Member Reviews

This is an amazing debut historical based novel set in London in 1768. The story is centred around two young ladies as their paths meet and the ongoing saga this unexpected meeting creates. Sara and Esther are from two different levels in society but they both discover that they are trapped and locked into the life expected of them.It is a great read which I found gripping as I wanted to discover the next steps in their lives and their reactions. It is fast paced and helped by the short chapters as the novel alternates between Sara and Esther., their views and their life as seen by the other woman. It has a some very sad places which made it even more realistic. I thought that it would be predictable but as it turned out it was not and the ending was certainly not what I expected. I adored the cover and the way that this showcased the story.
A lot of research went into general life back in that period but also the background of the silk weaving trade was very detailed and added a lot to the book.

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I was sent an advance copy of Blackberry and Wild Rose by Sonia Velton to read and review by NetGalley.
I enjoyed this book, possibly more than I thought I would when I started it. To begin with it seemed to be a run of the mill romance but it turned out to have more to it than that. Written from two first person perspectives in alternate chapters the novel follows the lives of two women, Esther and Sara, both seemingly coming from opposite ends of the societal spectrum. The story is set in the 18th century during a time of unrest amongst the Huguenot silk weavers of Spitalfields, which creates some welcome tension in the latter half of the book. Though not quite up there with the likes of Jessie Burton and Tracy Chevalier as is mentioned in the blurb I have still rated it with 4 stars as I feel that it would make a good holiday read.

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I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I am a sucker for historical fiction, especially when set in London. A simple story of 2 women and how their lives become entwined through lies and untruths. Set to a backdrop of the silk industry at Spitalfields in the 1770’s the author spins a story so engaging, atmospheric and immensely immersive that one can’t help bring drawn into the intrigue and drama that unfolds. I don’t believe in spoilers but I did shed a tear at one point, so was my frustration and sadness at the turn of events.

A perfect read for fans of Sarah Waters and was reminiscent of Jennifer Donnelly’s Tea Rose Trilogy.

Cant finish the review without commenting on the most beautiful artwork on the cover. Superb!!!

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I loved this and so will historical fiction fans who enjoyed The Miniaturist, Tipping the Velvet or Emma Donhue's Slammerkin. The world of silkworkers in 18th century Spitalfields is brought to life by Sonia Velton and I appreciated the research she must have done into the intricacies of silk weaving.
The novel centres on two women, both trapped by the limitations of their gender and determined to break free; one the wife of a wealthy silk Master and the other a lowly housemaid, fresh from a life of enforced prostitution. Both are flawed and brave, blinkered and selfish, victims and activists. I'd certainly read more by this writer.

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Firstly I would like to thank the author, Netgalley and the publishers for my free ARC.
The story is neatly laid out from two perspectives- that of Sara and Esther. Sara had arrived at Spitalfields a naive and vulnerable girl and landed herself as a whore before she truly knew what was going on. Esther is married to a silk weaver and in comparison has found herself sold to the domestic woman's role and unable to fulfil her duty of producing an heir. There is parity in their situations. However Esther thinks she can "save" Sara and yet she can sense that bringing Sara into her home has changed the path of her life forever.
As a reader I enjoyed the fact that despite the simplicity of the story it is told with twists that precipitate discussion and thought. In some sense our protagonists have both been duped, abused and tempted by the allure of something new.
This is a very fast and easy read although be careful not to miss poignant moments.
It would be remiss not to take this opportunity to point to the beautiful book design. Unfortunately the ARC is without credit as at the time it was awaiting title artwork.
Blackberry and Wild Rose, inspired by real characters and historical events, was short-listed for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize as a work in progress, was longlisted for the Mslexia novel competition, and is Sonia's first novel.
The hardcover is released on 10 January 2019.

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Enjoyable storyline to this and shows a side to life that we don't really see anymore. Definitely a good read and thought provoking

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I really enjoyed this historical novel set in the 18th century. With a background of the silk weavers and their fight against cheap imports and alternative fabrics, it’s a fascinating insight into market forces and the plight of women, regardless of background, in a man’s world.
I was slightly disappointed by the ending but I also realise that it was probably a realistic conclusion. For a debut novel, I think the author has written a little gem.
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.

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This story was a hint of Trading Places, as we see a ‘good’ Christian woman get turned by desires when she takes in a whore with a strong ambition.
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I would recommend this to fans of Sarah Waters books, or The Tea Planters Wife, and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, and all other books of that type of Historical Fiction where you can get mixed up with household lies, maids and madams, and drama!

A solid good read.

