Maulever Hall (by Jane Aiken Hodge)

(Amazon UK link)

I decided it was time to re-read my books by Jane Aiken Hodge. I first read some of her historical novels as a teenager, and have gradually acquired others, over the decades. Sadly most of her books are now long out of print, but some of them are lurking in charity shops, and can sometimes be found second-hand online.

It’s over twenty years since I read ‘Maulever Hall’, and I had entirely forgotten everything about it. It’s set in the early 1830s; part of the focus of one of the characters is the ‘reform bill’ which was eventually pushed through parliament in the UK in 1832. I knew little about this, a bill which was designed to allow more people to vote (still only men, though) and to allow fairer rules for farmers and small property owners.

This is just one thread to the story, but it’s mentioned on the first page (since there’s a danger of riots) and is relevant throughout. 

The main character is a young woman called Marianne. We meet her just after the coach she’s travelling on has had an accident. She’s had a nasty bump on her head, and is just regaining consciousness. The other travellers are friendly, but she finds that she has lost her memory. She’s accompanied by a small boy called Thomas, but is pretty sure he’s not her son. And she has a feeling of terror that she can’t shake off.

They’re put down at a place called Pennington Cross, which isn’t a regular stopping place, but apparently Marianne persuaded the driver to make an exception. She assumes someone will be meeting her, that she will be recognised. But there’s nobody there. And when she hears rapid hoofbeats approaching, her instinct is to hide, though she doesn’t know why.

Jane Aiken Hodge had quite a skill at characterisation, and at setting scenes with just the right amount of description to evoke emotion, without too much detail.  Marianne and Thomas are cold, wet and very tired when they finally come across a village, and I was empathising with her already. Villagers are unwilling to take any notice of such a bedraggled pair, and the vicar, her last hope, is rude and unwelcoming. Thankfully an elderly woman, visiting the vicar, takes pity on them and offers refuge in Maulever Hall. 

I thought the writing extremely good, with a pace that made it difficult, at times, to put the book down. I wondered at first if Marianne was just pretending to have lost her memory, but it’s quickly clear that she really has forgotten almost everything prior to the coach accident. She’s aware of well-known individuals, and has some idea of her skills; she’s fluent in French as well as English, and is quite capable at looking after household chores. She also, quite quickly, becomes a friend to the elderly Mrs Mauleverer, although Mrs Maulever’s maid Martha takes an unexpected dislike to Marianne, while delighting in looking after young Thomas. And Thomas is quite a handful…

The story has lots of twists and turns; Marianne meets and is oddly attracted to Mrs Mauleverer’s son Mark. He seems to be infatuated with the beautiful and widowed Lady Heverdon. Marianne makes herself useful in the house, and also in the village where she gets to know people and does what she can to meet their needs. The progress - or otherwise - of the Reform Bill goes alongside this; Mark Mauleverer is very keen on politics and spends a lot of time working with his part leader, trying to promote the bill. 

The research seems to be impeccable; the language, descriptions and activities seem to be entirely authentic for the era, at least as far as I can tell. There’s some tension, and several times I wanted to tell Marianne she was doing the wrong thing - evidence that she, at least, had got right under my skin. I very much liked most of the main characters, particularly the mysterious Mrs Bundy whom Marianne meets when out riding. 

There’s a romance, of course; it’s central to the people concerned, but a relatively small part of the story. Unsurprisingly, it’s cut short by an unexpected revelation, only for misunderstandings and hurts to be sorted out right at the end. The book reminded me, more than once, of Georgette Heyer’s writing, although this has a tad more substance than many of Heyer’s books. There’s less humour, however. 

I would definitely recommend this if you like authentic historical fiction set mainly in the upper classes with a low-key romantic thread.

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews