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what_heather_loves's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"'Perhaps', Natalya says, feeling the feathers between her fingers...'Perhaps it is the wildness within us that made us grow our wings. Perhaps it is because we see the world around us so clearly. Because we see it for what it is. A miracle of its own making. Wondrous.' 'Perhaps,' whispers Etta...'Perhaps,' she repeats softly. 'And perhaps the world is not ready for women such as us. Not yet.'"
October 1840 and a miracle, something wondrous, is happening in Shropshire and in London, as two, spirited but very different women develop angel's wings. First Etta, a mixed-race, intelligent, wealthy but outcast aspiring botanist near Ludlow and homeless, storyteller Natalya from Orkney, floundering in London. Two more women slowly become involved, first young aspiring journalist Mary, who lives in poverty with Uncle Jos, grieving the loss of his partner and hoping for love with family friend, Richard. Then kind, painter Annie, lost in her marriage to arrogant and deluded, money- and fame-hungry, 'bodysnatcher' surgeon, Edward, who believes he is doing God's work. As news spreadinf of 'The Angel of the Thames' slowly brings the women's tales together, will the cause of the wings be revealed and will the women find safety and acceptance?
With four protagonists and an ambitious plot, this is a complex, fantastical and extraordinary tale of hope and determination. Each woman has their own chapters, which include the same hand-drawn image at the top, an image that represents them and there are other pencil images throughout the book. I struggled to get into the book initially, because it felt slow and because of the number of protagonists with only a short chapter before moving onto another, but it is worth sticking with. The strong female characters have much adversity, whether racism, poverty or misogyny, which they overcome together with intelligence and sheer determination, following their gut instincts to find their own place in a controlling and patriarchal society. Complex, wondrous and feminist, fans of historical fiction and fantasy will be drawn into the world the author has created.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Kidnapping
Moderate: Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, and Medical content
Minor: Racism
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