Philippa Gregory's first novel and first in the bestselling Wideacre trilogy. A compelling tale of passion and intrigue set in the eighteenth century. From the author of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Virgin's Lover.

'If it was the way of the world that girls left home, then the world would have to change. I would never change.'

Wideacre Hall, set in the heart of the English countryside, is the ancestral home that Beatrice Lacey loves. But as a woman of the eighteenth century she has no right of inheritance. Corrupted by a world that mistreats women, she sets out to corrupt others. Sexual and wilful, she believes that the only way to achieve control over Wideacre is through a series of horrible crimes, and no-one escapes the consequences of her need to possess the land.

Sweeping, passionate, unique: 'Wideacre' is the novel which brought Philippa Gregory to bestselling fame and is the first of the trilogy which continued with 'The Favoured Child' and concluded with 'Meridon'.

About the Author

PHILIPPA GREGORY is one of the world's foremost historical novelists. She wrote her first novel, Wideacre, when she was completing her PhD in eighteenth-century literature. Wideacre was sold worldwide and heralded as a literary sensation on publication. The novel is the first in a trilogy, succeeded by The Favoured Child and Meridon.

The release of Wideacre launched Philippa Gregory as a new interpreter of historical fiction, one focused on women as active agents in a historical period. The bestselling Tudor Court and Cousins' War novels display her unrivalled talent in discovering the hidden stories, especially of women, in familiar history, skilfully combining period biographical research, psychological truth and fictional detail.

In 2016, Philippa was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers' Association. She graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent. She holds an honorary degree from Teesside University, and is a fellow of the universities of Sussex and Cardiff. She lives with her family on a small farm in Yorkshire and welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.

Reviews

Praise for Philippa Gregory:

"The eighteenth-century woman is a neglected creature but, in the figure of her heroine, Philippa Gregory has defined a certain kind of wildness...This is a novel written from instinct, not out of calculation, and it shows.' Peter Ackroyd, The Times

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

'Gregory's research is impeccable which makes her imaginative fiction all the more convincing.' Daily Mail

'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

'Subtle and exciting.' Daily Express

Book Information
ISBN 9780007230013
Author Philippa Gregory
Format Paperback
Page Count 608
Imprint HarperCollins
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 430g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 39mm