Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this eCopy to review

Lora Jones's "The Woman in the Wallpaper" is a truly immersive experience. It's the kind of historical fiction that pulls you in and doesn't let go, and I found myself completely captivated by the world she created.

The story unfolds against the backdrop of the French Revolution, and Jones expertly weaves together historical events with a compelling mystery. We follow the lives of three women: sisters Sofi and Lara, and Hortense, the aristocratic wife of a wallpaper factory owner. The Oberst Factory, where much of the story takes place, is shrouded in mystery, particularly concerning the enigmatic woman depicted in its wallpaper designs.

What I found particularly compelling was how Jones explored the lives of these women within the tumultuous context of the revolution. Each woman grapples with her own challenges, from social inequalities to personal tragedies, and their stories intertwine in unexpected ways. The wallpaper itself becomes a character, with its patterns mirroring and even predicting the events unfolding in their lives.

I enjoyed the atmospheric setting, Jones paints a vivid picture of revolutionary France, from the bustling streets of Paris to the intricate workings of the Oberst Factory. The details are rich and immersive. The characters are complex and well-developed. Their individual struggles and motivations drive the story forward. The mystery surrounding the woman in the wallpaper adds a layer of suspense and kept me guessing until the end. The historical events are cleverly integrated into the story, providing a compelling glimpse into the social and political climate of the French Revolution.

"The Woman in the Wallpaper" is a beautifully written and captivating historical novel.. If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of mystery and suspense, I highly recommend this book.

Well this is a timely place to capture my thoughts on this enjoyable piece of historical fiction.
Listening to Lora last night at Waterstones Clifton was a treat, and to hear her thoughts on her research and the characters hugely insightful.
The woman in the wallpaper is one of those delightfully gothic reads with darkness hovering on the turn of every page.
The relationships between the three women were brilliantly described and I loved seeing these stories play out with the backdrop of the French Revolution. The mystery of the wallpaper, of the setting and family we’re introduced to with the impact of the uprising of the people thrown in, all added to the interest.

What a rich tapestry this book turned out to be. And a debut to boot!
We follow Sofi and Lara who, after the death of their father, after fleeing with their mother to Paris, start working at a nearby factory belonging to the Oberst company, renown wallpaper manufacturers. They notice that within the intricate patterns in the wallpaper there are pictures of a woman, believed to be the late wife of the owner, Justine Oberst. Whose death was a wee bit suspect. The rest of the book mirrors this theme of pattern repetition and also concerns the son of the company owner, Josef, who grows close to the sisters.
I am quite the fan of history but I am more familiar with English rather than French history. In fact, my only real knowledge of the French Revolution comes from a Carry-On film (Carry on don't lose your head, if you want to know) so you can see I was well lacking in real knowledge of this going into this book! This means that I can't speak for the voracity of what I just read, But I have to say that the author both opened my eyes and my heart to the shenanigans going on during this time in France, and I have to admit that, by the end of the book, I wanted to know more... The sign of a good historical novel. I also learned quite a bit about wallpaper!
The rest of the story concerns itself around the lives of the three women, Sofi and Lara I have already mentioned, the third being Hortense, an aristocrat, and we witness their similarities and differences in life. And realise that, even today, things haven't really changed that much, sadly.
All in all, an impressive debut which I thoroughly immersed myself into during my time with it. I'm excited to see what the author has in store for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

