The Brideship Wife
Leslie Howard
Canada: Toronto, Ontario MSA 1J3 (Simon & Schuster, Inc.)
2020
ISBN: 978-1-5082-5936-7 (ebook)
Genre: Historical fiction


While America’s mail-order brides have gotten lots of attention, it turns out that Canada had something similar—brideships. These vessels carried groups of English women, who were from various walks of life and who had no other means of getting married, to the British Canadian frontier, where there were plenty of men.

And Charlotte was a passenger on one of these. She was fleeing her disgraced social standing caused mainly by her brother-in-law’s political ambitions. Charlotte was supposed to entice and marry an upcoming influential English politician, but instead that politician took advantage of her. With no one to support her, she was forced to take passage on a brideship.

Aboard the ship were several classes, and Charlotte gets to know all of them because she is determined to be useful. As she assists the ship’s doctor, she learns about the life of women outside her social sphere, and it opens her eyes and enables her to make friends she never would have been able to make in England.

Author Howard has given us a well-researched look at the frontier of Canada with its own gold rush and the pioneering settlers. Although the upper classes wished to keep their status, there was room for the lower classes to find a better life for themselves, and the enterprising among them did. The proximity to the United States and its gold rush brings out quite a social contrast between Americans and British, which it would have been fun to hear more about.

This is a very interesting look at a situation not so well known. There are some parts of the story that are unrealistic, but they do not detract from its overall impact.

Reviewed by Barbara Lingens

I had never heard of the British Brideships prior to reading this novel. This story was well written and rich in detail. I enjoyed reading the history of Canada and found the plot to every engaging.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was totally in love with this for about 50%!

I enjoyed the parts in England and on the ship but I started to lose interest once the Charlotte ended up in Canada. I'm not sure if it was a lack of one of the other characters that bugged me or just the fact that the overall era in Canada has never interested me but I definitely struggled to care.

I desperately wish we got a bit more at the end with Charlotte and another character as that seemed rushed. But I guess that's typical for me, the end always feels rushed!

Overall the book is well written and well researched it was really just a matter of my personal interest or lack thereof in the history that made this book a 3 vs 4 star read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

As a new lover of Historical Fiction, I found that this was a bit of a slow read for me at first. It gradually kept and held my attention as the story progressed and Leslie Howard's ability to capture the English Victorian era, along with the Canadian terrain and life, was quite well done. The main character, Charlotte Harding and her voyage to the New World on a "BrideShip" was an incredible adventure with just enough suspense, twists and a really well written ending to bring the novel to a close. I learned a lot from this novel about a time that was definitely not studied, but has shown to be well researched.

I am honoured and grateful to have received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Those who know my reading tastes know I grew up on historical fiction – Laura Ingalls Wilder was a close companion in my formative years, alongside Anne of Green Gables, and others as the year went by. Even now as I’ve matured (ha!) my reading tastes have expanded to some degree, but a well-written work of historical fiction will always have a special place on my shelf, and of even more prominence if it has ties to Canadian history.

Simon & Schuster Canada approved my NetGalley request for the soon-to-be-released title, The Brideship Wife, by author Leslie Howard. Inspired by the history of the British “brideships,” this captivating historical debut tells the story of one woman’s coming of age and search for independence—for readers of Pam Jenoff’s The Orphan’s Tale and Armando Lucas Correa’s The German Girl.

Amid mad bursts of baking and a well-overdue tidy & sort project, I have spent the last few days curled up in the company of Charlotte and a supporting cast of characters as they travel from the upper echelons of British society with it’s restrictive double-standards and scandals to the lawless lands of early British Columbia with promises of independence and opportunity. This novel was illuminating, heartfelt, infuriating, heartbreaking, and overall just so delightful to read.

The author touches on so many aspects of history that it’s easy to forget about in the romanticism of days gone by. She brings to light little-known aspects of the settling of British Columbia and history of Canada – not all of it as wonderful as we would like. Her characters are well-developed, the story is well-paced, and every page is a wonder of descriptive narratives that will move you back in time. This is a highly recommended read and I truly hope to see it on a number of bestsellers lists across Canada, perhaps keeping company with The Forgotten Home Child – another beautiful work of historical fiction from a Canadian perspective. Regardless of whether you’re from our Great White North or any far reaches across the globe, you’ll enjoy this peek into a women’s quest for independence and the experiences that shape her.

Leslie Howard grew up in Penticton, British Columbia, where she developed a passion for the province’s history. A graduate of Ottawa’s Carleton University in economics and political science, she now divides her time between Vancouver and Penticton, where she and her husband grow cider apples. The Brideship Wife is her debut novel. Connect with her on Twitter @AuthorLeslieH or on her website LeslieHoward.ca.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read and review this title. Watch for it to hit shelves on May 5th!

The Brideship Wife was a wonderful historical fiction novel about something I'd never heard of, single English women travelling to Canada to marry or start an independent life. The characters were relatable and likeable, and I really liked the author's writing style. I look forward to reading more of her books, as this is her debut novel. I would definitely recommend!

As soon as I saw this utterly gorgeous cover on Netgalley, and read what the book was about, I knew I had to request it and thankfully I was approved!

