In the modern day, Mia is researching a book about Lady Brilliana Harley, a Puritan living during the English Civil War (and rather a remarkable woman in many ways). The story alternates between Mia's gradual recovery from the death of her partner and Brilliana's life as the Cavaliers & Roundheads become increasingly at odds, her husband is away at Parliament, and eventually, the king orders her castle to be seiged by local Roundhead lords.
As with many novels these days, the narrative slips back and forth between times, though this one even more than many, sometimes slipping back and forth within a given paragraph. Brilliana's story is often told using words from her letters (many of which survive, and she was a prolific letter writer) or in the style thereof, which means a little getting used to the language and spelling of the day.
I really enjoyed this; thought the interspersing of the worlds worked well, despite the very quick changes, and liked the delicate, distanced view of events sometimes present, even when inside a character's head.
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