Kensington Books
ISBN: 978-0758265906
Published: Jan 31, 2012
Trade Paperback, 384 pages
This is the third book I read by historical novelist Christine Trent. Both The Queen's Dollmaker and A Royal Likeness were books that transported me back in history, making me see it through the eyes of strong heroines “with unusual professions”, as the author puts it. Yes, this is what I love the most about Trent's books; the main characters are tradeswomen who somehow get involved in some way with real-life historical figures.
This time we meet Annabelle Stirling,
an ambitious draper (a cloth merchant) who was trained by her father
since childhood. After her parent's death, Belle runs her father's
shop while Wesley, her irresponsible and wayward brother, has little
interest in it. Circumstances lead Belle and Wesley to London, where
Belle sets up a draper shop and starts over with some help from her
brother. Belle comes under the patronage of Mr. Nash, the architect
to the Prince Regent, who later becomes George IV, and she is
privileged to assist with the decoration of the King's Royal Pavilion
in Brighton.
The story is set at the brink of the
Industrial Revolution, spanning almost ten years from 1812 to 1821. I
must say, Trent once again brought history to life with the events of
this time. As in her other novels I learned about two trades, this
time: cloth manufacture and cabinetmaking. She also brought to life
George IV so well as an obese, pompous, manipulative and selfish
monarch that it was easy to see why he was so disliked by his
subjects. Her descriptions of the places and historical figures were
so alive that I could picture this novel as a movie.
Although Belle was a strong and intelligent woman
there were times I just didn't understand her behaviour, especially
vis-a-vis Wesley, who was involved in treason. She wanted to improve
her relationship with him and yet she was so ambitious and strove to
be her own women that she was oblivious to her brother's actions (or
refused to see them) and even pushed away the romantic and
respectable advances of Putnam Boyce, a man who respected her trade
and independence. Sometimes, I was frustrated with her. But she had a
good heart, worked hard and generously helped the poor in times of great need. I also thought her last decision regarding her business was brilliant.
Trent included a few scenes with
characters from her previous novels (Colette and Mme Tussaud) which I
thought was fun. I wished Belle would have made friends with Colette
earlier though, seeing that their shops were close to each other. And
I would have liked Putnam's marriage proposal staged at a more
appropriate time (other than right after Belle kills someone in self-defense--wasn't she in
shock?) as it overshadowed the fact that he finally gets the girl
after trying for several years!
I loved reading the author's note at
the end of the book that gave more details of all the historical
figures included in this story. Trent is a meticulous history buff
and her novels truly reflect this. I look forward to reading her next
novel.
For more reviews, visit the Historical Fiction Tour Page. You can also follow on Twitter: #BytheKing'sDesignVirtualTour
Note: This book is rated S = sexual scenes. There are scenes involving opium drugs and adultery (not explicit).
I will count this book toward the following challenges: A - Z Book Challenge
Christine Trent writes historical fiction from her two-story home library. She lives with her wonderful bookshelf-building husband, four precocious cats, a large doll collection, entirely too many fountain pens, and over 4,000 fully cataloged books. She and her husband are active travelers and journey regularly to England to conduct book research at historic sites. Christine Trent's novels include The Queen's Dollmaker and A Royal Likeness. She is currently working on her 4th novel, Lady of Ashes, which will be released in 2013.
For more information, please visit Christine Trent's Website, or connect with her on Facebook.
Reviewed by Laura
Disclosure: Thanks to the author and Amy from Historical Fiction Book Tours for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.
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