For Fans of Unromanticized, Unsanitized Historical Fiction

Calumny Spinks becomes entangled with people trying to build a coffee trade, and who therefore are seeking to overthrow King James in favor of William of Orange… This scheming and politicking is complicated when read in a history book, but seen narrowly through the eyes of Calumny (who is, by the way, a very lusty young man) it flows in a way that makes sense. Everything is new to him, and he is not one to examine the morality of what he is told to do. All he wants is to become a man of position, to be called “Mister” or “Master,” and so he does what he’s told and adds a bit of scheming of his own.

With a vividly depicted backdrop that manages to encompass the beauty and the ugliness of its time period, I would recommend The Bitter Trade to fans of unromanticized, unsanitized historical fiction.