A review by angelica_jardinerica
The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

5.0

The author describes her book as "mythical and magical, a sweeping Dickensian story with a twist...a tale of fraud, excess, illusion and the vagaries of fortune". That more or less sums it up. It's a long book, but as there's hardly a lull in the pace I didn't get the impression of ploughing through a tome; quite the opposite in fact - I was completely drawn into the colourful, dangerous and fascinating world of Georgian England. The story is extremely well thought out and written, following Red, who we meet as a poverty-stricken, fortune-telling child at the beginning of the novel, as she doggedly attempts to prove her right to inherit one of the largest fortunes in 18th Century England. The plot does get quite complex as more lies, half truths and deceit are revealed, and there were points when I needed time to assimilate all the information I was being given (although that might be the fault of my foggy menopausal brain). I also needed to consult the family tree numerous times to be able to follow the many twists and turns in the novel. The author's historical note at the end of the book is equally fascinating, revealing the reality behind events I could only envisage as fiction.