The Lydiard Chronicles
Duty, passion, and power collide in The Lydiard Chronicles, a gripping trilogy inspired by true events. Follow three courageous women—survivors, strategists, and storytellers—who defy the constraints of society to shape their family’s fate and England’s future. Their voices echo through time. Their legacy changed a nation.
The Lydiard Chronicles is an award-winning, best-selling historical family saga which brings to life the remarkable true stories of the St.John family. Spanning three compelling novels—The Lady of the Tower, By Love Divided, and Written in Their Stars—the series follows the legacy of resilient and intelligent women who lived as spies, courtiers, and diarists during England’s most turbulent century, navigating the quicksand of love and war, political upheaval, and personal sacrifice.
Bound by fierce family loyalty and unforgettable love, the women of The Lydiard Chronicles defy the limits of their time with passion, courage, and unshakable independence. They endure captivity in the Tower of London, exile in the Louvre Palace, and the heart-wrenching divisions of the English Civil War—fighting not just for survival, but for their beliefs, their families, and the right to choose their own fate. Meticulously researched and vividly told, this epic saga reveals how these women created history from the shadows, leaving a legacy of resilience, defiance, and enduring influence.
Rooted in original diaries, letters, and family papers, The Lydiard Chronicles offers an intimate, biographical portrait of women who moved behind the scenes of power. Serving as trusted secret agents, military wives, and confidantes of kings, they were deeply engaged in the political and religious conflicts of their time. Through tragedy and triumph, the women of The Lydiard Chronicles shape their destinies—and the fate of a nation—in this richly researched and vividly told historical epic.
REVIEW – BY LOVE DIVIDED
By Love Divided is the second of the Lydiard Chronicles and wow, what a pageturner it is. I am so surprised that more is not made of the English Civil Wars in books and films. This book exemplifies the themes of this massive period of change and shows the toll it took on the nation of England. Thoroughly convincing and painstakingly researched from documents of the time – these were real people and Elizabeth St John tells their heart-wrenching story with grace and depth. When the Apsley family are left in penury by the death of Lucy’s husband, survival is not easy. His debts are enormous and caused by his recent support for the Duke of Buckingham’s campaigns. Petitions fail, and Lucy must seek other means of survival for herself and her young adult children. Enter Leventhorpe Franke, A Puritan who is intent on helping her regain her fortune – for his own benefit.
From there, the war between the King and Parliament spirals into bloodshed, and Lucy’s family riven by bitter differences of opinion. Lucy’s children find themselves on opposing sides of the divide. Her daughter Luce Hutchinson – well-known for her real-life memoirs about the English Civil Wars (Parliamentarian) and her son Allen (Royalist) cannot agree and this bitter divide threatens to tear the family apart.
The horrors of war – bloodshed, betrayal and grief, (yes we see some of these in their visceral horror) are countered by intimate moments where you feel the bonds between the characters, and it is these small moments against the backdrop of huge events that keep the reader glued to the pages. The love story between Luce and John is tender, especially when her life is threatened by smallpox, and although I’d read about John Hutchinson in history books, meeting the living breathing man was a true eye-opener. Allen, who I disliked at the beginning grew in stature and by the end I was uncertain whose side I was on. This is the mark of a great novel that the characters develop and change, and make you question yourself and all your firmly held beliefs.
This is a wonderful, moving portrait of the age in which civil war tore England in two. Five stars plus!
Go and Buy – This is the second book in the series, I recommend you start with the first.
Here’s the link
This series is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
By Love Divided
Amazon UK • Amazon US
About Elizabeth St.John
Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England’s kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.
Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.
Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.
Elizabeth’s works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a family saga set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother’s Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley in the treacherous court of Charles II as she risks everything to uncover the dangerous truth behind the discovery of the princes’ bones.
Author Links:
Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England’s kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.
Thank you so much for hosting Elizabeth St.John today, and for your fabulous review of By Love Divided. I’m delighted you enjoyed the book.
Take care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Thanks for hosting me and for your wonderful and thoughtful review of By Love Divided. That means the world to me. Writing about family always comes with a little trepidation, and your kind words made the difference!