Frances Scott is a 34-year-old spinster with little to lose in life when she applies for a governess position with Josiah Cole's merchant company. The neice of Lord Scott, Josiah sees Frances as a investment worth making, and instead of offering her the job, Josiah asks for her hand in marriage.
Trading in Sugar, Rum, and Slaves
Before long, Frances realizes that Josiah and his sister deal in slave trading, and Frances is forced to teach and train slaves who will be sold as to do the tasks of household servants. Because the slaves were captured with the funds of her dowry, Frances owns them - but it is not enough to keep them safe.
When she falls in love with Mehuru, a high priest in his own nation, there is little the two can do to express their love and be together, as Frances feels it necessary to keep her loyalties to Josiah. But when Josiah overextends himself and his company, Mehuru learns where Josiah's loyalties really lie. The only problem is that it could be too late for him and Frances.
Cheesy Romance or Moving Historical Fiction?
A Respectable Trade has many of the elements of a cheesy romance, but through her deft writing style and adequate research, Philippa Gregory has managed to make the novel an enjoyable piece of escape reading. At times, the dialogue between Frances and Mehuru is ridiculous and unrealistic, but if the reader can let go and place themselves in the novel, they will find the work very enjoyable.
The plot itself is fairly unrealistic, as well, as few British women of the time would consider slaves any higher than animals, yet Frances easily and quickly falls in love with Mehuru.
Philippa Gregory's Characters: Slaves and British
Aside from Mehuru and the other slaves, the characters are difficult to sympathize with. From the beginning, Frances pities herself, repeating several times that small-time merchant Josiah is the best husband she will find. Josiah's sister, Sarah, is cold, ruthless, and cynical, and Josiah himself goes from happy to dark and mean, caring for no one but himself and for Sarah.
The slaves, however, are constructed perfectly. The horrors they must face and the transformations they have to go through are heartbreaking and terrifying. Through the slaves, Gregory is able to depict the evils of the slave trade in Britain and make the reader wonder how anyone could ever treat another human being so poorly.
As one of the main characters, Mehuru is the perfect example. A great, wise, and respected man in his own land, he is able to speak three African languages and enough Portuguese to get by. Within Josiah's household, however, Mehuru is chained up and only allowed to eat scraps that pigs wouldn't touch. He is forced to do even the most disgusting tasks - tasks his own servant in Africa would have refused.
And in the end, Mehuru is the character that makes the story go. Even with her tragic tale, Mehuru is the one the reader feels for in the end, not Francis. Francis does not have the strength to follow her heart, and the reader is left infuriated with her, wanting only to reach out to Mehuru.
The tale is fresh and interesting with several interesting subplots. As long as some cheesy dialogue can be stomached, the reader will enjoy this novel.
A Respectable Trade was published by Touchstone Books in 1995. ISBN: 978-0-7432-7254-4
Kristen Nichols - Kristen is a freelance reporter and copywriter covering Olympic and Paralympic sport for Suite101.com. Kristen's love of sport developed ...
