The early seventeenth century finds Britain in a state of flux. After years of stability under Queen Elizabeth I, the accession of the Scot James I moves the island further into the ranks of Protestant countries, especially with James's sponsorship of the English-language King James Bible. James's son, Charles I, however, is married to a French Catholic. Lacking Elizabeth's skillful statesmanship, Charles tries to rule as a Divine Right monarch, but Parliament is having none of it, and many fear he will try to reinstate Catholicism.Against this backdrop, we meet rich, spoiled Andrew Selden, in line to be a Lord on his father's death, who is just as determined as Charles to have his own way and will soon discover that he cannot. At Chapman Hall, seat of the same family since the Norman Conquest, a new generation is coming into its own. Judith Waldby and Richard Chapman seem destined for a fairytale life together in the old manor house. But the country is moving inexorably toward civil war, and the lives of many are about to change, not only in Britain but in the American colonies.
