Publication Date: April 25, 2023
“Red Rose and the Second Son” recounts the saga of two precocious youths, Philip Parr and Elizabeth “Bess” Stanley, drawn together in the flames of adversity during the early half of the eighteenth century. Philip, the grandson of a great English landowner, seeks his fortune in Williamsburg, Virginia, after a fierce quarrel divides his family. He is immediately smitten by fifteen-year-old Bess, the lovely, clever, and wistful daughter of a local attorney, whose life is forever changed by the rejection of a wealthy Virginia planter. Nursing a broken heart, she accompanies her brother to London, where she undergoes a dramatic transformation and descends into a glittering life of decadence and scandal. When at last she returns to Williamsburg, Bess must confront the wounds of her past as well as present dangers to her happiness while Philip finally begins the arduous quest to win her love.
As prequel to “Cadence to Glory,” the critically acclaimed Revolutionary War novel, “Red Rose and the Second Son” weaves a sprawling tapestry of innocence, ambition, love, temptation, redemption, and the life-altering power of thwarted hopes.
Powerful, headstrong love for one is pitted against scandal, ambition, and fantastical dreams of another. The plot for Red Rose and the Second Son by Mary Beth Dearmon is frustratingly intense as the characters plow themselves deeper and deeper into dire circumstances leaving the reader awash with pity for their thoughtless treatment of others but most particularly the results for themselves.
Philip Parr is irrevocably changed when his eyes meet those of Elizabeth (Bess) Stanley over the grave of his departed father. While Philip is irresistibly attracted to Bess, she has eyes only for John Wallace, a wealthy local landowner who she believes can fulfill her dreams of wealth, power, and her own ‘kingdom’ over which to rule.
Set in Colonial Williamsburg several years before the Revolutionary War, Philip and Bess each strive to achieve their dreams which only adds fuel to their own thwarted desires. Though friends and family try to warn each of them, Philip and Bess make a series of bad decisions which seem to ensure their downfall.
Will they recognize, at last, what they could have if they come together, or will they continue to pull each other into a downward spiral?
Just when the reader believes good sense will prevail, Philip and Bess continue to frustrate, each with a selfish focus on their own wants and desires. While decisions come with consequences and Philip and Bess pay a dear price, the reader must travel with them and believe all will be well.
Well written but with a frustrating plot, Red Rose and the Second Son is descriptive of the time period and engaging in its mention of life in London and Paris while remaining grounded in the pre-Revolutionary colonies.
Dr. Mary Beth Dearmon Bailey currently works as an Internal Medicine physician in Birmingham, AL. The inspiration for her debut novel, “Cadence to Glory,” sprang from a trip to Colonial Williamsburg as a child. She lives with her husband, son, and an adorable Maltese puppy named Sissi.
