ISBN: 0-340-92137-4
I have to admit that I should have been working this morning, I'm busy. I most definitely should not have spent the last 30 minutes sobbing. If in fact I had not been crying quite so hard, it would probably only taken me 20 minutes to finish this book. If you do one thing if your life .............. read it. This woman is a creative storytelling genius.
I happily admit that it did keep me awake for a bit of the night, such is the connection that you are made to feel for the characters. A resounding 5+ *****+ stars from me.
What surprised me more than anything is that actually, the book is set in a slightly later time period than I normally prefer, that of the Industrial Revolution. To my horror upon reading the back cover it was also set in the black slums of Liverpool - I descend much below the level of aristocrat, and definitely not north of Watford in my reading choice!. That is probably why this book has lurked around on my "to be read shelf" for so long. I kept putting it back in the "to be returned to the library pile" and my Mother kept putting it back on the "to be read pile". I have to admit that I begrudgingly picked it up, so really I could just so "........ of yes, I tried it. Didn't like it. Now please send it back where it belongs".
This is therefore a salutatory lesson that you should literally never judge a book by its cover, or what it indicates on the back cover is contained inside.
The story of a proud woman, Queen Logan, who gives birth to an illegitimate daughter in the black slums of Liverpool, but who is determined by the dint of her own extremely hard work to provide better for her daughter Gillyflower. She provides a protected home, an education for her, and has high hopes that she will one day marry her childhood sweetheart, Jem Wilson (7 years her senior).
However, fate and more importantly the truest of true loves has different ideas. Gilly gets her education, and opens her own shop, but the two most precious people in her lives suffer terribly along the way. She also finds a life-long friend and develops a powerful, and vengeful enemy along the way.
It is one of the most enthralling and well craft books I have ever read.
Happy reading.
Kay
Rose Alley
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