This is the third book in the series featuring Leo Stanhope, a hospital porter turned journalist living with a big secret that could jeopardise everything he has worked for. This series, set in Victorian London, has been a treat from the beginning and this is another satisfying instalment.
This book will be published on 12th November, 2020.
This story follows Leo as he investigates a murder in a backstreet gaff, a low-rent wrestling venue packed with it’s own cast of tough men, dodgy management and street urchins looking for shelter. Leo, struggling to make his name on the front pages of the newspaper, writes an article that gets all the wrong sort of attention and finds himself caught up in something he cannot control or understand.
The story here is pacey and there are plenty of false turns and red herrings to keep readers guessing. The setting is appropriately seedy and the characters interesting.
What will appeal to readers returning to the series is the cast of Leo’s friends – Rosie and her pie shop, Alfie and Constance, Jacob and family, even the familiar Constable Pallett – who are all here.
This probably could be read as a stand alone novel, but I would really recommend that you start at the beginning of the series as there is so much to enjoy for lovers of historical fiction.
If you would like a copy of this book, please use my affiliate link below – thanks for supporting my blog! I’ve also added a link for ‘The House on Half Moon Street’ in case you wanted to start at the beginning of the series:
Header photo with thanks to SHOT for sharing their work on Unsplash.
Happy publication day to this delicious slice of dark, historical fiction!
I am obsessed with anything set in the Victorian era and have read a lot about the Jack the Ripper murders. With that in mind, I came to this book with lots of enthusiasm and a little bit of trepidation – I am a bit of a stickler for historical accuracy when a writer is using events that are so well documented as the basis for their story.
I needn’t have worried at all – I was in safe hands with Clare Whitfield who has produced a well-researched and absolutely compelling book.
The story follows a young woman, Susannah, without family of her own who comes to work at the London hospital as a nurse. She catches the eye of a young doctor, Thomas Lancaster, who marries her and installs her in his home in Chelsea. The marriage isn’t a happy one and, as the Ripper murders begin to terrorise the streets of Whitechapel, Susannah is led to consider the possibility that her husband is responsible for the killings.
What I loved about this book was the way that Susannah herself is presented. The story is told primarily in the first person, so we are given access to Susannah’s thoughts and perspective. This is really effective as our doubts about Thomas grow as Susannah’s do, although we also recognise her unreliability as our guide through this period of Victorian history as she has a laudanum dependency.
Another strength is the way that the Ripper murders are integrated into the story; initially, they are merely backdrop but, as Susannah’s focus shifts to them, we get more involvement and detail. True Ripperologists will note the inclusion of the death of Elizabeth Smith, not one of the canonical five and often disputed as being one of Jack’s victims, but this absolutely works in relation to the story and gives Susannah personal investment in the crimes.
Indeed, the treatment of the victims by the writer is another commendable aspect of the novel; the women are given personalities, back-story and even a voice though Susannah’s own imaginings of them.
Without giving too much away, the plot is extremely clever and the way that twists in the story are gradually revealed is absolutely engrossing – as the novel gathers pace in the second half, the reader is on constantly shifting sands which definitely left me racing for the denouement.
Overall, this is a well-constructed and well-paced novel with convincing historical detail and a heroine who – far from being perfect – is unreliable but extremely resourceful.
I would recommend this to any lovers of historical fiction, but also those who enjoy psychological thrillers as there is something extremely tense (but enjoyable) in watching Susannah weigh up how dangerous her husband may prove to be.
I received a free copy of the e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, I’d recommend that readers try to get a physical copy of the book as there are some little illustrations separating chapters that I bet look fabulous in print.
If you would like a copy of this fabulous book, please consider using my affiliate link below – at no extra cost to you.
Header photo with thanks to Renè Müller for sharing their work on Unsplash.
I’d like to welcome you to my stop on this blog tour for Random Things Tours. This book was published on 28th August by Book Guild Publishing.
From the Publisher
London, 1858. Passionate, contradictory, and fiercely loyal to his friends, John Ruskin is an eccentric genius, famed across Britain for his writings on art and philosophy. Haunted by a scandalous past and determined never to love again, the 39-year-old Ruskin becomes infatuated with his enigmatic young student, Rose La Touche, an obsession with profound consequences that will change the course of his life and work.
Written in a style recalling Victorian literature and spanning a period of twenty years, the story poses questions about the nature of love, the boundaries of parenthood, and compatibility in marriage.
‘Unto This Last’ is a portrait of Ruskin’s tormented psyche and reveals a complex and misunderstood soul, longing for a life just out of reach.
“This is an atmospheric and utterly convincing novel… tackling the subject with great empathy in prose that is both detailed and vivid. A considerable achievement.” Michael Crowley, writer and dramatist
“Deeply researched and charmingly written, it resurrects not only John Ruskin, one of the most influential characters of the Victorian age, but his fascinating pupil Rose La Touche, who is portrayed so sensitively that you feel as though you know her.” Daisy Dunn, author of In the Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny
“Rebecca Lipkin’s thoughtful novel about this complicated man – and his often-confusing world – is a pleasure to read and a very welcome addition for all lovers of Pre-Raphaelitism.” Lucinda Hawksley, biographer
My Review
I am a huge fan of any books set in the Victorian era as I love this period in history. As soon as I knew that this was a book about John Ruskin, artist and art critic linked to the Pre-Raphaelites (who I also love!) then I knew this would be a book for me.
It is a huge book that has been meticulously researched and beautifully written. In keeping with the great Victorian novels themselves, it feels substantial and weighty, retaining the writing style while also being compelling and readable.
Given the fact that Lipkin’s book is a (fictionalised) biography of a character that I thought I knew, I was surprised to read about this aspect of his life – books on Ruskin tend to focus more on his failed marriage to Effie Grey which happens before the opening of this book (although is explored later in the narrative).
This book is instead about his relationship with young Irish girl Rose La Touche, a child who (along with her sister) started as his student but later became the focus of his obsession. The fact that Ruskin is in his late thirties when he meets ten year-old Rose seems slightly uncomfortable to a modern reader (and perhaps was also odd to the Victorians) but Lipkin doesn’t shy away from the less comprehensible elements of Ruskin’s personality. The relationship – not inappropriately physical but oddly obsessive – is presented with all its ups and downs through the narrative and through letters between the key parties (including Rose’s mother, who is the one who brings Ruskin in as art tutor for her children and seems to have a soft spot for him herself).
Indeed, the presentation of John Ruskin is very well done. He is a complicated character and Lipkin presents this through all his contradictions and traits – both noble and less pleasant. There were times in the novel when I really didn’t like Ruskin, but appreciated the factors that had shaped him to be like this – for example, his problematic relationship with his father and his living situation in Denmark Hill. His own struggles with his relationship with Rose are evident in the novel and he – ultimately – seems like a complex man with conflicting emotions.
I did love the way that Rose was portrayed. From the immature petulance of a slightly over-indulged ten year-old, I felt that she grew into someone with so much depth and richness to her personality. I could have happily read more about her in this book.
The real strength in this book is that Lipkin has taken a figure from the Victorian era and breathed life into him. Ruskin isn’t someone that widely known now outside of history and art buffs, so this is a lovely book to reintroduce him to a modern readership. You may not find his situation relatable, but I think most readers would recognise the portrait of a man struggling with his own emotions and desires.
I would recommend this to any fans of the Victorian era and anyone who enjoys reading about interesting characters from the past. In ‘Unto This Last’, Lipkin has produced a gloriously lavish, engaging and immersive book.
About the Author
Rebecca Lipkin has had a passion for Victorian art and literature from a young age. She first discovered John Ruskin through E.M. Forster’s novel, A Room with a View, and later joined the Ruskin Society at the age of seventeen to learn more about Ruskin’s work. Rebecca pursued a career in journalism, specialising in arts writing and theatre reviews, and has worked for a number of national publications. Rebecca says, “Most accounts of John Ruskin’s complex personal life focus on his brief marriage to Effie Gray, but his twenty-year relationship with Rose La Touche was of huge importance to the evolution of his thinking; it is a captivating and tragic story of two people whose loving friendship transcended boundaries and conventions to the very end.”
With thanks to Random Things Tours for my copy of this book for review.
I read a lot of non-fiction which tends to fall into several sub-categories – Victorians, social history, historical biography, women’s history, feminism.
For today’s post, I wanted to talk about some of the best in non-fiction books specifically about women and their lives – from historical perspectives to the modern day. These are the my top 5 picks from an awful lot of books so I hope you find something that catches your eye!
‘How Was It For You?’ by Virginia Nicholson
I love social history and anything with a feminist perspective, but I’ll admit that I knew very little about the 1960s before reading this book.
I think I’d bought into the vague modern notion of the ‘Swinging Sixties’, a time when societal expectations changed after the restrictive 1950s, a time of permissiveness and free love and hippies and Biba. The sixties as revolutionary but in a good way.
Nicholson goes some way to explode this myth about the decade often recalled with a sense of nostalgia by those who experienced it (my dad being a prime example!) She reveals the truth behind the ‘free love’ headline: this was not a great time for women. From illegal abortions to sexism at all levels of society, the 1960s were not always kind to the sisterhood. While seeming to be an age of opportunity and freedom (the pill, the opening of the job market to women, recreational drugs, the possibility of finding your ‘tribe’ of mods/rockers/hippies, and an exciting shift in popular music), the reality was that gender equality was not part of the deal.
Despite this overall message, the book is not pessimistic or depressing. Nicholson cleverly charts the decade chronologically, interspersing an account of the historical events with interviews with a range of women who lived through the 1960s. These range from the mother of a thalidomide baby to a campaigning feminist to a women who experienced teen pregnancy to Patricia Quinn (Magenta in ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ and a personal heroine of mine!) These women show that the sixties were an era of contradictions and complexities, of great change, of fun but also huge challenges.
The scope of the book is mind-boggling. It manages to cover personal stories from the interviewees and also the big news events of the day. In a fast paced narrative, we are whisked through huge cultural revolutions and major news stories: Beatlemania, Profumo, Playboy bunny girls, LSD, groupies, Mary Whitehouse, racism, Lady Chatterley, the moon landings, Carnaby Street, feminism…the list goes on.
There is so much packed into the book, yet the flow of the text never seems forced or unnatural; it is an absolutely engrossing read.
I recommend this to anyone interested in social history, feminism or women’s lives. Whether you remember the sixties or not, there is so much to learn from this engaging and thought provoking book.
‘Difficult Women’ by Helen Lewis
Thanks to Jen Theodore for sharing their work on Unsplash.
This is a book that I’ve talked about before on this blog, but it bears repeating. I have told everyone who will listen about this one!
I thought I was pretty good on my history of women’s rights and feminism, but found plenty in this eye-opening, thought-provoking and engaging book that was new to me. In the book, Lewis charts key moments in women’s history through 11 ‘fights’ – key moments in history when the titular ‘Difficult Women’ have stood up and made change happen in society.
These changes range from divorce laws protecting women’s rights to have access to their children and property, the availability of safe and legal abortions, gaining votes for women after World War 1, establishing refuges for victims of domestic violence, achieving equal access to education and the changing roles of the female workforce. Each of these struggles is a separate chapter, with Lewis introducing us to some of the ‘difficult women’ who led the various movements.
What I loved about this book was that the stories told weren’t the usual ones. For every Pankhurst in the chapter on votes for women, there were a whole host of lesser known but still fascinating women who played important roles in achieving the women’s vote in 1918. I felt that I’d learnt about a whole new cast of feminists and so many different perspectives on feminist ideology.
Lewis doesn’t try to convince us that these women were perfect – she tackles head on some of the contradictions of feminism and the internal disagreements, for example not shying away from Marie Stopes interest in eugenics or the suffragettes willingness to do violent and terrible things to achieve their aims.
I’d wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in women’s history or changing place in society. The book isn’t – and doesn’t claim to be – an exhaustive history of feminism, but it is lively and entertaining, well-researched and engrossing. The topics covered are fascinating and Lewis is a witty, perceptive and clear-sighted guide through some tricky subjects.
‘The Trouble with Women’ by Jacky Fleming
This is a book that seems to be a light read – it’s mainly illustrations – but the weight of the messages is immense!
I have a background in studying feminist literature and admit I was intrigued when I saw this book with it’s woman in a bubble (actually the Domestic Sphere – capitalisation essential – as we soon find out) on the cover and ironic title.
It’s an absolute gem! Lovely illustrations accompany an acerbic narrative of female history; traditional ideas about women aren’t criticised directly, but more shown to be ludicrous through the wording and illustrations (I especially loved the idea that women couldn’t stand up without corsets, alongside illustrated lolling women!) Men are Geniuses (with a capital letter, obviously), while women aren’t suited to anything that might damage their marriage prospects (including, but not limited to, art, science, writing, riding bicycles).
This book is an obvious choice for anyone interested in women’s history and feminism., and is one I’ll be sharing with my daughter when she is old enough.
However, it has much wider appeal than us card-carrying feminists! Indeed, this book should also be read by anyone who thinks that the fight for equality is over; there’s plenty of food for thought here about the messages we are still given about women’s role in history.
‘Moranifesto’ by Caitlin Moran
Regular visitors to the blog may have already spotted my love for Caitlin Moran who – I think – has one of the most original, funny and relatable voices in modern journalism.
