Lynne Francis

Ella’s Journey by Lynne Francis is first book in The Mill Valley Girls series. Ella Bancroft is ready for a new job after three years of working long hours with little pay. She arrives in York to work for Mr. & Mrs. Ward at Grange House. Ella sends a majority of her earning home to her mum who has four mouths to feed. Her family has had a hard time since the fire at the mill for which Ella’s sister, Alice was accused of setting. The family knows that Alice was innocent, but she perished before her trial. Ella is hoping to keep her association with the fire from her new employers. Unfortunately, Grace Ward discovers the connection and uses it to force Ella to concoct a love potion. Things (of course) go awry and Grace blames Ella for the debacle. Ella is sacked and returns to her family. The family is forced to move to a small cottage, and find a way to survive. How will the Bancroft family find a way to move forward? Who really set the mill fire?

Ella’s Journey is nicely written and has a good main character. Ella is a lovely (and realistic) character. She is a determined, bright young woman with a caring heart. The author did a good job at creating her characters. I enjoyed the story, but I thought the pace was too slow. Ella’s Journey could have used some fine tuning (it would have made a big difference). As the story progresses, the focus shifts from Ella to those in her family and circle of friends. I thought the author did a great job at capturing the time-period and what people in Ella’s social class experienced (very realistic). Ella’s Journey is the first book in a three-part series. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy reading Ella’s Journey.… (altro)