Forever Amber / Kathleen Winsor

If you are a reader who loves to be transported inside a novel to one of the most interesting eras in British History; if you love reading books whose words literally cause you to feel, taste and smell as you read; If you love Adventure, Drama, Color, and relationships, Forever Amber is the book for you. I first read this book when I was 17, over 32 years ago, having received the book from my mom who read it when she was in her early 20's. Since then I have read it again and again every year, sometimes reading it twice within a year, especially during periods when I needed to go into another place and time away from my real life. I neither condone, agree nor disagree with all that is written by Ms. Winsor in this book. It is what it is, a spider web of interesting places, facts, people, cultures and society during the reign of King Charles II. I am a reader that wants to be entertained; wants to be enveloped inside a story or novel, and I believe any potential readers will experience this by reading it. Forever Amber was the catalyst to my developing interest in England, in all things British. I love reading about England and have studied it extensively since first reading the book in high school. I traveled to England in 1997 to fulfill a lifelong dream of visiting the places written about in the book. I wanted to see the green countrysides and English village towns, the tower of London, Whitehall palace, the beautiful flowers, the architecture, paintings, Royals, food, and people, so vividly described to me in her book. I am and will probably always be (ask anyone who knows me) a lover of all things British, an Anglophile and serious Royal researcher and London enthusiast because of Forever Amber. The novel is not trashy, it is not preachy, nor is it like any of the modern day historical romance books you may have read. It is simply an interesting story, well embroidered, well structured, about a young woman's journey, trials, tribulations, love, death and triumphs in life during 1600's Restoration England. You will at times find yourself loving Amber and her life, then find yourself despising her for her unchanging, immoral, self serving and ignorant characteristics. Either way the book is worth its weight in gold. ***** FIVE STARS

A friend of mine recommended "Forever Amber" to me. I can honestly say that otherwise, I would not have read it. Thank God she did tell me about how amazing it was...this is NOT a story to be missed! I could not believe that this was written back in 1944...it felt so fresh and not at all old fashioned.I thought that the authors writing style was brilliant. The book is mainly about the life of a girl called Amber St. Clare. The thing about Amber is that she is not easy to like..in fact..I was appalled by her often, but at the same time I found myself admiring her determination, rooting for her, and pitying her as well. The book goes on for 972 pages and at the end of it all I actually wanted MORE. The descriptions were so vivid that I felt like I could see, smell, TASTE London as it was in the 1660s. I am so happy to have experienced this tale. I plan to look for more of Kathleen Winsors work and I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any lover of Historical Fiction.

I first read Forever Amber about 10 years ago and was flabergasted at the historical detail entailed in the story. Generally books that contain this much history can tend to be a tough read, sometimes boring. Not the case with Forever Amber. The characters are rich and true to the period, the background setting is exciting and realistic. The main character Amber St. Clare is certainly exciting, maddening, funny, and outragious. She is a survivor that you can not help but admire despite her flaws.I have just finished reading this book once again, which, for me is very unusual. I am an avid read of historical books but there are not many that I make a point of keeping on my bookshelve. This one is there to stay in my collection! I would appreciate some HELP in finding out if Kathleen Winsor did write a sequel to Forever Amber, and if she did what is the name of this book? Possible sources for tracking books out of print, etc.? Any information would be helpful. Thank-you.

Amber St. Clare is my all-time favorite romance character--even moreso than Scarlett O'Hara. Sure, Amber's unscrupulous at times, but she's not afraid to go after what she wants. She is definitely not a wimp, unlike so many modern-day romance heroines. Never, EVER did Amber really cave to a man's will. She might do it for a while, but only for as long as it suited her (or to ultimately gain the upper hand).The historical detail in this book is astounding. No history book has ever made the period so gloriously alive, warts and all. Few books provide a better understanding of the Restoration, of the way its people thought, lived, dressed, ate--everything.One other thing that I liked about the book was the sexuality without the gory details. I read this book nearly 20 years ago, and I can STILL remember the veiled reference to a night Amber spent with the Duke of Buckingham. No details were provided, just that even Amber was disgusted with what happened (which means it must have been really perverted). It was left to the imagination what really happened, which is much more effective than spelling it all out. I can't say that I remember ANY sex scene from a modern romance novel, not even the one I finished this morning. After a while, they're all pretty much the same--and they're boring.For those who clamor for a sequel, one was written, but I can't remember the name of it (I found it in a South Dakota library about 15 years ago). Amber followed Bruce to America, and I believe she finally got him. The main problem with the book, as with Winsor's other subsequent efforts, was that it just didn't live up to Forever Amber. There is something about this book that is simply magical.

I initially read Forever Amber at the age of 15 after borrowing the book from a friend. Years later I was able to get hold of a publication for myself and since then the book has become torn, tattered and discoloured at the many times I have read it. I am very much interested in the English Restoration period which has Amber's story interwoven into this period of time. I become so involved in Amber's love for Bruce and her determination and need to better her station in life, even at the risk of losing her own soul, that I actually feel I am transported back into that period of time. On a visit to London, I made sure I paid a visit to all the historical places mentioned in the book, which made the story come to life. Forever Amber takes pride of place in my bookshelf. I have never lent it out for fear of losing it forever. I simply love it and wish there was a sequel made.