ago by Miss RL Palmer
1.0 out of 5 stars favoured child
i am a big fan of pg, read most of her books. but this book is the worst i have ever read. it took ages to read it was soooo boring. Read more
Published 7 months ago by blondie
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Discussion Replies Latest Post
Great Authors who are ignored probably because they haven't been on a reality show 80 1 minute ago
What are you reading now? 8092 2 minutes ago
Cant seem to get into another book!!!! 5783 2 minutes ago
Looking for books like Slammed, Beautiful Disaster, Easy, 7371 40 minutes ago
Please keep self promo for the Meet Our Authors Forum! 444 1 hour ago
Self-published books: pain or gain? 6009 1 hour ago
Books set in or around the Caribbean? 12 1 day ago
Run out of favourite authors - looking for some new historical fiction. Recommendations please. 493 2 days ago
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges