I've had a few disappointments reading some of Philippa Gregory's book, but finally finding one of her earliest works, it was a delightful return to form. Although the book deals with some rather risque subjects, of which some people may find hard to read, the characters are well written, so well written, that I could imagine them in my head. At 622 pages long, it's not a quick read, but I certainly managed it in a few days. The pages keep turning, and I made straight away to start the next book, The Favoured Child. At nearly 10 pages longer, I hope it lives up to Wideacre, but I'm sure it will do. If a book can leave me buzzing by the end of it, then it gets the thumbs up in my opinion. It also reminded me of "Flowers In The Attic" by Virginia Andrews.