England, 1660. Ella Appleby believes she is destined for better things than slaving as a housemaid and dodging the blows of her drunken father. When her employer dies suddenly, she seizes her chance--taking his valuables and fleeing the countryside with her sister for the golden prospects of London. But London may not be the promised land she expects. Work is hard to find, until Ella takes up with a dashing and dubious gentleman with ties to the London underworld. Meanwhile, her old employer's twin brother is in hot pursuit of the sisters.
Review:
I found this story to be a bittersweet tale of what happens to people when they make choices in life and have to deal with the outcome. Throughout this story, Ella makes bad choices and her behavior is shocking towards her sister, Sadie. As you're reading this story you wonder how Ella redeems herself and at the same time can't help admire her for her will to survive no matter the situation. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive at times about turning the page to see what happens next
The dialogue is well-written and the story is beautifully crafted. Swift obviously did extensive research for her story and it is true to the period of time the story takes place. I highly recommend this story and I have rated it five stars!
Stephanie
Layered Pages
Publication Date: November 27, 2012 | St. Martin's Griffin | 480p
Author Bio:
DEBORAH SWIFT, a set and costume designer for the BBC, lives in Windermere, England. THE LADY'S SLIPPER, shortlisted for The Impress Novelists Prize in 2007, was inspired by her own discovery of the rare orchid during a summer walk. For more information on Deborah Swift and her novels, please visit her website at www.deborahswift.co.uk.
Hi Stephanie
ReplyDeleteI want to contact you but I can't see any contact details, hence this message here. I administer the Awesome Indies site http://awesomeindies.net and wondered about your background. Do you have a bio somewhere?