Dawnlands

Dawnlands is the third book in the Fairmile Series by Philippa Gregory. The time period in the novel covers 1685-1688 when James II was King of England and Ireland. In Scotland he was known as James VII. He was the last of the Stuart kings. There were those who wanted the king to restore the power of the Roman Catholic church in England while others wanted the country to remain protestant.

Ned Ferryman returns to England from America to join the protestant armies opposed to the king. As he is leaving he notices a native lad who he knew when he was in the area known as Dawnlands. The lad is about to board a slave ship so Ned purchases him to take to England where he will be free.When he realises that his new purchase is actually a girl he names her Rowan allowing her to keep her true identity hidden during the voyage.

Back in England Alinor and Alys are now running a profitable business as owners of a wharf and storage sheds where goods from overseas can be stored before being sold. The two women have been foster mothers to Matthew, the son of Livia - a woman who always seems to cause chaos in other people's lives. She has been summoned to the palace as a lady-in-waiting for the new queen and soon greatly extends her power and influence in the life at court and the lives of other people who have the misfortune to know her.

In these tumultuous times with the threat of rebellion against the king ever present, Livia manages to persuade the queen to grant her son the manor at Foulmire and surrounding lands, allowing Alinor the opportunity to return to the area where she grew up. This land was the setting of the two previous books. This, of course, allows Livia the opportunity to use the largesse from the queen to further manipulate Alinor's family.

When the uprising against the king fails Ned and Johnny find themselves in Barbados - an island thriving on sugar and slavery. Along with religious intolerance, slavery is one of the themes in this work of fiction set against a historical background.