In the mid seventeenth century, England was divided by war and bloodshed. Torn apart by rival factions, father opposed son and brother met brother on the battlefield. But while civil war raged on cobbled streets and green fields, inside the home domestic life continued as it always had done. For Ann Fanshawe and her children, it meant a life of insecurity and constant jeopardy as she and her husband, a Royalist diplomat, dedicated their lives to the restoration of the Stuart monarchy. In this uncertain world, Ann's 'receipt book' was a treasured and entirely feminine response to the upheavals of war. These books were a feature of women's lives during this period, when there were few doctors to be found, and were full of life-saving medical knowledge that had been gleaned from mothers and friends. Remarkably, Ann's morocco-bound book full of scraps of ink-stained paper has survived to this day.
Using Ann's receipt book and the memoirs she wrote for her surviving son, Lucy Moore follows her through this turbulent time as she leaves home, marries, bears-and buries-children and seeks to hold her family together. Lady Fanshawe's Receipt Book brilliantly brings to life Ann's struggles and her joys, revealing how ordinary women across the country fought to protect their loved ones in the face of conflict.
"'Fascinating... A vivid account of how desperate women, without a scientific theory of disease fought infection, illness and accident... Moore has served her heroine well in an account that honours the ineffectual and the potent recipes, the setbacks and victories of a fascinating life.'"
Philippa Gregory
"'A lively and sympathetic account of what life was like during the Commonwealth for those who stayed loyal to Charles I until his execution, and followed his son into exile... Moore's prose is witty. Her book is full of arresting detail and thoughtful comment.'"
