Off the Rails by Beryl Kingston - Revision history

Sue at 14:29, 31 August 2020

2020-08-31T14:29:50Z

Sue at 08:23, 6 April 2018

2018-04-06T08:23:18Z

Sue at 12:49, 1 December 2014

2014-12-01T12:49:18Z

Sue at 15:41, 10 January 2012

2012-01-10T15:41:51Z

Sue at 15:41, 10 January 2012

2012-01-10T15:41:08Z

Sue at 14:21, 20 November 2011

2011-11-20T14:21:50Z

Sue at 14:21, 20 November 2011

2011-11-20T14:21:00Z

Sue: Created page with '{{infobox |title=Off the Rails |sort=Off the Rails |author=Beryl Kingston |reviewer=Sue Magee |genre=Women's Fiction |summary=The story of George Hudson, the Railway King and of …'

2011-11-20T14:19:46Z

Created page with '{{infobox |title=Off the Rails |sort=Off the Rails |author=Beryl Kingston |reviewer=Sue Magee |genre=Women's Fiction |summary=The story of George Hudson, the Railway King and of …'

New review

{{infobox
|title=Off the Rails
|sort=Off the Rails
|author=Beryl Kingston
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Women's Fiction
|summary=The story of George Hudson, the Railway King and of the girl he didn't marry. A light and undemanding read but enjoyable.
|rating=3
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|paperback=
|hardback=1408808242
|audiobook=
|ebook=
|pages=224
|publisher=Robert Hale
|date=November 2011
|isbn=978-0709090953
|website=
|video=
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408808242</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1408808242</amazonus>
}}

A young girl from a Yorkshire village was weeping, begging her mother to be allowed just one more night at home, but the carter was waiting for her. The girl was fifteen, unmarried and pregnant. She was to go any stay with her aunt until the baby was born and she would be Mrs Smith whose husband had died at sea. The father of the baby was actually a village boy, George Hudson, who would prefer to pay a fine for bastardy than make an honest woman of the girl. He too ended up leaving home over the matter. In the years to come the paths of Jane, along with her daughter Milly, would cross and recross with Jane swearing that she would have vengeance.

Just about two centuries on we remember George Hudson as the Railway King. Living in York, where he had dragged himself up from nothing by any means possible, he was responsible for bringing railways to most of the country. He became fabulously wealthy, obese and deeply unpleasant - and he would get his comeuppance. All this is true and Beryl Kingston has seamlessly woven her story of Jane and Milly - and the people they would meet and love - into the far less pleasant story of George Hudson and it's very difficult to see where truth ends and fiction begins.

There's a particularly good evocation of York at the beginning of the nineteenth century and of the changes as York moved from being a rather outdated late Middle Ages town into the centre of a rail network in the early modern era. It's skillfully done and Hudson makes an excellent vehicle for the story. We've seen Kingston use this format before in [[Gates of Paradise by Beryl Kngston|Gates of Paradise]] when the life of the poet William Blake was the vehicle for a love story between two (fictional) servants.

I'll confess that I found the story of Jane Smith slightly dull after the initial furore over the birth of the baby. I couldn't help but think that she was often ''incredibly'' lucky in how things fell for her and her family. Life does work out this way for some people - but it doesn't make the best of stories. Hudson was the redeeming personality of the book for me and despite knowing his story quite well he kept me reading to the end to make certain that he got his due reward.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals then you might enjoy [[A Commercial Enterprise by Sandra Heath]] or [[The Wrong Miss Wilson by Sandra Wilson]].

{{amazontext|amazon=1408808242}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=sku}}

{{commenthead}}

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
-If this book appeals then you might enjoy [[A Commercial Enterprise by Sandra Heath]] or [[The Wrong Miss Richmond by Sandra Wilson]].
+If this book appeals then you might enjoy [[A Commercial Enterprise by Sandra Heath]] or [[The Wrong Miss Richmond by Sandra Wilson]].  You might also appreciate [[The Yearning Heart by Sylvia Broady]].
 {{amazontext|amazon=0709090951}}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=Off the Rails
 |author=Beryl Kingston
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |date=November 2011
 |isbn=978-0709090953
-|website=
+|cover=0709090951
-|video=
+|aznuk=0709090951
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0709090951</amazonuk>
+|aznus=0709090951
 }}

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 }}
-A young girl from a Yorkshire village was weeping, begging her mother to be allowed just one more night at home, but the carter was waiting for her.  The girl was fifteen, unmarried and pregnant.  She was to go and stay with her aunt until the baby was born and she would be Mrs Smith whose husband had died at sea.  The father of the baby was actually a village boy, George Hudson, who would prefer to pay a fine for bastardy than make an honest woman of the girl.  He too ended up leaving home over the matter.  In the years to come the paths of Jane, along with her daughter Milly, would cross and recross with Jane swearing that she would have vengeance.
+A young girl from a Yorkshire village was weeping, begging her mother to be allowed just one more night at home, but the carter was waiting for her.  The girl was fifteen, unmarried and pregnant.  She was to go and stay with her aunt until the baby was born and she would be Mrs Smith whose husband had died at sea.  The father of the baby was actually a village boy, George Hudson, who would prefer to pay a fine for bastardy than make an honest woman of the girl.  He too ended up leaving home over the matter.  In the years to come the paths of Jane, along with her daughter Milly, and George Hudson would cross and recross with Jane swearing that she would have vengeance.
 Just about two centuries on we remember George Hudson as the Railway King.  Living in York, where he had dragged himself up from nothing by any means possible, he was responsible for bringing railways to most of the country.  He became fabulously wealthy, obese and deeply unpleasant - and he would get his comeuppance.  All this is true and Beryl Kingston has seamlessly woven her story of Jane and Milly - and the people they would meet and love - into the far less pleasant story of George Hudson and it's very difficult to see where truth ends and fiction begins.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{infobox
 |title=Off the Rails
 |author=Beryl Kingston
 |reviewer=Sue Magee
@@ Line 9: / Line 8: @@
 |buy=Maybe
 |borrow=Yes
 |pages=224
 |publisher=Robert Hale
@@ Line 35: / Line 30: @@
 If this book appeals then you might enjoy [[A Commercial Enterprise by Sandra Heath]] or [[The Wrong Miss Richmond by Sandra Wilson]].
-{{amazontext|amazon=0709090951}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8744094}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=0709090951}}
 {{commenthead}}

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 |website=
 |video=
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408808242</amazonuk>
+|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0709090951</amazonuk>
-|amazonus=<amazonus>1408808242</amazonus>
+|amazonus=<amazonus>0709090951</amazonus>
 }}
@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 If this book appeals then you might enjoy [[A Commercial Enterprise by Sandra Heath]] or [[The Wrong Miss Wilson by Sandra Wilson]].
-{{amazontext|amazon=1408808242}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=sku}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=0709090951}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8744094}}
 {{commenthead}}