She writes regularly for ‘The Times’ and ‘The Sunday Times’ but also has a number of books (both fiction and non-fiction) under her belt. Her new book, ‘More Than A Woman’ has just been released, but I’d like to point you towards ‘Moranifesto’ as being the book that perfectly encapsulates her quirky and humorous take on life.
Although I really don’t agree with her on some things (for example, her Beatles obsession), on the important things we are aligned. She writes engagingly and persuasively, whether it is about feminism, the Paralympics, the need for libraries or the wonderousness of Benedict Cumberbatch!
Although her writing is fundamentally feminist, she covers a massive amount of ground on some extremely wide-ranging topics and is always readable. She is also notoriously ‘over-sharey’ so there’s some hilarious and eye-opening content.
The other thing that’s great about this book is that Moran is a thinker. Although a lot of her musings may seem amusing or dealing with trivialities, she absolutely nails society’s problems (often to do with inequality and injustices) and offers a hopeful way forward – her ‘Moranifesto’.
I wish they’d put her in charge now!
‘Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners‘ by Therese ONeill
Those who know me know that I love funny books and anything about Victorians. This is both and yet gives an engaging social history on how women lived in the Victorian era.
I do tend towards a romantic view of the Victorian era whilst also knowing that this is ridiculous – the statistics on child mortality, life expectancy and poverty should dispel that myth. However, I was keen to know about the reality of being a Victorian woman which is why I picked up this book.
The key thing to note is that this is about being a Victorian lady – a very small percentage of the population, as most women did not have the disposable income or time to meet the exacting standards of the etiquette guides (that ONeill uses as the basis for her fascinating book).
The book includes some really interesting social history on women’s clothing, bathing options, treatments for ‘hysteria’ (a condition only experienced by white, upper class women!) and contraception, among other things.
It is also really very funny and so makes my list easily!
Here are some others from my (to be honest – terrifyingly huge) TBR…
‘The Five’ by Hallie Rubenhold
‘Rise Up, Women!’ by Diane Atkinson
‘Bloody Brilliant Women’ by Cathy Newman
‘She-Merchants, Buccaneers and Gentlewomen: British Women in India 1600-1900’ by Katie Hickman
‘Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars’ by Francesca Wade
‘Outsiders: Five Women Writers Who Changed the World’ by Lyndall Gordon
‘Maiden Voyages’ by Sian Evans
Header photo with thanks to Gabrielle Rocha Rios for sharing their work on Unsplash.
I’ve written a lot recently about newly released novels – of which there are many. However, there are a vast number of excellent books that I’ve not written about in order to keep on top of waves of new ones.
With this in mind (and with a brief pause between the waves!), I thought I would introduce you to my favourite historical novels of recent years.
These are in no particular order – just books that strike me as deserving to find new audiences. They are all – as far as I know – stand alone novels. If historical crime series are your thing instead, you can find my recommendations here.
‘Shadowplay’ by Joseph O’Connor
Thanks to Sonder Quest for sharing their work on Unsplash.
I really love anything about the Victorian period, although I did not know much about Bram Stoker, the focus for this book, apart from the fact he wrote ‘Dracula’. The whole book was a bit of a revelation, in fact, putting Stoker in the context of his life’s works and the wider view of Victorian and Edwardian society.
The novel focuses on Bram Stoker’s life from his days as a clerk in Dublin to his time managing the Lyceum Theatre in London through to his death in 1912. The main part of the book really concentrates on his tricky relationships with the famous Shakespearian actor Henry Irving (owner of the Lyceum Theatre) and Ellen Terry, great actress of her day. Although heavily based in fact, this is a fictional account and it really brought the historical figures to life through the (fictionalised) diaries of Stoker, the letters between the characters and even some (again fictional) transcripts of conversations and interviews.
I really enjoyed the way that so much of Stoker’s day to day life at the theatre seemed to provide the inspiration for ‘Dracula’ – as a long time admirer of that classic novel, it was lovely to see ideas coming together, from character names to places and events and motifs. I wasn’t aware until reading this that Stoker never realised that ‘Dracula’ was destined for fame and fortune – it is a tragic element of his story that he never saw its success in his lifetime.
There was a lot to enjoy in this book for people who like well-researched historical fiction. So many people and places and events were incorporated into this story that Google was my constant companion so I could see and read even more!
There are a couple of reservations – Florence (poor Florence!) could have been developed more and I’d have liked a tiny bit more pace in places, but these are slight niggles only.
Overall, this is an enjoyable read for those interested in Victorian society and theatre or Bram Stoker and his writing process. It is an engaging and ultimately moving account of one man’s life and relationships in a fascinating era.