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I enjoyed this book very much, I thought it very evocative of its time. The story is centred round the silk industry, bought to Spitalfields in London by the Huguenots, who had been hounded out of France because of their Protestant religious belief’s. But times were getting hard for the silk industry. New fabrics were coming into the country, just as decorative but a lot cheaper. The journeymen silk weavers were finding their wages cut, or even losing their jobs, and their families were starving. That is the background to this story.

In 1768, naive young Sara Kemp is sent to London by her mother, to make her way in the world. Sadly she is immediately found by Mrs Swann, who runs a brothel from a pub, the Wig and Feathers. Mrs Swann steals her money, and the piece of paper with the address of the lady Sara’s mother was sending her to. Sara is drugged, and immediately, in her drugged state, set to work as a prostitute. Esther Thorel is married to Elias, a master silk weaver with several journeymen working for him. They are very wealthy, but not very happy together, Elias has little interest in his wife, particularly because they have been married for four years and still no child. His neighbours were horrified when he married her, as it was intended for him to marry within the Huguenot community. He won’t explain how the silk is made even though Esther is fascinated by it, or even spend time with her.

Sara and Esther meet in the street when Esther is delivering bibles to a charity house. On impulse she gives one to Sara, and tells her where she lives. Sara ignores the information for a while, but when a client nearly kills her she takes fright and goes to Esther to beg for a job as a maid. She is very bright, and eventually suggests that Esther needs a ladies maid, a step up the ladder for her.

In different ways they both get caught up in the turmoil of the silk industry, Sara finds herself pregnant by a journeyman hothead and Esther learns how to make a silk pattern, and then how to weave it on the loom with the help of a brilliant young man with ambition to be a master weaver. On the night that Sara’s baby is born there is a riot, with the journeymen attacking the Thorel house, and the two women are caught up in it, and in the aftermath, which is very sad and traumatic for both of them, and others.

Both women eventually find some form of happiness, perhaps not what either of them expected, and perhaps bitter-sweet for both of them. They both have learned valuable lessons.

I will look out for more by this author, she writes a very compelling story.

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Velton’s debut novel features the silk weaving Huguenots and journeymen of Spitalfields in the 18th Century and tells the intertwining stories of Sara Kemp and Esther Thorel.

Sara Kemp didn’t stand much of chance when she first arrived in the London parish of Spitalfields in 1768. Tricked into a life of prostitution and living in abject poverty is how she meets Esther Thorel, the wife of a Huguenot silk master. Esther stuck in a loveless marriage takes an interest in Sara and hires her as her lady’s maid. Sara and Esther share a tumultuous relationship which is constantly in threat of being unravelled by their actions.

Velton does well to create a rich and atmospheric insight into 18th Century London and captures the historic details beautifully. I found myself enamoured by the details of Blackberry and Wild Rose and I completely devoured it but as for the plot, I found it to be lacking. There is no major catalyst or explosive climax to this book, as far as the story goes, it really doesn’t go at all and that’s the problem.

Overall, I enjoyed this book so I’ll give it three out of five stars. However, I wished it had upped the ante. Characters, whilst unlikable, were well-fleshed, the book itself was descriptive and engaging but in its entirety, it was a little too much style over substance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Blackberry and Wild Rose is an intriguing debut novel following female protagonists Esther Thorel and Sara Kemp at the heart of Georgian London's silk weaving industry. The novel opens with Esther, the wife of a well-known Spitalfields silk weaver, rescuing prostitute Sara Kemp from a brothel and employing her as a lady's maid.

The relationship between lady's maid and mistress was explored in depth through each of the protagonists' eyes, focusing on the unique position of the lady's maid as a bridge between the upstairs and downstairs worlds of an upper class Georgian house. I thoroughly enjoyed reading from the perspective of a servant as well as the mistress, and felt it really gave an extra dimension to the story.

I would have liked to have had more distinction between Esther and Sara's narrative voices, but on the whole I found Sonia Velton's writing style to be very clean and easy to read. There was some beautiful descriptive prose, whilst maintaining a good pace to keep me engrossed in the story.

The plot focused in detail on the process of silk weaving and the politics surrounding the industry in the latter half of the 18th century. Although quite heavy on the detail, these portions of the story were always presented in an engaging way that was relevant to the plot, and never felt as though Sonia Velton was reciting from a history textbook.

Although the primary focus was on the two protagonists, there was an element of romance to this novel which I found a little predictable. It could have been developed a little more, but in a way I'm glad it wasn't as I much preferred the interactions between Esther and Sara, in particular the exploration of duty and loyalty between the two women.

Overall this was a solid debut novel, exploring the hopes and ambitions of two very different women in a period when women were denied a voice of their own. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Esther and Sara's story, and would definitely recommend Blackberry and Wild Rose if you enjoy historical fiction novels with complex female protagonists.

