Dark Tides

 by Philippa Gregory

This book takes place in the 1670's in London and New England.

The story is about two families.  One of the families consists of a brother who has decided to settle in the U.S. because he doesn't agree with having a King back in authority in England.  His hope for living in the U.S. was to be able to live free without hurting or stealing from anyone else. He lives a reclusive life and is befriended by some of the local natives who teach him and give him things to help him survive the brutal winters.  He eventually learns that the settlers are going to fight the natives to take land away from them by force.  He cannot agree with this so just heads off heading north.  

The man had been communicating with his sister in England and sending her some produce/products to sell.  His sister and her daughter are running a small export business with a warehouse.  They are surprised when a man, a former love interest of the woman arrives at their place one day and offers to adopt the woman's son. He tells her he is without and heir and is wealthy.  He would like to make his illegitimate son his heir.  Eventually he learns that his son had died.

While he is visiting the women he meets a woman who has shown up on their doortstep from Venice with a baby.  She claims she is the widow of the woman's son.  They believe her and though they are very poor they agree to finance her sheme to bring antiquities (from her first husband's estate) to England to sell.  She promises to pay them back and eventually buy them a house and a warehouse in a better part of town.

The women meets up with the man who visited and convinces him to sell her products out of his house.  The man should be cautious when his brother says he does not think the pieces are authentic but the woman keeps him wrapped around her finger and he continues to support her.  She gets some money from her sales but doesn't share them with her relatives.

The mother of the family gets suspicious.  She cannot believe her son is dead so she sends her granddaughter to Venice to investigate.  The girl finds out that they widow is really a con artist.  She betrayed her second husband to the authorities and he is now languishing on a plague island serving as a doctor.  The man who was helping her prepare fake antiquties in Venice believes she plans to marry him but when he is told the woman is now engaged to the man in England he goes back to England with the granddaughter.  They arrive as the widow is marrying the man she conned.  Her husband says he is alive so she shouldn't be able to marry to other man but the courts rule that Venetian law has no place in England so they let the new wedding stand.  The rich man is devastated, his reputation is ruined and he doesn't want to live with the woman he is now married to.

The book was a bit slow at times but it did a great job of describing life and the time and portraying the various characters.  An intesting read.