When tragic circumstances force Ellen Gowan, and her mother,Constance to leave their rural home and escape into Victorian London, it is inevitable that this move will be fraught with danger. Ellen is a very naive character, and on the premature death of her mother, she is easily seduced by an unscrupulous man, and is left pregnant and alone. However, her extraordinary skill as a dressmaker will prove to be her saviour, and will take her from despair, through to glittering success.
Initially the book gets off to a slow start, the description Ellen's early life as a curate's daughter in rural England is ponderous, but once the story moves to London and her adult life, the story really takes off and becomes reminiscent of the social commentary of Jane Austen, combined with the Victorian detail of Charles Dickens.
I've waited a long time for another book from Posie Graeme Evans and whilst this one didn't grab my attention quite as much as her previous War of the Roses trilogy, it does reiterate her skill as a talented story teller and I look forward to her next book - hopefully not too long away..
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