My review will be posted to sepiatintedwindow.wordpress.com on the 8th January, 2019.

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It’s 1768 and Sara Kemp has just arrived in Spitalfields, the London parish which has become home to a thriving community of Huguenot silk weavers. Sara is full of hope and optimism, ready to start a new life, but before she’s had time to get her bearings she finds herself the victim of a cruel trick which leaves her with no choice other than to live and work in a notorious brothel.

In a much more respectable house nearby lives the master weaver Elias Thorel and his wife Esther. Their marriage is not a loving or happy one, but Esther has been trying to take an interest in her husband’s work and has discovered an aptitude for designing floral patterns. There’s nothing she wants more than to see one of her own designs woven in silk, but Elias is scornful and refuses to acknowledge her talent. Still determined to turn her dreams into reality, Esther approaches the journeyman weaver who has been using the loom in the Thorels’ attic to weave his master piece.

Two women leading very different lives – but their paths cross when Esther is distributing Bibles in the poorer areas of Spitalfields and sees Sara being abused by her madam outside the brothel. Soon Sara is working as a lady’s maid in Esther’s household, but how will she repay Esther for her act of kindness?

I was drawn to Blackberry and Wild Rose by the beautiful cover – and the mention of an 18th century setting and the comparisons to Jessie Burton and Tracy Chevalier made me want to read it even more. Of course, none of those things guaranteed that I would like the book, but I’m pleased to say that I did!

First of all, there are the fascinating details of weaving, of using looms, designing patterns, and everything else involved in creating beautiful figured silk. At the beginning of the novel, Esther knows very little of any of this – she only knows that she wants to see her designs brought to life – but she learns a lot from the weaver she befriends, and her enthusiasm (and, I think, the author’s) comes through very strongly:

"By the time the candle had burned down to a waxy stump, the thinnest sliver of iridescent silk clung to the heddles. ‘I can’t believe it,’ I breathed. I was finally looking at the very beginning of a silk made to a pattern I had designed. My own creation. ‘How long will it take to finish it?’"

I could feel Esther’s excitement and pride as her silk took shape, as well as her disappointment and anger at her husband’s lack of support. Through the stories of Esther’s weaver friend Bisby Lambert and some of the other Spitalfields weavers, we also learn about some of the issues and challenges the industry faced and how the workers had to fight for their rights against unscrupulous masters and the threat of cheap imports from abroad.

An even more engaging aspect of the book is the relationship between the two main characters, Esther and Sara, whose narratives alternate throughout the novel. At first, Esther feels sorry for Sara, as she would for any woman driven to prostitution, and she wants to do what she can to help. Once Sara is there, in the Thorel household, however, their relationship is an uneasy one and Esther begins to wonder whether she has done the right thing in bringing Sara into her home:

"She was like a cat sidling in uninvited and looking about. You don’t want to turn it out straight away so you offer it a scrap of food. The next thing you know it’s curled up on your favourite chair, watching you with unblinking elliptic eyes."

As for Sara, she quickly becomes aware that Esther’s life is not as perfect as it seems and that she is hiding some secrets of her own. While a friendship does form between the two women, they are not entirely comfortable around each other and neither is quite sure whether the other can be trusted, which makes for a tense and exciting story! The plot kept me gripped throughout the book and although I thought I could predict how it would end, I was wrong and the ending was actually much more realistic than I’d expected. This is an impressive debut novel and I hope to read more from Sonia Velton in the future.

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The story is set in the late Eighteenth Century at that time of the Huguenot silk weavers in Spitalfields in London's east end.

Sarah Kemp on arriving in London is tricked into becoming a whore in a brothel. Esther Thorel comes across her being mistreated and pays off her debts for her to become her maid. Sarah although slightly grateful is jealous of her employee and when the situation presents itself has no qualms in telling Esther's husband untruths and half-lies about her.... which leads to devastating consequences.

Esther has dreams and ambitions of her own to design the silk. Her husband quickly puts her down and says no. She goes behind his back with the help of his journeyman, Bisby who weaves her beautiful "blackberry & wild rose" design. Bisby's feelings for Esther grow although he knows it can go nowhere..

A richly drawn historical novel which I devoured.

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Spittlefields London, 1768, Sarah Kemp is sent from the country to work in the city where due to her naivety, she falls into prostitution.

Esther Thorel, respectable lady married to a silk weaving merchant with time on her hands.

When the paths of these two ladies cross it would seem they have nothing in common, but in reality they are both prisoners and they need each other to escape.

The description of London and the silk weaving was very interesting and I felt that Sonia captured the spirit of those rebellious times very well. The only reason for 4 stars is that it took a few chapters to draw me into the book.

