The Colour of Milk    by Nell Leyshon Order:  USA  Can Ecco, 2012 (2012) Hardcover, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Barbara Lingens This is the haunting story of a farm girl brought to serve in the household of the village vicar in 1800s England. Life on the farm is hard, and Mary's family is terribly poor, which makes the contrast between what she has grown up with and what she now sees at the vicar's so tremendous. Mary is the only one in her family who is able to stand up to an abusive father. Her fierce tongue stands her in good stead, especially with the vicar's wife, who helps smooth her rough edges. Mary's proudest accomplishment is to learn to read and write, and this is her account of how it all came about. Author Nell Leyshon has brilliantly and convincingly captured the voice of a young woman who sees everything very clearly but has no power to prevent what she knows should not happen. A beautiful but spare study of determination in the face of evil. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews