Her Heart for a Compass: A Novel

Sarah Ferguson

Aug 2021 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

"A brilliant and glittering jewel of a novel. I was wholly swept away by this story."--Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen's Fortune

“A tale of daring and determination, set against the glamorous heights, and the harsh restrictions of aristocratic society in the middle years of the British nineteenth century."--Sir Julian Fellowes, creator of "Downton Abbey"

From one of the most famous former members of the British royal family, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York —a mesmerizing novel of a young noblewoman’s coming-of-age that richly details both high society and low in Victorian England.

Queen Victoria’s close friend, the Scottish Duke of Buccleuch, Lady Margaret Montagu Scott is expected to make an advantageous marriage. But Margaret is an impulsive and outspoken girl in a repressive society where women are, quite literally, caged in corsets and required to conform.

When Lady Margaret’s parents arrange a society marriage for her, she tries to reconcile herself to the match. But shortly before her betrothal is announced, Margaret flees, leaving her parents to explain her sudden absence to an opulent ballroom stuffed with two hundred distinguished guests. 

Banished from polite society, Margaret throws herself into charitable work and finds strength in a circle of female friends like herself—women intent on breaking the mold, including Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise. Margaret resolves to follow her heart—a journey of self-discovery that will take her to Ireland, America, and then back to Britain where she finds the life she was always meant to lead.

A bold and thoughtful story about a rebellious woman finding herself and her voice in an age of astounding technological change and great social unrest, Her Heart for a Compass is a delicious costume drama rich in atmosphere, history, and color.

Ratings and reviews

I knew Sarah Ferguson had written a series of kids books, so I was both surprised and intrigued when I learned she was branching out into the historical fiction genre (my favorite). And excited about seeing what a royal-insider might be able to do. You won't see the name on the book jacket, but on the title page, you will see Ferguson had a co-writer, historical romance author Marguerite Kaye. Unfortunately, for me, even with Kaye's help, HER HEART FOR A COMPASS turns out to be just an OK read. The novel centers on a distant relation of the Duchess, Lady Margaret Montagu Scott, the second daughter of a Scottish Duke, who lived during the Victorian age. But this book does NOT actually tell HER story. According to Ferguson, this story is largely made up -- since virtually nothing is known about Lady Margaret. Which I suppose has the advantage of allowing Ferguson and Kaye free rein in creating this novel. Ferguson also explains in the Author's Note that the book contains elements of her own story as well. Here's how. Lady Margaret is a free spirit who refuses to conform to the expectations of her age. She is more outspoken and independent than women of her age are supposed to be. She refuses to marry a man for the betterment of her family and disregards the wishes of her parents. All causing a scandal. Instead, Lady Margaret prefers to live according to what she wishes. (Sound familiar?) How Lady Margaret experiments with her hard-won freedom (including travels to Ireland and later, the United States), how she manages to earn some money, how she tries to improve the lot of impoverished people, and how she deals with love -- all these make up the substance of the story Ferguson and Kaye created. It's a fine story. It's compelling enough to keep you reading. The writing is acceptable. But it didn't quite hang together for me and it is probably about 100 pages longer than it needed to be, if it was a tightly written book. So, if you, like me, are curious about what the Duchess of York can do as a writer, enjoy!

I picked up this book because the fact that the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson was the author. I was pleasantly surprised as I read the story of Lady Margaret as she goes from young betrothed society woman in 1865 England, expected to do her duty for her family, running from that and finding her own way in the world as an independent woman, and then coming full circle back to the life she left behind, albeit in a more fulsome way. I really enjoyed this book and will be picking up Ms Ferguson'

About the author

Sarah Ferguson is the Duchess of York. She is also a bestselling novelist, memoirist, and children’s book author, film producer, and has been a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers and Wedgewood china. She currently campaigns for her Children in Crisis international charity and works on historical documentaries and films that draw on her deep interest in Victorian history. The mother of two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and grandmother of three precious grandchildren, she lives in Windsor.