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A Respectable Trade (Paperback)

by Philippa Gregory (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; New edition edition (3 Jan 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0006473377
  • ISBN-13: 978-0006473374
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 3.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 7,188 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review

'The great roar and sweep of history is successfully braided into the intimate daily detail of this compelling and intelligent book' Penny Perrick, THE TIMES 'Philippa Gregory is a very good storyteller indeed' SUNDAY TIMES


Product Description

The devastating consequences of the slave trade in 18th century Bristol are explored through the powerful but impossible attraction of well-born Frances and her Yoruban slave, Mehuru. Bristol in 1787 is booming, from its stinking docks to its elegant new houses. Josiah Cole, a small dockside trader, is prepared to gamble everything to join the big players of the city. But he needs ready cash and a well-connected wife. An arranged marriage to Frances Scott is a mutually convenient solution. Trading her social contacts for Josiah's protection, Frances enters the world of the Bristol merchants and finds her life and fortune dependent on the respectable trade of sugar, rum and slaves. Once again Philippa Gregory brings her unique combination of a vivid sense of history and inimitable storytelling skills to illuminate a complex period of our past. Powerful, haunting, intensely disturbing, this is a novel of desire and shame, of individuals, of a society, and of a whole continent devastated by the greed of others.
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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
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2 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars powerful, 21 Nov 2007
This novel by Philippa Gregory takes a look at the slave trade in the period leading up to the abolition.
It tells the story of Mahuru, a high priest taken as a slave, and Francis Scott, the wife of the merchant who owns the slave ship that took him.
In an effort to increase his wealth, Francis's husband wishes to train the slaves as servants to be sold to wealthy families, and to Francis falls the task of teaching them English customs.
The characterisation in this novel is very superior. Mahuru is a kind, intelligent man who quickly masters the English language, but never loses sight of his heritage. But perhaps the most developed character is Francis, as she struggles between the ways of the English aristocrat that have been drilled in to her since childhood, and her growing empathy with those she must teach. Philippa Gregory handles this with skill, and those who have criticised Francis for wanting the best of both worlds, forget that far from being a woman ahead of her time, Philippa Gregory has taken the more original step of creating a woman very much of her time.
Her descriptions of the brutality the slaves had to endure are poignant and all the more disturbing for their accuracy. It is right that the story does not gloss over the behaviour of our ancestors, as a less dedicated writer of historical fiction might be tempted to do. This novel has the Philippa Gregory trade mark attention to detail and thorough painstaking research. I was quite moved to tears by the end.
A haunting novel well worth reading and rereading.
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41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous, 15 Feb 2004
By M. Raymond "muddlepuddlemerry" (Peterborough) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is a book i have come back to again and again. The period of history it covers is fascinating and was relatively unknown to me and the empathy with the characters is enormous. It is beautifully and skillfully written.
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58 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Well researched, 6 Jul 2002
By A Customer
I love Philippa Gregory's books, but I found myself worrying a little too much about the fate of the characters to really enjoy this novel. I felt sorry for the slaves that were kidnapped in Africa and brought to England and also for the disgusting way in which they were treated. However I also felt so sorry for Josiah, a small businessman-trader who owns a couple of small trading ships, who tries to better himself by marrying the niece of a titled gentleman. In order to be able to enjoy the privileges given to the bigger businessmen he joins their elite association and is eventually forced to turn to the slave trade to in the hope of increasing his profits. However, his wife pushes for greater riches and a bigger house and poor Josiah has to borrow more and more money against his small trading ships, even when he is not sure whether the return against them will be enough to cover his debts. Torn in two by his status-hungry wife and his business-headed sister, Josiah is led into a trap set for him by the rich tradesmen that he has come to trust, whereby he stands to lose everything he has striven to achieve. I had a knot in my stomach for most of the time that I was reading this book and I wanted to scream out a warning to Josiah, because I could foresee his potential downfall. The author has obviously well-researched the history of the slave trade and is able to make the atmosphere come alive. This book is very well written - so well written, in fact, that the fate of Josiah and his family became almost real! Engrossing!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A FORBIDDEN PASSION...
This is an intriguing book by the author, with a story line that is simple enough. Frances Scott, an impoverished thirty-four year old, gently reared daughter of a cleric, is left... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lawyeraau

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
I have read all of Ms Gregory's books and rate her highly as an author. Her books are well researched and she's a great storyteller. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Maviscruet

4.0 out of 5 stars Harrowing but compulsive
Sometimes I wonder about Phillipa Gregory. There is a darkness in her novels which can really shock you, and I found some scenes in this upset me so much I couldn't sleep, in... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Bunty

5.0 out of 5 stars A RESPECTABLE TRADE
this is a book you cannot put down,by the time you get to the end you want to find out more about this time in history
Published 8 months ago by Mrs. F. Badger

4.0 out of 5 stars An angry book which still sustains the 'us' and 'them'
This is, rightfully, an angry book that uncovers the British slave-trade and the inhumanities upon which empire is built. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Roman Clodia

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book, but...
I'll echo the reviews by others, but I want to add a note of warning for anyone purchasing a copy - I have an copy, bought new, that sat unread for far too long on my bookshelves... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Deb

5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid depiction of a historical tragedy
This is one of my favorite books. In addition to being an enjoable read,, one would learn well-researched historical facts about slave trade that deprived Africa of its sons and... Read more
Published on 4 Jul 2007 by Shirwan A. Mirza

5.0 out of 5 stars From the back cover....
Josiah Cole is a small dockside trader in 1787 Bristol -- a city where power and wealth beckon those who dare to take risks. Read more
Published on 5 April 2007 by Angel Silver

4.0 out of 5 stars You can always depend on a Gregory
Cracking, self-contained adventure that is informative and entertaining throughout. A rollercoaster ride towards doom, you might think, and although most of your worst fears are... Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2007 by I. Garbutt

4.0 out of 5 stars Josiah Cole - the Cliff Barnes of 18th-century Bristol?
I just finished this book in two days - like a terrible accident, it's hard to tear your eyes away from the devastation, but you watch and watch, hoping to see someone come out of... Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2007 by Voracious Reader

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