Hughesdon, Beverley

(British, 1943– )

Hughesdon was born in Surrey and studied history at Manchester University. After some years spent teaching she began to write historical romances, and her Song of Songs (1988) was published to critical and popular acclaim. The novel is set in the first quarter of the twentieth century, and tells the story of Helena who gives up her aristocratic life to nurse soldiers in France. The authentic background and emotional richness make the book a compelling read. Hughesdon's Roses Have Thorns (1992) and Silver Fountains (1994) are companion volumes, again set in and around the First World War, and are based on the myth of Beauty and the Beast.

Margaret Mitchell, Winifred Holtby  SA