The Alphabet of Heart's Desire is a fantastic piece of historical fiction primarily set in Victorian London. In it, author Brian Keaney paints a vivid picture of three very different lives: that of a young woman struggling to survive as a prostitute, a captured Asian slave adjusting to an entire new way of life, and an imagining of the earlier days of poet Thomas De Quincey.

The chapters rotate between these three main characters, providing a quick and even flow to the story line. As the plot progressed, the lives of the characters intersected as well as becoming inextricably linked - some with final resolution and some without.

The book had many beautifully written passages describing various sensations and sights on the streets of London - the smells, the sounds, the faces, the clothing. He brought the past to life without succumbing to the habit of over-describing, as many historical fiction writers tend to do.

Fictionalising the life of a well known literary character can often come across as amateurish, but I felt that Keaney did Thomas De Quincey justice. His treatment of laudanum as the invisible, unofficial main character of the novel showed how a well educated man such as De Quincey could develop such a strong addiction to the drug. It seems like an entirely plausible backstory to the life of the poet.

My only complaint is that the book felt a little short, although that could be attributed to the fact that I loved it so much that I couldn't put it down.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the book's publisher, Holland House, for providing me with an ARC.