It’s Paris in October 1793 as a tumbril approaches the Place de la Revolution. Its occupants know what awaits them, Madam Guillotine, and that they do not have long for this world. Heads shorn, they are driven through the crowd who are baying for blood. One by one they are led to the scaffold and the young woman in the tumbril remembers disturbing patterns in wallpaper from an earlier time before the blade falls.
Years earlier in 1788, the Thibault family, Sofi aged 15 and Lara aged 16, and their mother leave Marseilles to work in the renowned Oberst wallpaper factory at Jouy. A family tragedy and an unscrupulous landlord have forced the move and Lara has had to leave her sweetheart, Guillaume behind. Her mother is pleased as she disapproves of the match feeling that he’s not good enough for her.
The girls are intrigued by the wallpaper that the factory produces which is destined for aristocrats. They see a worker who is permanently scarred by the dyeing process and note that the wallpaper is;
‘sold to people who never stop to consider the real cost to them at all.’
While learning the work, they admire the factory’s speciality of vignettes showing scenes of apparent charm and pastoral tranquillity. But, if examined closely, there can be subtly hidden depictions of cruelty. Lara shivers as she recognises the similarity between her and a woman who appears again and again vignettes.
The work is hard and demanding but they fit in with the workforce. However, outside the factory there are signs that all is not well. Beggars are seen in the countryside and there is a growing dissension. Wilhem Oberts, the factory owner and a widower, is remote and has shut himself away since the mysterious and tragic death of his young wife, Justine. They had one son, Josef, who has never said what happened on the fateful day that he and his mother went out and only he returned. Inside the factory, Wilhelm’s workers are dissatisfied with low wages, unaffordable basic foodstuffs and the feeling that those at the top are exploiting them.
The two sisters have different natures; Sofi is fiery, determined, impulsive and wants to be part of things whereas Lara is quieter, more equable and exceptionally talented at drawing. On impulse, Sofi goes to Paris with some of their fellow workers and is caught up in events as the Bastille is stormed and the Governor decapitated. The cry is Liberte. Equalite, Fraternite!
But there is another young woman in Versailles whose path is destined to cross with the sisters, Hortense du Pommier, a spoilt young aristocrat. Her father is at his wits end trying to find someone to marry her until he finds Josef Oberst and so Hortense arrives at the factory muttering that he is ‘in trade’. She has no time for the factory or its workers and as the news from Paris becomes more and more darker with the death of the King and Maris Antoinette Hortense begins to make plans which will include Lara. Unfortunately, so has someone else….
This was a really well plotted book with many twists and very believable characters. The action takes part in the beginning of the French Revolution and the events that led up to ‘The Terror’. I liked the way that the author showed how ordinary people are caught up in the action as they began to unfold.
The bond between the sisters was also very convincing and Hortense’s rich, spoilt life was well described. All three of their stories were told in the first person from very different perspectives and I knew that Hortense was a survivor.
There was a supernatural, Gothic element to the book with the wallpaper and how Lara sees it changing. She is being haunted by the woman in the vignettes but is she trying to tell her something? Once she becomes Hortense’s maid, she has to live in the tower which was Justine’s old room. She feels watched and there is a strong sense of an invisible companion. This added to the dark atmosphere of the narrative which had several themes including politics which the author deftly handles. It’s well researched and done subtly.
‘The Woman in The Wallpaper’ title reminded me of Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s novella, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’ The cover is wonderful and is what attracted me to reading it. AThis is one of the best books that I’ve read this year.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC. `

The Woman in the Wallpaper by Lora Jones is an engaging historical novel set during the French Revolution. The story revolves around three young women whose lives become tangled in a web of secrets, passion, and political turmoil. Much of the action takes place in a wallpaper factory near Paris, which produces a unique style of wallpaper that plays a key role in the plot, almost becoming a character itself.

Jones does an excellent job of bringing the world of pre-revolutionary France to life, with vivid descriptions that make the setting feel immersive. The attention to detail, especially when it comes to the wallpaper-making process, is impressive, though it can slow the story down a bit at first. As the story unfolds, though, you start to really appreciate the rich world she’s built, and it becomes easier to get lost in the characters' emotional journeys.

What really makes this novel stand out is how the wallpaper itself evolves into a symbol of the turmoil and growing tension of the time. What starts as a fascinating historical story soon becomes a thrilling, gothic adventure. Jones blends suspense with insightful social commentary, creating a gripping and thought-provoking narrative that will stay with you long after you finish reading. If you love historical fiction with a touch of gothic suspense, this one’s definitely worth checking out!

