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louisekf's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What can I say about this book? Read it! End of review. (Just kidding.)
Felicia Grossman has written another wonderful fairytale retelling, gender-swapped and featuring the Jewish community of London in the early 1830s. This time the story is a twisted Snow White retelling!
Hannah Moses works very hard in her pawnbroker shop, trying to make enough money for a decent dowry for her younger sister. Her parents are gone - either they are dead or transported to Australia as criminals. She does what she has to do to survive, and it’s not always pretty - or legal. Solomon Weiss is the younger brother of a Jewish banking family; his older half-brother Frederick raised him, similarly to Hannah’s situation, with both their parents dead. But that’s about where the similarity ends. Frederick has distanced himself from the local Jewish community, and is trying to endear himself to the gentile gentry ("the Ton"). He has set his sights on marrying Lady Drucilla, a young widow and the sister of a viscount. Solomon’s Jewishness annoys him, but Sol idolizes him for having raised him.
Hannah and Solomon come from two different parts of the same “world” and their meeting is by chance. Their relationship is something that just “can’t” happen. And yet it does.
I loved all the references to Judaism and Jewish practices, as well as all the fairytale references. Be aware: there is a lot of spice in this story!
It was a delight to be back in the world I first encountered in Grossman’s Marry Me By Midnight. (If you haven’t read that one, check it out too! But it's not necessary to the enjoyment of this one.)
I read an advance copy so I don’t know if there’s a glossary in the book (there wasn’t one in my copy), but it would be helpful for the various Yiddish words and expressions (and a couple of Ladino ones too!). I knew some of them and figured out the others from the context, so many readers will probably be able to do the same - but it would still be helpful, as I wound up looking up one or two words online as I was reading.
Don’t miss the Author’s Note at the end, where she outlines the history of antisemitism in the English-speaking world. She also, in her acknowledgments, gives a shout out to the two fabulous cover models! I’m not sure I’ve seen that before.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Felicia Grossman has written another wonderful fairytale retelling, gender-swapped and featuring the Jewish community of London in the early 1830s. This time the story is a twisted Snow White retelling!
Hannah Moses works very hard in her pawnbroker shop, trying to make enough money for a decent dowry for her younger sister. Her parents are gone - either they are dead or transported to Australia as criminals. She does what she has to do to survive, and it’s not always pretty - or legal. Solomon Weiss is the younger brother of a Jewish banking family; his older half-brother Frederick raised him, similarly to Hannah’s situation, with both their parents dead. But that’s about where the similarity ends. Frederick has distanced himself from the local Jewish community, and is trying to endear himself to the gentile gentry ("the Ton"). He has set his sights on marrying Lady Drucilla, a young widow and the sister of a viscount. Solomon’s Jewishness annoys him, but Sol idolizes him for having raised him.
Hannah and Solomon come from two different parts of the same “world” and their meeting is by chance. Their relationship is something that just “can’t” happen. And yet it does.
I loved all the references to Judaism and Jewish practices, as well as all the fairytale references. Be aware: there is a lot of spice in this story!
It was a delight to be back in the world I first encountered in Grossman’s Marry Me By Midnight. (If you haven’t read that one, check it out too! But it's not necessary to the enjoyment of this one.)
I read an advance copy so I don’t know if there’s a glossary in the book (there wasn’t one in my copy), but it would be helpful for the various Yiddish words and expressions (and a couple of Ladino ones too!). I knew some of them and figured out the others from the context, so many readers will probably be able to do the same - but it would still be helpful, as I wound up looking up one or two words online as I was reading.
Don’t miss the Author’s Note at the end, where she outlines the history of antisemitism in the English-speaking world. She also, in her acknowledgments, gives a shout out to the two fabulous cover models! I’m not sure I’ve seen that before.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent and Deportation
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