Reviews

En historisk roman som väcker känslor.

Baksidestexten fångade mig direkt. Detta är en bok som går att diskutera i all oändlighet då den har en historia som går att vända och vrida på.

Bokens handling och karaktärsbeskrivning är otroligt spännande och intressant vilket gör att man bara vill läsa mer.
Något som också fick läsning att gå framåt var att man fick läsa ur de båda kvinnornas perspektiv, hade man inte fått det så hade boken nog blivit ganska platt och inte alls lika tilldragande.

I övrigt är boken relativt lättläst (

piyali's review

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4.0

Sigh! Just the story I needed. Depth, beauty, twists and turns - every ingredient in right measure to make the story a great read.

notorious_nat's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a really nice little story, made more interesting to me as I grew up around Clerkenwell and my children went to nursery at the Foundling Hospital, now Coram’s Fields in London. I must say the plot was a little thin and I was slightly disappointed when I reached the end without any real twists or unexpected events. So, very predictable, but full of emotion and atmosphere. And so easy to read -I finished it in two days!

madsandco's review against another edition

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4.0

Not gripping in an exciting way, but gripping in a “suddenly hours have passed and i’m absorbed” kind of way. Stacey Halls has a natural easy way of creating characters that are so very Normal in the best way, and reminding you how much we judge without knowing. The tempo felt a little abrupt to me - a long long build to an inevitable climax, but it felt like the end came tumbling down quickly and fell neatly into perfect places. In a narrative that so clearly highlights injustice and inequalities, it seems a little too idealistic to be a Good ending. It made me happy and I’m glad of it, but I don’t think the solution was realistic taking into account the elaborate characters created so well, who then had to act out of character to produce a nice tidy ending - maybe with more time and attention to the final chapters, it would have finished in a more fitting way that did justice to the characters

dayswithhan's review against another edition

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4.0

I’m always a sucker for historical fiction but I really did enjoy this book. It had me questioning whether Bess had made the right decision.. especially when her and Charlotte were on the run and hiding where they could. Charlotte’s reactions although entirely justifiable given the current situation in a whole new world she wasn’t used to.. had Bess done the right thing? I also liked the last chapter as it wrapped everything up, I think if the author had explained in detail each stage of her and Mrs Callard’s mutual decision with Charlotte or her and Lyle’s relationship and eventual marriage, it would have felt unnecessary and drawn out.

ellen_books_brews's review against another edition

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4.0

Planning on reading The Familiars as soon as I can get it. I feel like reading the novels of Halls in the reverse order might not be the best thing to do though. I enjoyed Mrs. England but it set me up for thinking the worst of male, likeable characters. Which doesn't fit with what I read here. I enjoyed the story but the ending is a bit too perfect for my taste.

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