I am unsure if this is the appropriate place to post a review, but a summary of my thoughts on a gripping novel is given below:
Set against the backdrop of the silk weaving rebellions in 1760s Spitalfields, Sonia Velton’s debut historical fiction novel brings to life the story of two woman from very different backgrounds in one household and captures the fraught relationship between them which threatens to be both of their undoing. Wide in scope and capturing the changing fortunes of the silk industry evoked through a cast of realistically flawed characters, Blackberry and Wild Rose is a multifaceted drama that captures a time, place and a story that truly belongs to Spitalfields. Utterly enthralling, unexpectedly suspenseful and thoroughly involving, I cannot remember becoming so thoroughly immersed in a historical fiction novel since Minette Walters Black Death saga. Packed full of intrigue, secrets, lies, scandal and ultimately, betrayal, this wonderfully atmospheric drama culminates in a poignant denouement that proves nigh on impossible to predict. Sumptuous prose throughout is the icing on the cake of an exquisitely assured debut from an author whom I certainly hope to hear more of.
Questions for Sonia:
Did you always have a burning desire to write and had simply never come across a story that captured your imagination before seeing the stunning silks in the V & A?
Do you feel any desire to expand of the story of Anna Maria Garthwaite or continue exploring the changing face of industry within Spitalfields?
Both Esther and Sara are strong women and the irony is that despite their differences in class they certainly seem to share more in common with each other than either realises. Was this always an intention when you were plotting the novel?
Finally, can you recommend any standout novels that you read in 2018 and any other, London set historical fiction novels?
Many thanks to Sonia, Gransnet and Quercus.