29 Jan The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
I was always fascinated by the story of the Titanic and her tragic fate ever since I was a little girl.
When I heard about this novel, I thought it might give me an idea of how things could have went down, even though it is fictionalized. This book is not only about the Titanic but about the well known British fashion designer, Lady Lucile Duff Gordon, who actually survived the sinking of the ship. The more unfortunate reality of the situation is that she had apparently saved her skin but did not allow others to join her rather empty raft, which carried her husband and several other passengers. Alcott's novel focuses on what happens to Lucy Gordon and her secretary (or in this case, her maid and later seamstress) once they are safely on American soil.
01 Nov The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
There was a time when virgin women were considered the cure for a man who was afflicted with syphilis or “the pox”. It was an unfortunate myth that put many innocent young ladies at risk for their own health and lives. The Virgin Cure is set during that period in history (1871 New York), where we are introduced to Moth Fenwick. She lives with her mother, who seems to be making a living from fortune telling. When we meet Moth (an only child and fatherless), she is twelve and on the verge of being given away for a price. We get the feeling that there is no love lost on her mother’s part, but Moth imagines that she will one day return home.