While I love historical fiction, I tend to only read 4-6 of them per year since the subject matter is so heavy and typically sad. Even though this book had its share of hard times and sadness, it didn’t make me feel that typical sense of heaviness, which made me love it so much. It was so easy to read and the writing just flowed so smoothly. I was invested in Charlotte’s life and honestly usually had no idea what to expect next. There was definitely a heavy helping of suspense for a historical fiction.

The two cons I have about the book:
1. The writing and grammar was pretty sloppy throughout the entire book. Hopefully there will be some heavy editing done before actual publication.
2. There were a few times when I felt like things that happened might have been a little too convenient, or might have been a little more glossed over than I thought was actually appropriate for the situation.

Overall I really loved this book and would recommend to historical fiction fans. I was also very excited about the author’s note in the back of the book that talked about the author’s real life connection to these stories, as well as more info about where she pulled her storylines from.

In newly established colonies, predominantly populated with single men, crime and immoral activities abounded. Social reformers and church leaders believed the way to tame these behaviors was to be provide young marriageable women. The Columbia Emigration Society, of which Charles Dickens was a member, provided free passage to maids, mill workers and others in hopes of improving behavior. Women came from all over England in hopes of a better life. In 1862, sixty women were provided passage to Victoria (now British Columbia) on the S.S. Tynemouth. Upon arrival women either stayed in Victoria, or moved on to Vancouver or small gold mining towns. This historical event sets the premise for the novel.

Charlotte is twenty-one with few appealing marriage prospects and a desire to do something more with her life. Her sister Harriet’s ambitious husband pressures her to charm a powerful political ally, but things go terribly wrong. Charlotte and Harriet are booked passage on the S.S. Tynemouth.

Without giving too much away, the story is told in three parts; London life, the voyage, and arrival in the new land. Part 1, is story that has been told countless times before. The voyage was interesting, but was disproportionately long and not as engaging. Part 3, in the new land, was rushed and could have been so much more.

I prefer historical fiction that educates as well as entertains. When the author included historical details, the story was at its best. She obviously conducted a lot of research and I wanted to benefit from that! The dialogue did not seem true to the time period and was a bit uneven. The drama was not overwhelmingly dark and I appreciated that. For a first novel, Howard wrote a book that was a quick, light read. I give it 3.5 stars.

Now, off to read more historical documents about this particular brideship.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for this eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

A big thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Leslie Howard for the ARC of The Brideship Wife
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, Bravo to this debut author, well done., I could not put this book down
This was a lovely story about two sisters and their travels from England to British Columbia in 1860's and the events that took place during their travels. Harriet is married and is trying to conceive so that she can provide her husband with an heir, however back in the day if women weren't married by the time they were in their early twenties there was a risk that they wouldn't marry at all. So through the course of events Charlotte decides that she is going to make the voyage by ship to find a new life in British Columbia and Harriet decides to accompany her. I found this a very educational intriguing story. I learned some history of the British culture and of new immigrants to Canada. This novel was very well written, characters well introduced, story line easy-to-follow, I very much enjoyed this book and would read more novels by this author

The Brideship Wife is a captivating book, rich in history, and with a main character who exemplifies courage and resilience. I love when historical fiction takes me to a place and time that I’ve never heard of, teaching me about a culture and a way of life, while also entertaining me and touching my heart.

If you are looking for a really unique historical fiction novel, this is your book! I love reading historical fiction novels that are set around subject matter I don't really know very much about so I can learn while I read, and The Brideship Wife had a lot of that! This is the story of a woman's coming of age and the story of the boats that would leave and take women to potential new husbands in the New World, or more specifically in Canada.

A lot of people who were on the journey to the new world were hoping that life would be significantly better in the Americas, only to realize struggles follow you everywhere. I enjoyed reading about this and Charlotte's journey to find herself in the new world. I would definitely recommend for anyone who is interested in seeing a side of early colonization history that isn't written about as often!

It’s the mid-19th century, and Charlotte, at 21-years old, is desperate to find a husband. Well, she isn’t that excited about it, but her sister and brother-in-law, high society people, are insisting. The match they want her to make, however, is a jerk, to put it mildly. But, Charlotte doesn’t have a lot of options, until she finds out about a “brideship”. England is sending unmarried women to the colonies in the New World, specifically to Vancouver Island and British Columbia, in what would later become Canada, to provide the men there with potential wives. Although Charlotte is initially hesitant, she ends up on one of the ships...

I really liked this. I liked Charlotte – she is more independent than many women at the time, I think – certainly those of her social class. Although quick to read is nice, I did feel like the book could have gone into more detail/spent more time on many of the topics.

As I always hope for, the author did include a note at the end where she talks about where she learned of many of the issues she covered in the book, including treatment of women, social classes, smallpox in the Native population, the gold rush towns in BC, the culture in those towns, as well as the tendency toward fire in the buildings, and more. She also provided a master list (can’t think of what it’s called) of actual women who sailed on one of the brideships (she used many of the names). Many of the things that happened in the book were events happened to someone in real life.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The real story behind the Brideships was interesting, as I didn’t know anything about it. The book is divided into three parts, London, then the voyage on the ship then British Columbia. I found the book boring at times and forced myself to get through it in order to be able to write a review. A lot of the story was unbelievable,especially in the third part of the book. The expected happy ending was also totally unrealistic.
Overall, I am generous giving this book three stars.

