Shortlisted for the Woman’s Weekly best romantic novel written in the last 50 years.
January 2010 Good Housekeeping selection.
On My Bookshelf by Wendy Holden...
My third choice, A Woman Of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford (HarperCollins), is, I believe, the greatest achievement in modern women’s commercial fiction writing to date. The heroine (as almost everyone knows) is Emma Harte, who begins her working life as a scullery maid and ends up running a global retail empire, via much heartbreak and mistakes with men along the way. It’s not only a rags-to-riches rattling good read, but it’s also about a strong and inspiring woman, which is a rare thing in modern fiction – all too often the heroines are middle-class wimps.
The Good Housekeeping view...
It is 30 years since Emma Harte, downtrodden housemaid who parlayed a small shop into the world’s greatest department store, first stormed into our consciousness as a woman of no mean substance. Barbara Taylor Bradford’s heroine was ruthless, ambitious, driven; she loved only one man, a man she could never marry; she outplayed all her enemies and exacted terrible revenge; but through it all, she was warm-hearted. And now there is a purple velvet celebration of its phenomenal success (31 million copies in print). The hardback limited edition (of which there are only 750 copies) comes complete with the Harte family tree and a ‘Life In Pictures’ section. Perfect for power-seeking, shoulder-padded friends and relatives. It will be made available via Barbara’s web site at www.barbarataylorbradford.co.uk.
| Primary Genre | Family Drama |
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