The Tontine Part 1 of 2

Rating:
Summary: Fast Moving and Enjoyable
Review: I found this print version of this book by accident -- two volumes in a box of books to be thrown out.

It takes place beginning on the day the Duke of Wellington defeats Bonaparte at Waterloo, and follows the fortunes of two rival families through Regency and early Victorian England, along with their friends, lovers, enemies and many famous figures who have 'walk-on' parts.

The title comes from a type of lottery popular in England at the time, in which four of the young characters are enrolled by their parents, and the tontine is instrumental in each of their lives, right to the last. Each of the participants meets intrigue and romance until only one is left.

It's worth the length, and provides an interesting view of the England of that time, its manners and mores.