A review by ohnoflora
Mariana by Monica Dickens

4.0

This really is a hot water bottle of a book - comforting and nostalgic but saved from being sentimental by having a wry, sharp streak that cuts through the cosyness. I don't think it's a classic in the way that I Capture the Castle or Love in a Cold Climate is and although the seediness of the demi-monde of 1930s London is touched on, Monica Dickens doesn't brave the depths that Jean Rhys does in novels like Voyage in the Dark...however, it is extremely enjoyable, full of wit and a book that I can see myself returning to.