The Woman in the Wallpaper follows the story of three young women caught up in the French Revolution. The majority of the action occurs in and around a wallpaper factory close to Paris which produces a unique style of product.

Each of the characters is written in the first person and, the more I read, the more I was impressed by the writing. These women are all very different in class, in nature and in their view of the world yet they all leapt from the page fully formed.

The story is a deeply tragic yet all too human tale which almost brought me to tears at the end (and fiction rarely causes me to well up however sad it is). As revelations are gradually teased out we begin to see how damaged some of the characters are underneath and how their behaviour is actually their only defence against a world which has caused them nothing but pain.

There is a mild supernatural element to the story but I suspect that this has been toned down through the many drafts that the author tells us have been consigned to various recycling bins as it does not really impinge greatly on the main narrative.

Issues around mental health are sensitively handled by the author as some of the characters struggle to cope with their lives. The truly awful results that can come from misunderstandings and incorrect assumptions are woven into the novel without ever being unrealistic or over the top, but the lesson that making assumptions without all the facts could not come over more strongly.

I enjoyed the book and the characters will stay with me for a long time. There are many morals in the novel and much food for thought though it is never ‘preachy’. I would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction with a hint of the supernatural but those looking for a straightforward ghost story would perhaps be better served elsewhere.

Many thanks to Little Brown Books for a review copy.

When I started reading this book I didn’t enjoy most of it found it a bit boring but I persevered and about three quarters through the book I started to enjoy it.

After Lara and Sofi with their Mother leave their family home after tragedy has struck to go and work in the wallpaper factory. Lara meets the son of the factory Josef and he is very taken with her. Josef’s Father arranges for his son to marry Hortense who is a spoilt woman. Over the years we see what happens to them all.

The book had a wee bit of a twist in it and I enjoyed some parts of the book. It was well written.

I usually like historical fiction books was interesting to read about this period but felt the book was maybe a wee bit too long as some of the bits were as I say not scintillating.

Sorry but this book did not hold my attention enough to give a thorough review, I keep picking it up,enjoying it then it goes back in time and I lose the thread, Hopefully I'll get into it again and when I do I will place a review on Amazon,

Lara and Sofi are sisters with only a year between them. Living in Marseille with their parents, their lives are turned upside down when their father dies in tragic circumstances. No longer able to pay their rent, they are forced to leave their house, and they travel north with their mother to Jouy-en-Josas near Paris where their aunt has managed to secure work for all of them at the Oberst Factory – positions that fortunately come with a small residence. There, they attempt to settle into their new lives, desperately missing their father, and both independently developing an attachment to Josef Oberst, heir to the factory.

The novel is told from the perspectives of Lara, Sofi, and Hortense – a young aristocratic woman. I found the characters largely unlikeable although they have all suffered in their own way which does at least make them sympathetic. Lara is the calm and quiet one – intelligent and artistic, she prefers the path of least resistance, but I found her too docile and compliant – even when things go awry (and they do go awry) she was too accepting of her fate. Sofi is the complete opposite in temperament – she is quick to anger, particularly when she feels that she or Lara are being treated unfairly. I think that where I struggled is that there wasn’t much nuance. Lara is always calm and accepting of her circumstances – she might not be happy about it, but she just gets on with it – while Sofi is always raging against something.

Hortense’s perspective is quite different. She has a very privileged life, and comes across as a spoilt brat – making people wait unnecessarily on her behalf, and always rude and demanding. Hortense is of a marriageable age, and yet is considered difficult even amongst her fellow aristocrats, with no one willing to take her as a wife (or daughter-in-law, given most marriages were arranged by the parents) despite the impressive dowry that she comes with. It’s revealed in the blurb that she and Josef marry, despite neither of them wanting to, particularly Hortense who sees Josef as beneath her and her circumstances much reduced as a result. Hortense’s behaviour is gradually explained, but I found it difficult to feel sympathetically towards her given her actions and she feels like a caricature for much of the novel.

