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A review by kjcharles
Spring Flowering by Farah Mendlesohn
A f/f historical at a non-eyewatering price is still a rare and precious thing, plus I heard the author speak at a conference and she was amazing, so I was on this like a rat up a drainpipe.
The historical grounding is amazing. This is the most vivid, immersive daily life depiction, and of relatively normal middle class people too. I was fascinated by the manufactories in particular, and the way women's position in work was changing, but all the details of life and work were gloriously real. What a joy.
The pacing is definitely not conventional for a romance, and I think it's probably more of a What Ann Did Next novel: her life going through grief and the loss of her home, building a new life, coming to terms with her sexuality in a world that doesn't give her any useful terms to use (but is not unwelcoming, which is lovely), and finally working her way to understand who she is and what she wants, and with whom. I would have liked the ending 20% to have more space to breathe myself, but then I like a good wallow.
Fabulous female friendships and family-building too. I really enjoyed this.
The historical grounding is amazing. This is the most vivid, immersive daily life depiction, and of relatively normal middle class people too. I was fascinated by the manufactories in particular, and the way women's position in work was changing, but all the details of life and work were gloriously real. What a joy.
The pacing is definitely not conventional for a romance, and I think it's probably more of a What Ann Did Next novel: her life going through grief and the loss of her home, building a new life, coming to terms with her sexuality in a world that doesn't give her any useful terms to use (but is not unwelcoming, which is lovely), and finally working her way to understand who she is and what she wants, and with whom. I would have liked the ending 20% to have more space to breathe myself, but then I like a good wallow.
Fabulous female friendships and family-building too. I really enjoyed this.