A strong woman finds her happiness

The Brideship Wife is one of the best historical Romance books I have read in a long time. It is exciting, tragic, romantic and inspiring. It has much rich history about an area I knew nothing about. I learned so much historically from this book about the British Columbia gold rush before it became Canada. The author wrote in such a way that you experiences the sights and sounds of this era, the small mining towns, the roughness and the beauty.

I could almost feel the spray from the falls and smell the smoke from the fire. The details of the clothing worn by both the English elite and their snobby ways was so descriptive as was that of the workhouse girls on the ship from England. The characters were colorful and realistic. I loved every one of them, even the ones I disliked.

The main character Charlotte is a strong woman and fights for her own life in an era where women are married for life and position and they do what men tell them to do. She fights to be independent and live her own life on her terms.

This book kept me reading until the end, I enjoyed reading it and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Leslie Howard, Simon and Schuster Canada, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and advanced copy for an honest review.

This was a good story of a very poor young woman who grew up in London's slums and became one of the women to go on one of the bride ships. She had decided that she did not wish to marry but wanted to earn a living. I enjoyed this book. I hope to read more from this author.

At first, I kind of enjoyed the melodrama aspects -- in the first few pages, our heroine is informed she must marry well, but her suitor turns out to be a serial rapist who threatens social ruin of her entire family! Her poor old governess' whips out a family heirloom emerald ring and gives it to our heroine! But our heroine doesn't seem to have any motivations or interests, besides bumping into key players and overhearing key info. She bumps in to Evil Cousin, who monologues on Poor Relations and her sad life as unpaid governess, then she bumps into the serial rapist, who threatens ruin. RUIN! She bumps into Charles Dickens. She happens to see her BiL having dinner with a lovely young widow, and just happens to overhear way too many personal conversations for credulity. I love a good historical drama, but this was just too much random drama for me.

I was blown away by this book; I couldn't put it down and I read it in a single afternoon. I grew up in a city near Leslie Howard and I have been to Barkerville, but I had never heard of the Brideship Wives. I thought the story was fascinating and really well done, I was able to sink right into it and feel Charlotte's stress and uncertainty the whole way through. It has definitely made me interested in visiting some of the museums and historical sites relating to this topic, and I look forward to reading more pieces by her.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for a copy to read and review. This book tells the story of Charlotte as she travels to England on the Brideship to British Columbia. The historical aspect of it was interesting and the details that described their voyage. There was a lot of drama that happens in the book as well. It was an interesting book but a little too much drama for me. Comes our May 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Brideship Wife by Leslie Howard is her first novel, bravo! It is a pleasure to discover a new Canadian author and it's a bonus that its about a little known chapter of Canadian history. A wonderful read, the story moves from England to British Colombia. This story is weaved through a beautiful story and historical facts seamlessly. Its the story of a young woman who has to leave behind a world with social norms that leave women vulnerable and at a disadvantage. While having no choice but to relocate in an unknown new land, she plans on deciding for herself what her future will be. Thank you Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Brideship Wife by Leslie Howard is an excellent book - perfect escapism during these crazy, uncertain times. Charlotte is a twenty-one year old spinster, living with her well-to-do older sister, Harriet, in Victorian England. Their mother died young, with gambling debts and their father passed away when they were older - poor business decisions leaving them almost penniless. Victorian Society dictates that Charlotte must be married soon or resign herself to spinsterhood and life as a governess or nanny on the edges of the elite. Fortunately Harriet made a successful match in Charles Baldwin, but he's much more interested in politics than money and cares very little about Charlotte. The Baldwins are hosting a garden party in hopes to set Charlotte up with the portly, self-absorbed George Chalmers and settling her fate for good. Things go horribly wrong and Charlotte's only recourse is to flee England on a "Brideship" headed to Victoria, Canada. There are scores of unmarried men there thanks to the gold rush and its Charlotte's last chance to make a suitable match. Sadly, Harriet is forced to join her as she has been able to provide Charles with an heir and he soon files for divorce. But Charlotte is not your typical Victorian society woman. She has other interests like veterinary medicine - gasp! - and soon finds herself assisting the ship's doctor on the three and a half month voyage to Victoria. Charlotte is enjoying some independence but is shocked to find that life in Victoria is not quite what it was presented to be.

Howard obviously did loads of research for this book which is her debut novel. I was transported to Victorian England and even got a little seasick reading about the voyage. I know next to nothing about Canadian history and found the discussion on colonization and the politics very interesting, even as I was horrified by the treatment of the indigenous people and women of all races. This is an entertaining and very enjoyable book. There is a discussion with the author at the end as well as citations for sources Howard used in crafting the tale. She was also kind to include book club discussion questions. The Brideship Wife is an excellent book for anyone who enjoys a great read. I highly recommend it!!! Another great Mother's Day gift if you're so inclined.