I was immediately attracted to the blurb of this novel when I was invited to read it via Netgalley, and particularly the mystery surrounding the titular woman in the wallpaper who the reader soon discovers to be Josef’s late mother. This adds an element of eeriness to the novel, although it does at first seem like a coincidence as Lara bears a resemblance to the woman. It takes on more significance as Lara repeatedly sees vignettes from her own life mirrored in scenes from the wallpaper and I enjoyed seeing that element of the plot play out – it went in a direction that I wasn’t expecting. Similarly, the broader plot is very well done – I enjoyed seeing these three characters brought together, and if there were elements to the ending that I personally didn’t like, the journey there was a fascinating one.

The novel is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, and while both sisters attend rallies and the storming of the Bastille, Lara seems largely ambivalent about it. For Sofi, however, it becomes something to latch on to, fuelling her anger over the death of their father. I like the way in which this was brought into the narrative, particularly as Jones highlights that while the intention was for a fairer society, it didn’t significantly benefit women who continued to be denied suffrage, property rights, and who were banned from political meetings. It’s easy to forget that fraternity traditionally meant a brotherhood, but I think that it was meant in that sense in the slogan Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

The Woman in the Wallpaper is a novel that I think that many readers will enjoy but unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me. This is a case of it’s me not the book, however, and I think that lovers of historical fiction will enjoy it.

I was really excited to read this as I had heard a buzz about it. I thought that the whole concept was great but I found it overly long. I could see why as it played out against the backdrop of the French Revolution which was well done. I loved the voices of the sisters and the wife. The details of the classes. I liked the characters but it was also flawed. I really wanted to love it and I’m sad I didn’t! It’s really a 3.5 out of 5.

I loved this book from beginning to end. I mean historical
fiction with a supernatural type edge, what’s not to love? The relationship between the two sisters, Sofi and Lara, is so beautifully betrayed it gives the whole story a real charm and tenderness to it which works perfectly with the darker elements of the story. The atmosphere of this story is perfectly created especially with the chateau and time period giving a sense of darkness. betrayal and uncertainty. Definitely a recommended read.

It's 1789 in Paris, and there's this super fancy wallpaper factory called Oberst that's got everyone talking. What makes it really weird? Every single wallpaper design has this mysterious woman in it - word on the street is it's Mrs. Oberst, who died under some pretty strange circumstances.

Enter two sisters, Lara and Sofi, who start working at the factory. They become friends with Josef Oberst, whose mom (yep, the woman in the wallpaper) is no longer around. While Sofi gets caught up in all the revolution drama happening in Paris, Lara starts noticing something seriously creepy - the scenes in the wallpaper seem to mirror her own life. And it gets weirder - Josef's stuck-up wife Hortense is freaked out by the wallpaper in her new home too. With angry mobs taking over the streets of Paris, she's worried she might end up like the last Mrs. Oberst.

The heart of the story is really about Lara and Sofi's relationship as sisters. There are also tons of interesting side characters too, like the mysterious Josef.

What makes this story so cool is how everything comes together. The factory itself is like its own character, with all these amazing details about how they make the wallpaper. The author really brings 1700s Paris to life - you can practically smell the paint and hear the angry crowds in the streets.

The wallpaper isn't just for decoration - it's super meaningful to the story as well. All those hidden patterns and scenes are like a mirror for the bigger themes about how our past shapes who we become. The French Revolution isn't just being used out of convenience - it's woven right into everyone's personal drama, showing how big historical events affect regular people's lives.

Sure, the story drags a bit every now and then, and yeah, some parts are a little predictable. But honestly? It's such a page-turner that you probably won't mind. It's perfect for anyone who loves historical stories with strong women characters and a touch of spooky vibes.

