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Kay Seeley
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The Water Gypsy Kindle Edition

by Kay Seeley (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 880 ratings
See all formats and editions
A story of love and loss, lust and passion, injustice and ultimate redemption.
Struggling to survive on Britain's waterways Tilly Thompson, a girl from the canal, is caught stealing a pie from the terrace of The Imperial Hotel, Athelstone. The intervention of Captain Charles Thackery, saves her from prison. Tilly soon finds out the real reason for the rescue.
With the Captain Tilly sees life away from the poverty and hardships of the Waterways but his favour stirs up jealousy and hatred among the hotel staff, especially Freddie, the stable boy who harbours desires of his own. Freddie's pursuit leads Tilly into far greater danger than she could ever have imagined. Can she escape the prejudice, persecution and hypocrisy of Victorian Society, leave her past behind and find true happiness?
A wonderful debut novel from a very talented writer. Perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson.
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  1. Print length
    355 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    April 19, 2014
  5. File size
    764 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

With plenty of adventure, romance and passion this gripping and delightfully different book had me entranced to the very last page. A great read. The plot, the characters (especially the feisty heroine Tilly) and the period setting all come together beautifully and make for an unputdownable book. I read 'The Water Gypsy' in two sittings and think it is a wonderful debut novel from a very talented writer. (Book lover) I downloaded this book Saturday morning thinking I would read a few pages, do the housework and then come back to it. The housework did not get done as I immediately became engrossed in Tilly's story. I couldn't put the book down! I loved her character and really felt for her as she dealt with her situation. I love historical novels and the description and dialogue here were spot on. I was truly taken back in time. I would certainly recommend this book and hope to read more from this author. It's definitely worthy of five stars.(Female reader) thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Water Gypsy'. It deals with prejudice and poverty, injustice and exploitation but it is done in such a subtle and thoughtful way that it does not detract from a gripping story line with compelling characters. The best thing about it was that I had no idea what would happen next! I look forward to more writing from this author. (Female reader & Historian) I loved it! I stayed up until 3am to make sure I finished it as I couldn't put it down. The characters are enchanting and you really bond with them and want things to turn out well for them. You laugh and cry and worry with the characters. The plot is well mapped out and moves at a suitable pace. I hope the author is working on another novel. This book was wonderful and well written, I couldn't put it down. I really felt for Tilly and all her hardships she had to face many times I had to go back a couple of pages and 're read them as I was eager to find out what was going to happen, and was skipping bits out in order to see what way the story would end.I was a little sad when I got to the end as I wanted to read more and more. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those that likes Victorian and pre war times. I hope the author brings more books out in the future. I would love to read more from her. I'm now going to pass this over to my mum and auntie, as I know they are going to really like this too. Female reader) An excellent well paced read with lots of exciting twists and turns in Tilly's life, right to the end. Good characterisation and period setting. . I read this on holiday and could not put it down. (Female reader) I really enjoyed this lively rags to riches tale of the innocent and starving young girl who has been brought up on the waterways with little education and a tough life on the canals. Tilly wants something different, but her attempts to improve her life are fraught with challenges and danger. With plenty of adventure, romance and passion this gripping and delightfully different book had me entranced to the very last page. A great Summer read, Kay paints a colourful picture of the struggles of a hardworking girl trying to make her way in life and better herself amidst the prejudices of Victorian Society. (Sixtyplussurfers)

About the Author

Kay Seeley is a talented storyteller and bestselling author of five Victorian novels and three Short Story Collections. Her short stories have been published in women's magazines and short-listed in competitions. Her novels had been finalists in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. She lives in London and loves its history. Her stories are well researched, beautifully written with compelling characters where love triumphs over adversity novels set in Victorian London's East End. Often heart-wrenching but always satisfyingly uplifting, her books are perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson, Anna Jacobs and Dilly Court. Kay writes stories that will capture your heart and leave you wanting more.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00JTEL6QU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Enterprise Books (April 19, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 19, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 764 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 355 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 880 ratings

About the author

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Kay Seeley

Kay Seeley

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Kay Seeley lives in London. She has two daughters, both married and three grandchildren, all adorable. She enjoys reading, writing,gardening and spending time with her family. Keen on history she loves to visit ancient and interesting places in London which often feature in her novels.

