Carolyn Morgan

I started reading this one on the beach this morning and finished it in a day I got so sucked in. This is based on the real lives of the authors own family and is so rich and authentic that I really felt everything alongside the characters and was swept away to sea on all John’s journeys whilst also standing alongside supporting Margaret back in her home life in bustling Victorian Swansea. 

The pace is perfect and the book is thoroughly entertaining and detailed. The book jumps between John and Margaret but the two storylines are woven together so seamlessly that it is incredibly easy to follow and Morgan has proven herself to be a truly masterful storyteller. I loved what a strong, resourceful and intelligent woman Margaret was and John was equally engaging and I loved participating in his adventures. Solid 5 stars.

I was kindly sent a free copy of this book as part of a book tour in exchange for an honest review.

Copperopolis is a richly researched historical novel that brings Victorian Swansea vividly to life. The industrial and maritime settings feel utterly authentic, immersing the reader in a world where prosperity and hardship exist side by side. Carolyn Morgan has a wonderful eye for historical detail, weaving it naturally into the story without ever slowing the pace.

The characters are engaging and believable, particularly Margaret, whose intelligence, resilience and determination make her an especially compelling heroine. John is equally well drawn, and together they form the emotional heart of a story filled with adventure, danger and difficult moral choices.

What impressed me most was the balance between historical authenticity and storytelling. The novel explores themes of ambition, loyalty, justice and the human cost of progress while remaining an absorbing page-turner. Readers who enjoy well-crafted historical fiction, strong character development and evocative settings, particularly those with an interest in Welsh history or maritime adventures, will find Copperopolis a thoroughly rewarding read. Highly recommended.

Copperopolis is as much a love story between a man and the sea as it is a romance between seafarer John and his wife Margaret. Carolyn Morgan's descriptive conjuring of the sea voyages which drive the novel forwards means we feel every creak of the rigging and shudder at the vast waves and risks taken on the sail around Cape Horn, while we hold our breath for John's ships to make it home with their cargo.

The chasm between those in miserable poverty, poisoned by the very copper industry that's making a small minority of the unscrupulous very wealthy, is agonisingly depicted. During this period, life in this part of South Wales is a struggle, and the novel reveals all of the challenges and pain with historical sensitivity and emotion.

It's a story too, though, of women who are unafraid to drive for what they really want and to build better lives for themselves and those around them. Margaret is an intelligent, determined and imaginative character, and builds an unconventional life for herself and her family, against societal expectations. I rooted for her throughout the novel and delighted in her recognising her power and finding freedom and adventure.

The visions of sailing ships battling the terrifying storms of Cape Horn will stay with me for some time after reading this novel, which brings alive the peril and drama of Britain’s maritime history in this well researched and beautifully evocative story. The descriptive passages of life at sea are spellbinding and reveal an authentic knowledge of sea conditions and nautical procedures. 

The touching story of John Clement and Margaret Morris’ marriage as they weather the trials and tribulations of a mariner’s life, is set amidst the romantic backdrop of the Gower peninsula and of course the sea itself, these landscapes playing an integral part in the story. 

Most of us know very little about the lives of those who sailed the square rigged sailing ships that ploughed the oceans during the 19th century, but this book provides a fascinating glimpse into that world, and remarkably, is inspired by the real lives of the author’s own ancestors.

I enjoy reading historical fiction books and I enjoyed this one a great deal. Set mainly in Swansea, spanning the 1850’s to the 1890’s, it’s the story of Margaret (nee Morris) and John Clement. John, a farm labourers son turned sailor, embarks on a number of voyages on several vessels, with wander lusting Margaret accompanying him on one, despite the superstitions around a woman on board of the crew. I loved the names of the ships, the worldwide travel from Wales to Chile and the sense of adventure, despite the many challenges. Margaret presents as a strong woman, mum to many children, competent navigator, loyal wife - always awaiting the return of John to Swansea. The clear danger of each trip, particularly around the notorious Cape Horn demonstrates the bravery of the skippers and crew then and, despite technology, still today. I enjoyed learning about the copper trade in the book and found the historical note very interesting. A brilliant book of sea, sailing and sacrifice.

Inspired by the lives of the author’s great-great-grandparents, this is a fascinating story of a time when Swansea was a wealthy industrial town, where copper imports from South America made some men wealthy and cost others their lives, either at sea or in the smelting works.
John’s wanderlust is fulfilled by his life on the high seas, but Margaret is frustrated by her life as wife and mother, she dreams of the wide oceans too.

As their family grows and grows up, John takes greater risks, the most dangerous being the route around Cape Horn to Chile, there are bigger rewards, but is it worth it?
As Margaret discovers the damage the copper trade wrecks closer to home, and tries to find a way to resolve it, or at least to better support the workers not the owners.

An interesting and evocative slice of history combining the story of the author’s ancestors with the imagining of a life at sea and among the families praying their loved ones make it safely home again. Having worked with modern seafarers, that’s something that never truly changes, the world’s oceans remain far from entirely predictable.

The novel begins with a map, character list and glossary of terms, all of which immediately drew me in as someone who likes to learn something new when reading.

Copperopolis is set in the mid to late 1800s when Swansea was the global capital of copper smelting. (Copperopolis being the nickname for Swansea). Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the two main characters, John Clement a Master Mariner and Margaret Morris a farmer’s daughter who dreams of travelling by sea. With vivid, powerful depictions of the journeys John undertakes, initially to European ports but then later his perilous voyages around Cape Horn to Chile. Margaret remains at home tending her growing family single-handedly and witnessing the impact of the growing copper smelting ventures on the workers, their families and the environment they live in. The author details fascinating descriptions of the workings of the ships, sailing and the dangers faced on every trip together with moving and emotional narratives about life for those left at home.

An absorbing story with characters that the reader can empathise with and the historical note at the end is a superb conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed it.