I usually try to read books and then post about them, but occasionally I remember a really good book that I think is worth mentioning here. Husband has just read a biography of John Donne, so I found out my copy of this book The Lady and the Poet by Maeve Haran.

I actually read this book quite a while ago, but still remember the story of a couple devotedly in love, but parted by family, law and imprisonment. Ann More went to the court of Elizabeth I, but soon fell foul of the Queen’s moods and the requirements placed on ladies of the time. She is met and courted by the young John Donne, seen as a dangerous man to know if only because of his romantic history and Catholic faith. His poetry is also seen as subversive as well as suggestive, but Ann, educated and rebellious, proves more than a match for him. The couple are forced to meet in secret, and there is the feeling of a deep love despite all the obstacles in their way.

This is a lovely book to read, and though aimed at a female reader in many ways, Husband enjoyed it greatly because it is a novel about bravery and love defeating all. Haran obviously knows her subject really well, and lists the books and other sources that inspired the book. Ann Moore is a shadowy figure in history, but very real in every respect in this book. If all of it isn’t true, you get the feeling it should be, and could have been. Unlike many book bloggers I do not get proof copies or other treats, so I always try and work on books that anyone can get hold of easily. A quick check on a certain website suggests that it is really cheap to buy, so do try and get hold of a copy and enjoy a good read (even if you are not a Donne expert!)