Kay is a talented storyteller and bestselling author. Her short stories have been published in women’s magazines and short-listed in competitions. Her novels had been finalists in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. She lives in London and loves its history. Her stories are well researched, beautifully written with compelling characters where love triumphs over adversity. Kay writes stories that will capture your heart and leave you wanting more. Often heart-wrenching but always satisfyingly uplifting, her books are perfect for fans of Anna Jacobs, Lesley Pearse and Josephine Cox. All her novels are available for Kindle, in paperback, audio and in Large Print.

Kay is a member of The Alliance of Indie Authors and The Society of Women Writers and Journalists.

Visit her website www.kayseeleyauthor.com

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
880 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Christina Paquin
5.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet Rags to Riches STory.
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2014
Verified Purchase
A sweet rags to richest story set in Victorian England, where class distinction is not only accepted but seldom overcome. Kay Seeley's heroine, Tilly has has an amazing spirit! She begins as a water gypsy, from the other side of the docks, homeless, shunned, poor, and hungry. She's also labeled as a thief. People in that time period knew their place and stayed there, with little chance to change their station in life but feisty Tilly is no doormat and she manages to win the love of the lord of the manor, learn a valuable trade that she will turn into her own profitable business and gain a new life but there are those watching that are not happy for her. A gruesome murder is committed! Tilly is implicated in the crime. She must flee and leave everything she worked for behind. Including the man she loved. In a time when one is guilty before proven innocent, Tilly's life unravels. Completely! The ending is delightful, though I won't spoil it for you here. I look forward to more books from this writer.
One person found this helpful
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carol
4.0 out of 5 stars A little long!
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2017
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Enjoyed this book but getting a little bored because of the length about 2/3 throught!
Would still recommend it to friends
One person found this helpful
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Spice
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story that takes many unexpected turns to keep you interested.
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2018
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Excellent story that takes many unexpected turns to keep you interested. Well written and a joy to read. So many books today are just the same stories being told over and over with slight alterations. This one kept me guessing, which made it a book I didn’t want to put down.
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Dieselblackcat
5.0 out of 5 stars Dieselblackcat
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2018
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This is the best story yet. I couldn’t put the book down. All the thing Tilly get tangle into. The coat was a bit of a give away I thought. But it was a great story and I can’t wait to read the next one.
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Tinabeth
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good read
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2020
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Story of love , young love
Hope, power of men and the truths prevail
Enjoyed every page as it turned.
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Jane L. Maidens
4.0 out of 5 stars great story
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2018
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Loved the book.
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Louise from New Hampshire
5.0 out of 5 stars ,,
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2020
If you enjoy novels set in Victorian London's East End "The Water Gypsy" will not disappoint. Unbelievable hardships, love, loss and courage. Makes us realize how lucky we are today and how far we have come.
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kim
3.0 out of 5 stars Kimk
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2019
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For me, my opinion, just o k read. It does warrant a second chance when my frame of mind and altitude are better. B
I wanted to be taken away, instead I caught up in the despair ate struggle of the main female charcuterie
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Top reviews from other countries

Elsie Davies
5.0 out of 5 stars Arrived quickly
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
Bought as used and it’s excellent condition delivery very quick
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Mandy
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2021
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book it was interesting it was a romantic novel easy to read with a good story other books by this author are good too
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Jennifer Daniels
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2023
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Interesting story set in the Georgian period. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Highly recommend it.
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Jo
5.0 out of 5 stars The water gypsy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book was wonderful and well written , I couldn't put it down. I really felt for Tilly and all her hardships she had to face
many times I had to go back a couple of pages and 're read them as I was eager to find out what was going to happen, and was skipping bits out in order to see what way the story would end.I was a little sad when I got to the end as I wanted to read more and more.
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those that likes Victorian and pre war times. I hope the author brings more books out in the future. I would love to read more from her.
I'm now going to pass this over to my mum and auntie, as I know they are going to really like this too.
3 people found this helpful
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Vera
5.0 out of 5 stars A well written story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
Could not put this book down. I love a love story, but this had something more about it. I will leave you to read it and see what I mean. Loved it, well done Miss Seeley a big thank you
One person found this helpful
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