The Devlin Diary
By: Christi Phillips
Published: April 2010
Format: Trade Paperback, 464 pages
ISBN-10: 1416527400
ISBN-13: 9781416527404
Publisher: Gallery
A vicious murderer lurks the court of King Charles II, leaving a trail of bodies, and few clues as to the identity of the killer. In modern day Cambridge University, scholar Claire Donovan is caught up in the murder of a fellow of Trinity College. Strangely, a diary of Hannah Devlin, a physician at the court of Charles II, provides a mysterious link between the terrible murders of that day, with the possible murder of the modern historian. The story of two remarkable women, the unsolved murders in their respective historical eras, and the mysterious diary that links the women through time, form the basis for the stunning, page turning novel The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips.
Christi Phillips weaves an intricate plot that reaches across time, from events in 1672 Stuart England, to present day Trinity College at Cambridge University. The author creates a story of two women, both somewhat out of place in their respective worlds, who discover their inner strength and overcome societal obstacles to achieve success. In 1672, Hannah Devlin, a physician when women were banned officially from the profession, defies the authorities as well as convention, to demonstrate her skill as a physician and her strength as a person. She is also a very skilled and detailed diary writer. In modern Cambridge, Claire Donavon, an American scholar in a different academic milieu, is faced with challenges of convention, tradition, and interpersonal relationships that threaten to derail her career as a historian. Her discovery of Hannah Devlin's diary, and its impact on events in the modern world, leads her both into danger and possible academic roadblocks.
Christi Phillips (photo left)
The author develops several important themes in the book. They include the problems and challenges faced by women in male dominated professions, the unchanging aspects of human nature and people's motivations, the very real impact of events of the past on people and society in the present day, and the power of seemingly insignificant individuals to cause change in the course of history. Through intricate storytelling, and believable characters who act as they should, Christi Phillips brings the court of King Charles II to life, complete with its finery, intrigues and ostentatious displays. The people and events of that tumultuous era are recorded by diarist Hannah Devlin, whose writings form the catalyst for the current events at Cambridge. Not only do the actions of Hannah Devlin make a real and lasting impact on her own time, but her writings form the basis of events centuries after her death.
I highly recommend the exciting and spell binding novel The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips, to anyone seeking a fascinating glimpse into the life of Restoration England, and how events of that time echo through the centuries to affect people in the present day. The characters are real, and memorable, and the author brings the people of Stuart England to life with an immediacy that sweeps the reader seamlessly into the past. Through a dual story telling technique, that parallels the intrigues of the court of Charles II with the office politics of modern British academia. Through the entire book, two strong and fascinating women hold the reader's attention, as the plot unfolds with many twists, turns, and dead ends.
Read the exciting and well written novel The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips, and discover how the past truly does affect the present, and how every day people can indeed influence the course of history.
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