Read in 2022 - 9: Illingworth House

Illingworth House by John Waddington-Feather is the first part of a trilogy of historic novels set in West Yorkshire. It centers on the Illingworth family, mill owners who became rich during the industrial boom of the mid-1800s. The first book starts in 1910 with the birth of John Illingworth, son to Abe and Rachel.

Much of the book is about Abe, who finds (and eventually loses) his only true love outside his marriage. A large cast of characters orbit the Illingworth family; people who depend on them for their livelihood, some of them showing great loyalty, while others become enemies. There does not seem to be much room for friendship in their world; it's all about class and business, about increasing their wealth and influence. Some handle that better than others, but they are all linked to Illingworth House and the nearby industrial town.

This first book spans the period of 1910 - 1930, with some references to past events where these serve to explain actions and events in the story. Everything has an impact on the lives of the Illingworths and the others: The first World War, the Spanish Flu, the "Golden Twenties" and economic crisis, the rise of workers' unions, and much more.

There really is a lot in this book I liked; I can't say I have a favourite character, but I did want to know how their lives developed and what was going to happen to them next. In many instances, the author reveals the general outline of his cast's future; for instance, reference will be made as to how happy a newly married couple are, "but not for long" - or the other way round, something like "but when she did eventually marry, it was someone completely different".

At first, those "mini spoilers" annoyed me, but then I began to see them as part of the book, spanning the arch of time into future chapters or books. When I began reading, I was not aware of it being part I of a trilogy, but now that I have started, I shall look for the other two (this one was a free ebook at the Kindle shop).

There is a lot of history, and I am sure the author put a good amount of research into his book. Sometimes its style reminded me of "The Valley".

The author's page on Amazon gives you a good idea of John Waddington-Feather and his work. I am looking forward to reading more.