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ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho in Books

May 7, 2024  
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho
Paterson Joseph | 2023 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho was a real eye opener of a novel. I listened to the audiobook, read so well by the author, Paterson Joseph.

This is the true story of Charles Ignatius Sancho, fictionalised somewhat, but only so that the modern day reader can begin to grasp what living in London as a black ex-slave in the mid-1700’s would have been like. And whilst Sancho may have had a more privileged life than most, it wasn’t his own life to live until he ran away from his first owners - sisters who used him as their entertainment.

Charles has a fear of the slave catcher, and rightly so, as they could kidnap any black person and sell them into slavery - whether they had escaped or been freed. These men were a constant threat.

Charles though, catches the eye of a duke who helps him to become educated, and he even works for the King for a while. He ends his life as a business owner and the first black person to vote in Britain. All of this from a life begun on a slave ship.

I don’t think it really matters how much of this book was fictionalised - we can never exactly know what went on in his head, but we can have a fair guess - and I like to think that Paterson Joseph has really caught the essence of the real Charles Ignatius Sancho. I liked Charles very much, and the love he shows for his son through the letters included in the novel are so touching.

I’d recommend this book, it’s a great read (or listen - I can definitely vouch for that!).
  
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ClareR (5603 KP) rated Dishonour and Obey in Books

Oct 26, 2020  
Dishonour and Obey
Dishonour and Obey
Graham Brack | 2020 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thank goodness Master Mercurius is back! He might not like the idea (he’d rather be with his books at the University of Leiden), but I most certainly do!

This time, it’s 1676 and Stadhouder William of Orange wants Mercurius to join the delegation going to England to interview his possible future wife. This future wife is the 14 year old niece of King Charles II, and William wants to make sure that she’s a good Protestant - and not a Catholic like her father. Of course, nothing seems to ever run smoothly for Mercurius, and this trip is no exception. It’s not long before Mercurius is required to use his powers of deduction when one of the Dutch party is found dead. And he has clearly been murdered.

It’s no secret that I love these books. Mercurius’ reluctant humour really appeals to me, and this observational humour is used when we look at King Charles and his court. Mercurius’ observations of the royal court and their loose morals is, at times, laugh out loud funny (well, I certainly snorted in a very unladylike fashion, anyway!). I think I actually genuinely love Mercurius, and I can’t wait to read more.

Many thanks to Sapere Books for providing me with a copy for an honest review.