Alison Booth (2)

Last year I had the great pleasure of reading Alison Booth’s The Philosopher’s Daughters; thought-provoking historical fiction in a writing style I found captivating. For this reason, I was already inclined to read whatever she published next. That her latest release couples an art mystery with an exploration of the migrant experience, both topics I am particularly drawn to, was just an added bonus.

From the opening lines of The Painting readers are treated to Booth’s trademark evocative literary style:
"Aunt Tabilla was banging about downstairs, rattling crockery and crashing saucepan lids like cymbals, an early morning concerto that only Anika could hear."
Booth has a real knack of drawing out the musicality of the everyday and bringing an artist’s eye to the most mundane aspects of urban living. Continue reading >> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/2021/09/the-painting-by-alison-booth-review...… (mehr)

4.25 Stars. My first experience with Alison Booth’s writing, I was enthralled by The Philosopher’s Daughters literary narrative. The sisters’ free-thinking upbringing cultivates a simmering tension as they embark on their adult lives within an 1890s English society shackled by strict conventions, particularly for women. This tension is enhanced when they separately travel to Australia, and readers see through their inquiring eyes (and suffragist beliefs) the rampant racial discrimination.

The leading women are very well characterised, despite (I think ironically) being referred to by way of the patriarchy in the novel title. Each of the philosopher’s daughters are independent, but they view and respond to the world in distinctly different ways. Harriet’s interpretation is that of a painter (brush strokes, planes of light) while keen pianist Sarah interprets the world through music. Continue reading review >> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/2020/04/the-philosophers-daughters-alison-b...… (mehr)

A couple of years ago I read Alison Booth's previous novel, A Perfect Marriage, which I really enjoyed. I therefore jumped at the chance to read this, her latest book. They are very different though, with this being historical rather than contemporary.

The Philosopher's Daughters begins in London in 1890 and concentrates on Sarah and Harriet, sisters in their early 20s. They're a very progressive pair for the era, indeed the first scenes see Sarah at a Women's Franchise League meeting. Somewhat surprisingly, it's their father who encourages this independence in them. Sarah later travels with her husband to Australia, first to Sydney and then into the outback. When tragedy strikes at home, Harriet decides to follow her sister out there. I think both of them are surprised to find that they adapt to life there quite well.

I liked both of the sisters. I loved that Sarah didn't just bow down to her husband, and I loved that Harriet was determined to be an independent woman. Both showed incredible bravery whilst in Australia too. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to travel so far at that time. Now we have access to so much information about other countries but they must have been travelling into a certain level of the unknown.

It's an atmospheric read with a strong sense of setting. I thought it was fascinating to read about the outback and the Aborigines. They were treated appallingly and yet still managed to be courageous and good.

I liked how the chapter headings were made up of a snippet of the chapter ahead. It meant I spent a bit of time flicking backwards and forwards but it made a change from chapters just being numbered. The ending made me smile too. One for the historical fiction fans, especially if you want to be transported to a remote backdrop.… (mehr)