‘The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock’ by Imogen Hermes Gowar
It’s so hard to explain why this book is so bizarre and yet so fantastic (in both senses of the word). It defies genre and delivers a wholly satisfying story that I couldn’t wait to unravel.
It is 1785 and Jonah Hancock, a merchant in London, is living a narrow existence and waiting for news of his ships that are sailing across the world with the cargo that is his livelihood. One of the ship’s captains returns with a strange offering, a mermaid, an event which marks the start of Jonah’s change in fortune. As he rises in the world by feeding the public’s desire to see the mermaid, he crosses paths with Angelica Neal, a beautiful courtesan, and his life changes forever.
Thanks to Nsey Benajah for sharing their work on Unsplash.
The story moves between Jonah’s view of events and Angelica’s; both are utterly engrossing and introduce the reader to different levels of Georgian society and a whole host of fascinating characters. Although the novel is ostensibly historical fiction, there is also a slightly supernatural element which is interesting. It reminded me of some of Angela Carter’s novels (‘Nights at the Circus’ being a firm favourite of mine) in that there is a grotesque element to some of the writing and the reader is sometimes unsure what is reality and what is illusion.
Overall, I loved this book and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who loves historical novels (Georgian London is presented in absorbing detail), mystery and intrigue (is the mermaid real?), wonderful characters (Mrs Chappell is delightfully awful) or who just simply want to read a great story. Beautifully written and absolutely engaging.
‘Tipping the Velvet’ by Sarah Waters
This is a fabulous historical novel set in the Victorian theatre world – I have re-read this one a lot. It’s so beautifully written and absolutely absorbing.
The narrative follows Nancy Astley as she leaves her Whitstable home and embarks on a music hall career in London. Led by her love for Kitty Butler, a music hall artiste, she learns about her own sexuality and character as she moves through different levels of Victorian London society.
The characters she meets are varied and interesting, and always presented with subtlety and humanity, be they aristocracy or prostitute, Socialist activist or servant, theatre star or charity worker. Nancy herself is a complex and slightly frustrating narrator; she is human and real and sometimes makes bad decisions, but the reader can’t help but be charmed by her.
As well as the characters, the settings are also beautifully evoked. Nancy moves from the vibrancy of the Victorian music halls to the seediest boarding houses to the mansions of London’s wealthy and all are written in vivid detail by Waters.
The novel is often categorised as a romance, which it undoubtedly is, but I’d say this is also bildungsroman – Nancy leaves Whitstable as a young, innocent girl and embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she finds her place in life. I really love this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes their historical fiction with intelligence and a whole lot of heart.
‘Bone China’ by Laura Purcell
I loved Laura Purcell’s ‘The Corset’ and so was very excited to read her new book, ‘Bone China’.
As I trust the author, I deliberately did not read about it before I started reading so that I could be pulled along by what I knew would be an engaging and suspenseful narrative. I really wasn’t disappointed!
The story centres on Morvoren House in Cornwall, a family home set on the top of cliffs. A maid, fleeing the secrets of her own past, arrives to take care of the elderly Miss Pinecroft (and her extensive collection of bone china, of course!) The household are rather unconventional and Cornish myths and superstition run rife, especially with Creeda, companion to Miss Rosewyn Pinecroft. Just as the maid, Hester Why, starts to find her feet in this strange family, the narrative shifts back 40 years and we start to learn the secrets of the tragic Pinecroft family.
This book is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction. As with Laura Purcell’s previous work, there is a strong sense of the creepy and sinister, this time in the exploration of the old Cornish beliefs about fairies (who are far from the benevolent and cute figures that Disney might have us believe!) There is also plenty of vivid description which really brings to life the unusual settings such as the caves beneath Morvoren House and the characters that inhabit the story.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction. Even if you are sceptical about the supernatural elements (I’m queen of the cynics – I don’t usually read this genre for that reason), you cannot help but be drawn into this beautifully plotted, carefully researched and fascinating story.
‘The Binding’ by Bridget Collins
With Collins’ second novel arriving soon (and it’s absolutely amazing), I couldn’t not include this one here.
I have no real clue how to categorise this or describe it, but this book is absolutely wonderful!
Emmett lives with his family on a farm. He’s trying to pull his weight with the physically demanding work, but he has been ill and can’t really remember a dark, feverish period of his life. A mysterious letter arrives asking for him to be an apprentice to a binder, a woman living in a remote area who is widely considered to be a witch. With no real choice in the matter, Emmett takes his place in the binding workshop, learning the secrets and skills of transferring memories to paper. But things aren’t as they seem and the world of bookbinding has those who abuse their power over people’s minds.
