Laura Carlin (1)

Hester White lives with her aunt and uncle in the poor streets of London. Jester dreams of leaving and living a better quality of life. Circumstances send Hester on an adventure with a way out when she comes across the Brock family and especially Rebekah.

I was expecting so much more from this story. I usually like books set in old London especially the poor. The story had elements similar to Charles Dickens/Sarah Waters with some of the story line and the descriptions.

For me I found a lot of the book quite boring. I enjoyed the setting, the descriptions of the poor and the female friendship/ relationship that developed between the two women. I find the plot tedious and found myself getting quite bored. I have to admit to skipping a few pages just to hurry up and get to the end.… (mehr)

When his mother dies Alwin of Whitaker is told to go on pilgrimage to Walsingham to find the truth about his parentage. After witnessing a horror perpetrated by a noble he teams up with his mentor, a priest, and a band of others, he travels forward. However as the women in the party are killed in unusual circumstances Alwin doubts everything he has been told and when the truth is revealed to him then Alwin has to make changes to live his life in peace.
The plotline of this novel is seemingly very dynamic with lots going on and some quite profound character trajectories. When reading, however, I found the book slight and couldn't understand why. It's not that it is not an enjoyable read, it's just a very easy read considering everything.… (mehr)