Isabelle and Alexander

by: Rebecca Anderson

“Beautifully depicts love in its many forms. Characters illustrate the ways these expressions of love carry us through even the darkest hours.”
—Booklist

Manchester, 1850

Isabelle Rackham knows she will not marry for love. Though arranged marriages have fallen out of fashion, hers has been settled for some time. Alexander Osgood is handsome, well-known, and wealthy, but he is distant and aloof, spending much of his time at his textile mill.

Moreover, Northern England is nothing like Isabelle’s home in the Lake Country, and her marriage is far from the fairy tale she expected. Conversations with Alexander are awkward, when they happen at all, and Isabelle struggles with loneliness.

Sensing his wife’s unhappiness, Alexander brings Isabelle to his country estate. During their time together, the couple begins to build a friendship, opening up to each other about the details of their lives. But when a tragic accident leaves Alexander unable to walk, their fledgling relationship is tested.

Isabelle is determined to see to her husband’s recovery, and in caring for him, she discovers within herself an untapped well of strength and courage. In learning to rely on each other, the couple has an opportunity to forge a love connection that they both have longed for but never dreamed could be.

Meet the Author

Rebecca Anderson

This is Rebecca Anderson’s debut Victorian Romance. High school English teacher by day, writer by night (or very early morning), she loves hiking, Broadway shows, food, books, and movies. She is happily married and a mom to four above-average kids.

Books of Rebecca Anderson

The Orchids of Ashthorne Hall April 2, 2024

The Art of Love and Lies August 8, 2023

Isabelle and Alexander May 4, 2021

Details

ISBN: 978-1-62972-847-6
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publish Date: May 4, 2021
Page Count: 368

"Anderson’s first foray into historical romance is an atypical, yet satisfying story set in Victorian Manchester’s upper middle class. Hand this to readers looking for a book that navigates the peaks and valleys of two strangers attempting to make a life together despite the hardships life throws at them." -Library Journal "Isabelle transitions from an unaware, leisure-class woman to a more enlightened spouse and supporter of the working class. Intimacy and romance develop between Isabelle and Alexander because of simple gestures, like a long look or a thoughtful gift, and their conversations. Their slow, stately courting is reader appropriate for any age or audience. Manchester also gets its due as a place of grit and incredible production. Descriptions of bustling mills reveal their impact on the couple’s family and its fortunes. Isabelle and Alexander is an intimate and touching romance novel that focuses on women’s lives in the business class of industrial England." -Foreword Reviews "Isabelle must use her quiet spunk, busy mind, and compassionate spirit to woo her husband in a wholly new way. Anderson's debut is a lovely northern England Victorian romance about confronting the seemingly impossible and the power of empathy. Anderson also addresses the time period’s treatment of physical and intellectual disabilities. Most of all, she beautifully depicts love in its many forms beyond romance, such as compassion, patience, and vulnerability; and her characters illustrate the ways that these expressions of love carry us through even the darkest hours. Isabelle’s loving and persevering fervor and devotion will resonate with any caregiver’s heart." -Booklist "Readers will discover an unusual story with sensibilities that reflect our contemporary world. The dialogue captures the pain and misunderstanding that overwhelm husband and wife. Isabelle’s internal thoughts reveal her despair at their situation, fear of failure, and search for answers. She befriends another family with comparable health and relationship issues much as modern families turn to others for support. Anderson’s colorful descriptions of domestic routine and factory operations create a rich pattern pulsating with life for the reader." -Historical Novel Society