Kernow & Daughter — Malcolm MacDonald

A disobedient daughter is sharper than a serpent's tooth -- and often more successful.
Jessica Kernow, a daughter among three brothers, has always had to fight her corner â€" and never more so than when, in 1900, she wants to go into the family business, against her father's desire for her to marry. But when she and Cornwallis Trelawney find common cause in a concocted engagement, they both get more than they bargained for. When this book was published by St Martin's Press in New York and Piatkus in London, in 1994, it attracted the following notices:
* Macdonald combines strong characters and a brisk narrative full of sharp observations about life, love, and the eternal struggle between men and women caught up in tightly structured, turn-of-the-[19th]-century society -- US Booklist
* Macdonald in his usual expertise has created an outstanding novel, mastering a vivid account of life, love, and the problems affecting affairs of the heart. It is well worth the extra time and effort of an occasional second read to fully understand this excellent historical story -- Affaire de Coeur
* He does write a very readable yarn, with vivid characters and an easy style -- Western Evening Herald
* Another absorbing historical novel in this dependable writer's skillfully fashioned narratives. Macdonald expertly blends romance and historical drama into an intelligent and satisfying tale -- Publishers Weekly
* Another Cornish-set tribute to women possessed of drive and impossible dreams ... With [elaborate] detail Macdonald tries to involve the reader in his latest extra-romance enthusiasm. A tall order, but his many fans are indulgent. Buried in yards of talk, sparks of fun, and family feeling â€" and a plug for female get-up-and-go -- Kirkus
And -- of Macdonald himself:
*He is every bit as bad as Dickens â€" Martin Seymour-Smith