Customer Reviews
Too long and boring. - By: Passionate Flower, 31 Dec 2006 
I love & enjoy reading long stories & big novels but this book reallly bored me. I found it very difficult to get into the story from the very beginning & struggled to keep reading. I finallly gave up half way through, which was more than enough. It is not reallly worth buying.
Should have been a shorter book. - By: MaryAnne, 24 Apr 2006 
I read this book because it was one of the books discussed in "The Reading Group" by Elizabeth Noble. I'm afraid I was disappointed.
It is a saga following the life of a young, poverty stricken girl. Starting as a servant in the Fairly mansion, it details her rise to the eventual accumulation of extreme wealth through business - & the Fairly family's downfalll.
Overly descriptive & drawn out. Would have been decidedly better in 400 pages. And, horror of horrors, there's a sequel, bringing the total saga to over 1600 pages. Groan.
Mind Blowing - By: Melody, 28 Apr 2005 
an extreme, realistic, story of one woman rising from nothing to everything with everyone trying to stop her, it is one of the most fantastic books i have ever read. The beggining is slightly slow but once you get in to it you cant get out. The story is fantasticallly gripping, & of revenge against one family who made Emma Harte's child hood a misery i strongly reccomend this book to anyone.
Woman of substance - By: Clare, 26 May 2004 This is a stunning story following the story of Emma Harte from her humble, poor beginnings & the story leading to the founding of her empire. You reallly feel as though you are there every step of the way from when she leaves where her home is to finding her way & how she finds help with Blackie & her continuing strength against alll odds.
This is a beautiful story & pretty much one you won't forget, this is by far Barbara Taylor Bradford's best work.
Vivid and eloquent, a joy to read - By: Samantha Goosetree, 05 Sep 2002 This is an immensely descriptive account of one woman's life as she rides out alll that it has to offer her, both the good & bad times. The use of words is so vivid & evocative that you are transported into the story, living & breathing with the characters. The scenery & settings are described down to the last detail making it alll the more real.
A tremoudous read that grips you tightly & doesn't let you go till the end.