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A beautiful cover attracted me towards this book, filled with a historical tale, woven around the history of the silk-weavers of Spitalfields.
The combined story of Sara, a young girl who came to London to find her fortune, and ended up in the flesh trade, and that of Esther, the wife of a well-to-do silk weaver make for an interesting mix.
They are both women who are being held down by what society at the time dictates as the correct behaviour of a woman, yet they both have aspirations above these expectations.
It took me a little time to get into the story, but I enjoyed the tale as a whole, and how both women's stories were knitted together by circumstance.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to an arc copy, for an honest review.

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Blackberry and Wild Rose is a story of two women weaved into the history of Huguenot silk weavers in eighteenth century Spitalfields. Mrs Thorel is the respectable wife of a silk weaver, trapped in a loveless marriage, childless and lonely, unable to pursue her passion for designing silk patterns (she is a woman, silk is a man's job, obviously!). Sara Kemp, a whore turned maid, decides to take a chance and escapes her old life and becomes part of the Thorel's household, with unforeseeable consequences.

Although I loved the parts of the book dealing with the history of silk weavers (although I hope the book will have some words explained, just to make things easier!), I wasn’t that convinced about the relationship between the two women. Sara is prickly like a bramble, cynical and streetwise, but also very naïve in some ways. By comparison, Esther is only concentrating on her silk design and not clued up about the goings of her household. I honestly do not believe that the relation between a lady and her maid would look like this in real life. However I must say I liked the ending of this book, especially as it was definitely more realistic then I expected.

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A visit to Spitalfields in the 1700s, learning all about the silk weavers and the way of life in London back then. The plot is standard, but as it is mixed in with real historical events, it does paint an interesting picture.

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Spitalfields is an area of London that has always fascinated me, with its tall houses topped by glassed in roofs.
I knew that it had been settled by the Huguenot weavers when they came to Britain fleeing religious persecution in France, but knew little about the actual people other than their religion and that they wove silk.
This was also the time of the East India company's explorations and settlement into the Far East, India, Alaska and North America. When they brought back furs, exotica and fabrics never before seen in England - and cheaper than silk too. Which is where this novel comes in.
I really enjoyed this faction/fiction about this period in history but would have been more impressed with the knowledge and storyline if I hadn't heard about the book published just a year ago by Liz Trenow The Silk Weaver which is the (fictionalised) story of Anna Maria Garthwaite (as her real history has not been fully documented), who was the person who came to London and produced the realistic and beautifully detailed designs for silks, that in this story by Sonia Velton, is Esther's role. Anna even persuaded a weaver to work on her silk as his Master piece. The flowers are amazingly detailed and must have taken a very long time to weave, stitch by stich, by hand, as mechanized weaving was not yet available for these fabrics, and the designs are woven in and not printed on.
Sonia's story takes some of the facts about the Combinations, the Cutters' Riots, and the hangings (there were 2 men hanged historically) and the known riots by the weavers as a direct result of the bringing in of printed calico and thus the drop in demand for silk, and the resultant loss of work and pay. But as my husband would say, there was always a small riot in London, they just never managed a big enough one to rival the French!
I enjoyed Sonia's story nevertheless and found it well written and I did invest in the characters and the difficulties of life as a woman in this time - and how bad life was in London if you were poor - this is the time Hogarth painted his Gin Lanes and women feeding children gin to keep them quiet as they lacked food or milk.
But 2 novels published in the same year effectively about the same period with a similar cast of characters brings down the ranking of the second one.

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The novel's setting of Spitalfields and the silk industry in eighteenth century London would have been fascinating on its own. The historic detail was beautifully written, and brought the story to life without overshadowing it. The main characters were, in turn, funny and tragic, trying to make their way in a world dictated by men. Their flaws and attitudes to each other made for great characters and had me hooked throughout. I highly recommend.

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In 18th century London, the lives of two women weave together. Sara is trapped in a brothel, desperate to escape. Esther is the wife of a silk weaver, who rescues Sara and engages her as lady's maid.

The silk weaving industry is the setting for the story. Sara becomes entangled with John Barnstaple, a plain weaver, a journeyman, a fiery rebel, inciter of violence as the first unions begin to form. Esther is entranced by the beauty of silk, and seeks to weave her own design with the help of Bisby Lambert, another journeyman weaver, patronised by her husband.

The juxtaposition of the Blackberry and Wild Rose of the silk design also mirrors the relationships of Esther and Sara, the master weavers and the journeymen, the poor and the well-to-do. A beautifully crafted story, reflecting creatively on historical events. Sad, tragic, yet full of love, and utterly compelling. Highly recommended.

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