Picture thanks to Cristina Gottardi for sharing their work on Unsplash.
I really don’t want to give any more of the story away because I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it was because I did not quite know what to expect. I’m not even really sure what category I would place this in – the setting feels historical, but also like a parallel world in which books have mysterious power. It certainly isn’t my usual genre, but I absolutely loved it.
The novel is beautifully written and hugely imaginative – I read it in a day, which is fairly unusual for me. The only criticism I have is that I found it quite difficult to imagine the physical appearance of the characters. Scenes and emotions in the novel are written in great and absorbing detail, but I just wanted to be able to see the characters in my mind. A small niggle for me!
However, this is a lovely and engaging novel. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read something a bit different. It is not at all what I expected, but was a pleasant surprise.
‘The Devil Aspect’ by Craig Russell
Wow. Just wow!
The story is set in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s. Nazism is on the rise, showing itself in small ways to the staff and residents of the asylum at the centre of the plot. This asylum is like no other, housing ‘The Devil’s Six’, killers of such depravity that they are isolated in a remote castle location. The castle itself also hides secrets, with locals thinking it stops up the mouth of Hell itself.
Into this grim and dark place comes a new psychiatrist, Victor, keen to prove that people have split personalities, a ‘devil aspect’ in each of us that has capacity for great harm. He arrives fresh from Prague, a city terrorised by a serial killer called ‘Leather Apron’, and starts to uncover some unexpected things about the castle residents.
It’s hard to write a summary of the book that really does it justice. It cleverly weaves the mythology and folk tales of Central and Eastern Europe with trends and discoveries in psychiatry, while also maintaining a constant sense of darkness through the historical setting. As Nazism makes itself felt in Czechoslovakia, not least to the Jewish character in the novel, Russell also winds in the grimness of Victorian London’s Jack the Ripper crimes being mirrored on the cold and gloomy streets of Prague.
It is meticulously researched and fascinating. It’s also all described vividly – sometimes a little too much so, given the brutality of the crimes involved and the disturbing madness at the heart of the novel.
I just can’t praise this enough. It genuinely kept me turning pages right to the end and left me thinking about it long after the end. Yes, it’s extremely dark and gruesome. Yes, it’s about some very grim subjects. Yes, it’s quite disturbing. But it’s also wonderfully clever and inventive and compulsive. Please read it now.
‘Blackberry and Wild Rose’ by Sonia Velton
This is the story of two women living in Spitalfields during the reign of George III. One (Esther Thorel) is the wife of a respected Huguenot weaver, the other (Sara) is a prostitute at the seedy Wig and Feathers tavern. When Esther pays for Sara’s freedom from her life of prostitution and gives her a job in the Thorel household, both women’s lives are changed forever and not in ways they could foresee.
Thanks to VIBHUTI GUPTA for sharing their work on Unsplash.
There is so much that is fabulous about this novel. The chapters alternating between the perspectives of the two women make the story compelling; although this isn’t a radically new device, in this novel it takes the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions and results in constantly shifting sympathies. I honestly couldn’t decide whose side I was on as it kept changing! Also, the descriptions of Georgian London are vivid and engaging – this is a grimy and dangerous London where mobs can rule and justice is far from guaranteed. The plot is tight and there is a serious feeling of menace at times – I could not put this book down!
Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction. This is a beautifully written and captivating novel that deserves wide readership and critical acclaim.
‘The Doll Factory’ by Elizabeth Macneal
This book is about twin young women working in a doll factory in quite early Victorian London. Iris longs for escape, while Rose is more resigned to her situation, keen to appear respectable and do as her parents wish. Nearby, the Crystal Palace is being built for Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition and items are being sought for both this and for the Royal Academy’s annual exhibition. It is these things that will change the twins’ lives forever as they get caught up with the burgeoning Pre Raphaelite movement and a shady taxidermist called Silas.
I really loved this book for so many reasons. Firstly, the setting felt vibrant and interesting – this is London as the centre of innovation and full of opportunity. However, it’s also a London that is dangerous and seedy, and Macneal does not hold back from portraying the poverty and prostitution in the city that exists alongside the promise of the future.
I also loved the character of Iris, a woman prepared to take risks to be free to paint. The Pre Raphaelite artists themselves are also engaging subjects for a novel, although quite sanitised if what I’ve read about them elsewhere is to be believed! Finally, the sense of tension sustained throughout the book is cleverly done as Silas changes from odd loner to something much creepier.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who likes historical fiction. My only quibble is the title – it’s a bland and unexciting title for something that offers so much more than the story of a doll factory.
