Lady of Hay

Rating:
Summary: The most UNPUTDOWNABLE book I have ever come across
Review: I bought this book some years ago and must have read it at least 8 times since then. It has also been around the world as everyone in the family has taken it on holiday - all read it within 2 days !! It's the story of Jo Clifford, an investigative journalist who is debunking all the modern myths including reincarnation only to find out when undergoing hypnosis that she has lived before. The story then switches between a love affair being carried out amidst the brutality of 12th Century Wales and the exasperating time Jo is having trying to get over a broken relationship whilst keeping up a successful career in the 20th Century. To add further spice to the story, there were three men who loved the 12th Century Matilda and each has been reincarnated in the 20th Century but who is the handsome Earl of Clare? and who is the arrogant King John?The story becomes more and more enthralling as Jo discovers more and more about her past life through the regression sessions and the past and present become increasingly entwined until it seems that the tragic events of the past are destined to repeat themselves

Rating:
Summary: Promising start...but ultimately disappointing
Review: Lady of Hay makes a promising start. Jo is a young journalist who researches past life regression for a magazine article. As research, she undergoes hypnosis and discovers that she is not only easily hypnotized (so easily that later in the book someone calls and hypnotizes her over the phone!) but in a previous life she was Matilda de Braose, a 12th century Welshwoman. How exciting, I said to myself. This could be very fun. Matilda is a real historical figure. I love historical fiction. I would enjoy the puzzle of matching past lives with present characters, and of course I hoped for romance. But alas...it was not to be.

The first half of the book was great. It keeps up a good pace and intriguing events unfold as Jo and her present life alternate with regressions to Matilda's existence. But by the second half of the book there is no new material and far too much repetition as well inexplicable violence against the main character that simply turned me off to her possible love interests. In the 1st half of the book we learn that 3 men love Jo in both the past and the present and we know who they were in their past lives. We also learn about the end of Matilda's life very early in the story. So where can the author take us from here?

I hoped that some of the modern day characters besides the 3 men would eventually be revealed to have some involvement in the past lives or a more important role in the present. However, they don't. I also expected that that the author might expand on history and offer an explanation for the legend of Matilda building Hay castle in one night. She doesn't. And I was disappointed with the mundane theory about rumors that Matilda was a witch. The explanation: she studied herb lore with her nurse Jeanne and rides horses swiftly, like a man. But perhaps most disappointing of all is the fact that Nick, the man she is in love with in the present was very cruel to her in her past life and not very nice to her in the present and there is no satisfactory explanation of why. Nor did it seem that his behavior was ever an obstacle to their relationship in the present. And what about Sam's behavior? The actions of 2 of Jo's lovers leaves me questioning how much if at all, they really care(d) for her. Richard was the one nice guy and I was hoping he would somehow turn out to be a hero, but when he turns out to be a junkie I think my hopes for a satisfying finale were extinguished.

Maybe the fact that 3 men are supposedly in love with the main character is the romantic attraction of this book. Or is it Jo's suffering that is intended to be attractive? Perhaps I was ultimately disappointed because of the promising start, but my advice is to skip this book.

Rating:
Summary: Love Lady of Hay; please write more LIKE THIS ONE!
Review: This book was read in turn by every member of the family. I am not particularly fond of scary stories and hence am disappointed with Barbara Erskine's subsequent fiction. I liked this book's intertwining of history and reincarnation. I keep wishing that Ms. Erskine would get inspired to write something more along these lines again - the occult yes; hauntings for the sake of scaring the reader - no.