Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine

Published by

Sarah Ann

on

April 16, 2010

Lady of Hay is a vintage gem. This extraordinary, beautifully written novel involves hypnosis and past-life regression, and flips between present day and 12th century Wales.

Jo Clifford is a head-strong journalist. When she decides to undergo hypnosis, she discovers she was once Matilda de Braose—a Welsh noblewoman who was alive during the 12th century. Matilda is just has head-strong as Jo, and the two share many other similarities.

Every time Jo experiences her past-life regression, she brings back remnants of her time living as Matilda, such as scars and bruises. It also seems as though some men in Jo’s time may also have known her way back when she was Matilda. What?!

Lady of Hay is suspenseful, intriguing, and violent—all the components that make for an exciting and addicting novel. It is quite lengthy, sitting at around 700 pages, but you won’t notice. This book will pull you in and make you forget about everything else.

I love how past and present events intertwine in this one, and how they’re distributed evenly and tastefully throughout the book. Even though Lady of Hay was released in 1986, it’s timeless and definitely a classic. Some of the dialogue is dated, but it’s forgivable, because it all ties in nicely.

This book definitely evokes some emotions, that’s for sure. I felt frustrated about Jo’s relentless attraction to Nick, and empathetic towAbout Meard Matilda, given all her woes and hardships. Also, I didn’t find it believable that Jo would keep succumbing to Nick’s advances.

I think it’s amazing that Barbara Erskine is still releasing books! I can’t wait to read some of her newer titles, which include:

If you’ve read any other titles by Barbara Erskine, drop the titles here, and a line or two about what you thought. Some recommendations would be awesome.

Last Updated on February 9, 2026 by Sarah Ann

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