This novel is set in revolutionary era Paris and follows the story of a couple of sisters who move with their mother to work in a wallpaper factory
In the countryside
Initially life seems straightforward but their relationship with the son of the owner of the wallpaper factory becomes complicated. Add into this the factory workers going on strike and Aristocats throughout the country being sent to the guillotine and you have a potentially volatile situation.
The elements of this novel that I enjoyed most were their straightforward historical details which seem real and concrete. There is however another element in the novel with the wallpaper in one of the rooms in the managers house showing pictures of women which seem to change and seem to look very similar to the young women in the story. This magical element of the story I felt was not as strong and the mixture between magic and reality for me didn’t quite work.
There are some Exciting sequences towards the end of the novel where the where people are right running for their lives and ending up in revolutionary prison facing the guillotine
There are some quite emotional scenes which were well written. In general the author has a clear easily read prose style making the novel and easy read.
I’d recommend the novel for lovers of historical fiction
I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for a unbiased review. The book is published in the UK on the 20th of February 2025 by Little Brown book group UK.
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK.

Set during the French revolution this gives an interesting perspective on the time . It is set in an unusual sphere of a wall paper factory
A lengthy read

I’m pondering between 3 or 4 stars for The Woman In The Wallpaper but am opting for 4 as this is Lora Jones’ debut novel and I think she has some excellent future novels in her. It is well written but I struggled with parts of it and found the pacing slow for the first three quarters of the book. It’s mostly romance with a touch of horror, gothic and fantasy thrown in. I don’t like horror or fantasy so those elements detracted from the overall novel for me.

It written in the voices of three women. Two are sisters Lara and Sofi Thibault who are 16 and 15 at the novel’s beginning in 1788. They live in Marseilles with their parents, Luc and Margot. Luc is a stone mason who runs his own business. Aristocrat, Baron de Comtois, owns most of the neighbourhood and puts the family's rent up by 50%. The Thibaults are struggling to survive and things go from bad to worse when Luc is killed in an accident caused by the Baron and his drunken loutish friends. Soon after, the sisters and their mother are evicted but fortunately all are offered jobs at the Oberst family’s wallpaper factory to the west of Paris where Margot’s older sister, Berthe, is already working as a housekeeper.

Margot, Lara and Sofi are given a tiny cottage in the grounds of the large estate that the wallpaper factory is in. Soon they meet Josef who is the son of the factory owner. His mother died some years ago in mysterious circumstances. Of similar ages, Josef soon befriends Lara and Sofi.

In the background to all this the French Revolution is gaining pace as the ordinary people and workers of the country rebel about the excessive riches and power held by the aristocracy. The is the time of the reign of Louis XVI and this wife, Marie Antoinette. Lara and Sofi get involved with the revolution as it is a cause close to their hearts given their childhood experiences at the hands of the Baron and his cronies.

The third voice in the book is that of Hortense, daughter of a Marquis living at Versailles. Hortense is rebellious and difficult and is not impressed with any of the men her father is trying to marry her off too and they are equally unimpressed with her. Her father is determined to marry her into money at all costs and spots an opportunity in Josef who is heir to the factory fortunes when his father dies.

Throughout the book there is much description of the wallpaper in the castle and in Hortense’s home which depicts people and scenes from real life. This wallpaper comes to life and changes showing events past, present and maybe future. I didn’t like these parts of the book as it was never clear if these were figures of imagination, mental illness or just pure fantasy within the story.

There were also some fairly gruesome scenes of people being guillotined, and not always entirely successfully the first time, as well as tales of torture including of women. I hated these horror and fantasy elements and would be more careful about selecting a book by this author again in case there are similar triggers. I can see why some will love this book but these elements spoiled it for me. With thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. Set in Revolutionary France it has spooky strangeness, great characters (even if one or two of them are a wee bit predictable),intrigue and poignancy. There's always something going on and I found it held me all the way through.