‘A Single Thread’ by Tracy Chevalier
I’d read a few of Tracy Chevalier’s books before and so I was expecting a well-researched, evocative and beautifully crafted historical novel. I was not disappointed.
This book is about Violet Speedwell, a single woman in her late thirties who is living in Winchester in 1932. Still mourning her losses in the Great War, Violet is trying to escape the future that society has planned for her as a ‘spinster’ and ‘surplus woman’. Instead of settling with her mother in Southampton as everyone expects, she moves to Winchester, gets a job as a typist and becomes involved in the Broderers, a group of women embroidering items for the cathedral. Through this, she meets an interesting set of people who show her that there are other ways of living outside of society’s rules.
Violet is an appealing and engaging heroine whose situation evokes sympathy in the reader; she struggles to assert her independence in a society that seems to want to thwart her every move. The setting is beautifully described, the characters are vivid and there is lots of interesting information about the embroidery techniques that Violet is learning – sewing is not my thing at all, but I did find it added to the novel.
This is a charming book that follows a lively and unconventional heroine. Although Chevalier touches on the big issues of women’s rights and the rise of Nazism before the Second World War, the focus never leaves Violet, her friends and family, her struggles and successes, her hobbies and her beliefs. A lovely book and one I would wholeheartedly recommend.
Thanks to Olesia Buyar for sharing their work on Unsplash.
‘Swan Song’ by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott
I didn’t know much about Truman Capote before I picked up this novel, but I was intrigued by the idea of telling his story through the women he was closest to – his ‘Swans’, a group of wealthy socialites who gave him access to their privileged lives and darkest secrets before he betrayed them by writing thinly-disguised versions of their stories.
I was interested in how biography can become fiction, although I soon realised that Capote himself was a master of blurring the lines between truth and fiction as several sections in this novel show – key events are told and retold from different perspectives and with dramatic features added, so the reader is always aware that truth is an illusion.
The novel covers the period between the 1930s (when Capote is a child) and the 1980s when Capote is living in relative exile following his controversial decision to fictionalise his Swans’ lives in print. The narrative switches between Capote himself and his friends, a collection of wealthy and influential women whose names are often familiar to us – we see Jackie Kennedy and her sister Lee Radziwill, Babe Paley, CZ Guest, a Churchill and the Guinesses among others. The story then drops in so many familiar faces and names that Google is a necessary companion to this novel – Frank Sinatra, Mia Farrow, Gore Vidal, John and Bobby Kennedy, Harper Lee… the list goes on as Greenberg-Jephcott draws a vivid picture of the social whirls surrounding Capote.
I know that other reviewers have mentioned that they found the book confusing and I can see this – the timeline does skip around a bit and the cast list is extensive, although I found the more I read, the clearer the distinctions between the women and their individual lives became. Some reviewers have also said that the characters are unpleasant and unsympathetic, but I didn’t find this at all. They are undoubtedly self-absorbed, but I think that the novel shows that lives that seem gilded still have problems. Yes, the ladies lunch and are extravagant and spoilt, but they also seem human and their lives aren’t perfect.
Capote himself is a challenging figure – bitchy and clever and untrustworthy, but his background and final days still evoke pathos.
I found myself caught up in these glamorous yet often tragic lives and feel that the book will stay with me for some time.
Overall, I think this is a superb piece of writing that vividly evokes a particular historical era and social set. I thought it was beautifully written and fascinating – I definitely want to learn more about the real lives of the characters and even read some Capote, something I now feel is a shameful gap in my reading history! It’s a long book and challenging in places, but it’s also compelling and engaging. It’s been thoroughly researched and lovingly written and is definitely worth a read.
With thanks to NetGalley for giving me these books in exchange for honest reviews. As always, opinions are entirely my own!
Header photo with thanks to Jason Wong for sharing their work on Unsplash.
The fifth book in our week of 20th August releases is ‘The Quickening’ by Rhiannon Ward and it is an absolutely glorious piece of historical fiction.
I had scheduled this post for later in the week, but you absolutely need to know about this now – publication day!
Well, this is rather fabulous! I came to this book expecting a bit of intrigue, a gothic feel and a solid historical tale. It delivered all that and a lot more.
The main narrative takes place in 1925 and is told by Louisa Drew, a war widow who has remarried and is heavily pregnant. In need of money, she takes a commission at the crumbling Clewer Hall in Sussex which is shortly to be sold; her job is to photograph the house and its contents for auction.
She is welcomed by the residents of the Hall, although they seem ill at ease and perturbed by her pregnancy. She finds out that the Hall was the site of an infamous séance in 1896 which is to be recreated during her stay with as many of the original attendees as are still alive. As the date for the séance arrives, there are mysterious occurrences and tension begins to build about why Louisa was selected for the commission.
Some of the scenes in the novel flash back to the original séance in 1896 and the reader begins to see how the events of that night continue to reverberate down through the years.
One of the strengths of this story is just how deliciously creepy it is! The building of Clewer Hall is hugely important to the story and it is a place of decay, mysterious shadows and uncanny events. The fact that one wing has fallen into disrepair is central – it is here that Louisa feels most uncomfortable and unsure whether to blame her strange symptoms on advanced pregnancy or something more sinister.
The plotting of this book is also intricate and clever – I felt that I was in the hands of a confident and accomplished storyteller, even as I also felt that I couldn’t see how the strands of the narrative were ever going to come together. But come together they do – and it is absolutely satisfying.
The novel is filled with realistic and compelling characters, but it is especially worth mentioning Louisa Drew herself. Louisa is a really engaging narrator and we feel – in turn – frightened with her, sorry for her, awed at her bravery and empathetic for her situation. Her tragic back-story gives her depth and should make her feel like one of life’s victims,; however, she shows so much strength in her position as a pioneer of magazine photography and courage in facing the events at Clewer Hall that she is elevated in the readers’ opinion. The rest of the inhabitants of the Hall are no less developed – and there are a lot of them with complex, intertwining lives.
This book would be absolutely perfect for those who love Laura Purcell’s books or ‘The Little Stranger’ by Sarah Waters. There is the same mix of a compelling and well-crafted story with just a pinch of the supernatural!
Overall, this is a highly recommended slice of historical fiction. It has mystery, horror and – more surprisingly – a lot of heart. I loved it.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you would like to buy this book, the link is below – I may receive commission on any purchases but it won’t cost you any more.
Header photo with thanks to Ján Jakub Naništa for sharing their work on Unsplash.
This book, published in June 2020, is one of my five star reads for the year so far. Highly recommended!
I really liked Claire Evans' debut novel, 'The Fourteenth Letter', but I think this one is even stronger. It's a twisty and tense murder mystery set on the streets of Victorian Whitechapel - what's not to love?!
It's 1882 and Cage Lackmann is a corrupt lawyer. Although he does some work to defend the innocent, he also fights legal cases to acquit gang members as he is in the pay of a powerful man. When one of his 'innocent' defendants is accused of committing a second murder, Cage is in trouble. The police want to frame him, his customers are abandoning him and he is in a race against time to get the evidence he needs. Everyone has secrets and Cage has to work out who he can trust with his own.
I loved everything about this book! I kept thinking I'd figured it all out, only for the rug to be pulled from under my feet the next second. The depiction of gritty, grimy, seedy Whitechapel is great - this is a place where loyalties can be bought and sold, everyone has a price and violence is rife. That said, this isn't a depressing book - it's clever and engaging and fast-paced. I read this in a day and would recommend that any lovers of historical crime do the same - clear some time in the diary and settle down for an absolute treat.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I can’t remember a time I wasn’t obsessed with reading. From the early days of illicit Secret Seven books devoured after lights-out to breakfasts spent poring over cereal packets to the more highbrow demands of a Literature degree…if there’s reading material available, I’m there!
Having spent years talking about books with anyone who would listen, I then found NetGalley and settled in to reviewing books alongside my day job as secondary English teacher. I kind of refined my genres and interests and my passion for books continued to grow. I’d say it was a well-cultivated and controlled development, like a beautiful bonsai tree. My husband would say an obsession growing more like knotweed, but heigh-ho…
So I’ve finally taken the plunge and here is my very own blog. You can expect book reviews covering a range of genres – historical crime is a favourite, alongside anything set in the Victorian era, but I really am not prescriptive. I love funny books, fiction and non-fiction, ‘Women’s fiction’ (always thought that was a weird category title, to be honest), police procedurals and books about books. But also anything else that takes my fancy along the way.
You also don’t get to be a long-term bookworm without becoming au fait with all kinds of literary gifts, subscription services and other connected bits and bobs. I’ll be chatting about these too.
Most importantly, all the opinions are my very own and have no ulterior motive. If I don’t love it, I’m not recommending it!
So welcome to my blog and thanks for stopping by. This is one scary step so please be kind!
