📖 Book of My Month ~ The Bride Stone by Sally Gardner

Head of Zeus 
31 July 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book to review

The spellbinding new historical novel from multi-award-winning author Sally Gardner.

It is 1796. Duval Harlington, recently released from a French prison, is on his way home. He must reach his late father’s estate Muchmore House before the following evening if he is to inherit it.

But the inheritance rests on another condition: he must also be married. He is at a market, hoping to buy a fast horse, when he hears about a wife sale. He takes his chance and makes an extravagant bid for young widow, Edmée Hyde. To his delight and dismay, the bid is accepted and they marry, only to find that he and Edmée are both hiding life-threatening secrets.

📖 My Review..

Duval Harlington returns to England from France after being incarcerated during the latter years of the Revolution. On his return he discovers that, on his father’s death, he has now inherited the dukedom and the family estate of Muchmore. However, one of the terms of his late father’s will is that Duval must marry or lose the estate and with only hours before the deadline the race is on to find a bride. When he encounters a wife sale in a nearby village it seems like the only solution, and so, paying ten guineas, Duval chooses a young widow, Edmée Hyde, an enigmatic young woman, who has more than enough tragic secrets of her own. Together they take the path to their destiny.

What then follows is a fascinating story of two troubled young people, the traumas they have each suffered, and the secrets which they carry within them, all of which are explored in a compassionate love story which despite the many twists, turns and obstacles which come their way shows that the human spirit remains strong. Beautifully written, with a lyricism which belies its strength, there is much to enjoy in a story which is strong on historical detail, high in compassion and rich with scandal and intrigue. There are villains and champions, characters who make your blood boil and also those whose strength and kindness shines through the worst of human nature.

It is a story to be treasured and for that reason I am delighted to make The Bride Stone the Book of My Month for August.

About the Author

Sally Gardner gained a first-class degree at a leading London art college and became a successful theatre costume designer before illustrating and writing books. Her debut novel I, Coriander won the Nestle Gold  award, and she is also a Costa and Carnegie prize-winner. Her books have been translated all over the world and have sold over three million copies.

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