Set at the time of the French Revolution the Woman in the Wallpaper centres around three women whose lives become linked by family and circumstance and their actions will have repercussions that will change them in ways they could never imagine. Sofi and Lara had a quiet life with their parents until their father dies following an accident. When they are thrown out of their house, they go to work at a wallpaper factory run by the Oberst family where they encounter the owner’s son Josef and Sofi and Lara are soon taking very different paths.
Sofi and Lara have very different personalities, while Lara is quiet and would rather do what causes the least discord, Sofi is fiery and will argue with anyone if she thinks she is being unfairly treated. As the political unrest grows in France, Sofi and Lara find themselves drifting apart with Lara concerned that Sofi would end up in trouble by her actions. Josef has taken an interest in Lara but has to comply with his father’s wishes to marry Hortense, a rather spoiled women who has managed to avoid all suitors in the past.
There is not much to like about Hortense as she sees the marriage as an inconvenience and her husband beneath her station. She is determined to make her husbands life a misery and suffers Lara as her maid only as she has no choice. Whilst her actions will shock and change the future of some, I can understand her desire to save herself no matter what the cost.
Josef does come across as a strange personality, deeply affected by the death of his mother when he was younger and starved of any affection from his father, he becomes obsessed with Lara and some of his actions appear creepy and possessive although he would say it was out of love for her. The truth of what he witnessed all those years ago do go some way to explain his actions but will never truly excuse them.
Sofi and Lara are like chalk and cheese, and as secrets from the family’s past are revealed their bond is truly tested and Sofi learns the true meaning of family just as it is too late, and their fate is truly heart-breaking.
The woman in the wallpaper is both a physical presence and a metaphorical one throughout the book depicting the life of Josef’s mother and also highlighting how history repeats itself primarily due to the acts of Josef. What I love most is how this book blends real historical events with a fictional story perfectly giving the reader a true sense of that time in history.

I'm such a sucker for a well-written historical novel! This story is set during the French Revolution, a period of history I haven't read much about (to my shame!) and we follow sisters Lara and Sofia as they find themselves forced to get jobs to stay afloat after the death of their father.

I'd recommend to fans of Laura Purcell, as I felt that the creepy, gothic elements were so well plotted and presented!

Jones has set this tale around the french revolution and the storming of the Bastille. Sisters Lara and Sofi have been forced to leave their home in Marseille, following the tragic death of their father, to work at the famous Jouy wallpaper factory. Both are talented artists and hope to work on the wallpaper designs. Sofi is headstrong and political and is entranced by Josef the son of the owner. Unfortunately, Josef is enamoured by Lara which causes a rift between the sisters. However, Josef's father is haunted by the death of his wife who is represented in images on the wallpaper plastered on the walls of the tower in the chateau. We then meet Hortense who lives in the palace at Versailles and appears to be a vacuous character, epitomising the excesses of the time which led to the French revolution. As the crowds foment and the aristocrats are subjected to Madame guillotine, Josef and Hortense are married. This event is the catalyst for the tragic events that unfold.

This is a strong psychological thriller with a story that twists and turns creating an intense and malevolent atmosphere. In fact the wallpaper and imposing chateau become a character equally as potent as the tense political backdrop. I enjoyed the historic elements of this story and the way it brings to life those on the different sides of the revolution. None of the characters are particularly likeable but the story is engaging and gradually builds until there is a race against time. My only criticism of this book is that the alternating narration by the sisters was confusing as I sometimes forgot who was who but otherwise this is a fascinating read. With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

A beautifully haunting historical debut highlighting the role of women in the French Revolution but also more generally at this tumultuous time in France's history. The story focuses on 3 women: hard-working lower-class sisters Lara and Sofi, and then Hortense, a member of the 'Noblesse'. Each perspective is well fleshed out and secondary characters too so you really feel immersed in their lives, the horrors they witness, their sadness, fears and hopes. It was a slightly slow burn for me but then I couldn't put it down. Would highly recommend!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **