The Weather Woman

This is a real page turner and the character of Neva is well portrayed. I have read other books by Sally Gardner, and though they were good, this is the best novel so far. She has a fresh and original style of writing, in my opinion, and I mean that as a compliment, accompanied by historical research which is excellent. This author keeps on getting better, and I highly recommend the book.

I loved this fresh, original idea. I was completely immersed in the time period and so different from the usual Regency stories. Neva is a wonderful main character, full of spark and wit and I over the romance element too. Would highly recommend.

Gambling dens and wagers, courtship and romance, society scandal and intrigue abound in this period piece set in Regency England – where science meets the supernatural.

Enter our protagonist – a woman blessed with the ability to forecast the weather accurately via an automaton – a moving mechanical device resembling a living creature.

It’s a well-written drama that captures the culture, sights and sounds of the period. Conversely, feminism, gender fluidity and what feels like a nod to <i>The Queen’s Gambit</i> combine to provide a little contemporary flavour.

A strong recommendation for my Book Club and Year 12 pupils!

My thanks to NetGalley and, as ever, Head of Zeus for granting this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful novel. ooh I loved this. Quite magical and Christmassy in a way with the frost fairs.
A woman who can predict the weather - well men don't like this of course. She goes against the grain and it's wonderful to read.

A fascinating regency novel that plays with gender in a gorgeous historical romance. Sally Gardner, as ever, writes brilliantly- so this is a great read

A charming regency novel is full of magic, and vivid enchanting characters who push the social, gender, and cultural boundaries of their time.

Little orphan Neva finds a new home with a sad clockmaker. He is a man of science and agrees with the importance of young women having a breadth of knowledge and, unlike many fathers who see the education of girls as unnecessary, he takes enormous pleasure in educating his daughter. Neva also has a gift, an extraordinary ability accurately to foretell the weather. She also thinks she’s been born into the wrong time, not necessarily the wrong sex.

A beautifully written story full of warmth with inventive and special protagonists.

Love it!

Neva has a unique talent - she can predict the weather. However 19th century London is no place for a woman of her talents and inclinations.

This was a fresh idea and I greatly enjoyed the writing. Life in regency London with its sights and sounds, restrictions and attractions are beautifully drawn.

Neva initially has to hide her talent and uses her fathers automatons to bring the Weather Woman to the drawing rooms of London society. She longs for more and wishes to be able to learn and express her theories with the freedom of a man.

I was really interested in how this book portrayed gender fluidity as Neva becomes Eugene to move freely in society as a man does. I felt this gave the book a more modern resonance despite its 19th century setting

The cast of characters was great - charming, eccentric, single minded or depraved - they all helped build a rich world - one that I would think about even when I put the book down.

Special mention for Henri, a man ahead of his time in allowing Neva to be herself. Must confess I fell a little in love with him myself.

A great read with fabulous historical details, fantasy and a good dollop of romance.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the chance to read an advance copy

This story is full of atmosphere, and engages from the offset. A tale of orphans, fortunes gained and lost, love and friendship held together by characters as richly drawn as in any Dickens novel, with sympathetic weather to boot. The weather woman is a gift, real or just a trick of entertaining machines? The phenomenon takes nineteenth century London by storm, the truth behind it a mystery to most. A remarkable young woman is at the centre of all this, making her mark on those who meet her, changing beliefs and shaking up society’s norms.
I loved this book, and was desperate to plough through, but didn’t want it to end. The characters are so richly drawn and some of the writing is pure poetry. Nature’s uncontrollable force, and wild ways are shown to be, if not controllable, then at least surmountable and possibly predicted. We are kept guessing to the very end as to the survival of the good, and the defeat of evil.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with this novel: I'll confess I've not been overwhelmed by her previous adult novels, and the setting can be a bit cliched. However, I was wrong. I was taken aback and delighted. The simplicity of Gardner's narration really works, and I loved the way that apparently predictable characters/tropes were turned round.

Ultimately, this isn't a novel about magic, or even about neurodiversity. It is, above all, about love.

Recommended.

Sometimes it feels like novel ideas are like the proverbial buses - you wait a long time for one and when it does, several other follow in quick succession. That's a little how it felt going into The Weather Woman - historical fiction, with a protagonist that has a special 'gift', a heavy leaning towards automata and a cast of richly drawn 'quirky' characters with a tendency to be out of their time. That set-up could have been referring to The Second Sight of Zachery Cloudesely, which came out a few months ago, and - a little less directly - The Clockwork Girl, released a few months before that. Once all that is able to be put side, however, it's easy to fall for the world Gardner has created, even at its most whimsical. This is a thoroughly easy and immersive read that invites full suspension of disbelief. Recommended.

The Weather Woman is set at the start of the 19th century in London. It is historical fiction but without actual historical characters or events apart from the Ice Fairs which took place when the Thames froze over. 3 year old Neva is suddenly orphaned and finds a new home with Victor who shares her Russian heritage. Even at this young age Neva understands the weather, sees colours in the clouds which foretell what is to come and can 'sing the rain'. Victor delights in educating Neva who has an imaginary friend Eugene Jonas. As Neva gets older Eugene becomes increasingly important to her existence as a young woman who does not wish to be trapped by the expectations of society.
This lovely novel is more than Neva's story however. It is the story of many characters who have been failed by family and/or society and have then found their true role and real love and friendship. The book is certainly character driven and the relationships between the characters are strong.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and appreciated the attention to detail in the characters and the debates about meteorology and the role of women in this period.

I think this is one of the strangest books I’ve ever read, totally absorbing and captures the mood of London in the 18th century. There are some very disturbing bits, some beautiful parts and some lovely romantic stories as well as some cross- dressing as our heroine discovers her true self.

Overall I’d recommend this book to anyone who fancies a bit of history and a thought provoking read.

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely loved this book! So different, so intriguing and so beautifully written - I was in every page, I knew all the characters and I somehow managed ,’not’ to look at the last page! Neva, an orphan child with a rare gift for being able to correctly predict the weather, is adopted by Victor who recognises her talent but also her vulnerability. We are back in the early eighteen hundreds where men’s fashion begins to change from breeches to trousers - I loved these little snippets of history! Victor builds the Weather Woman for Neva to hide behind whilst she predicts when the Thames will freeze over, when fog will engulf the city, when it will rain! However, life for a woman such as Neva is hard and so with the help of good friends she disguises herself and becomes two people! Gambling on her predictions brings out the worst in people and a tangled web of intrigue evolves causing Neva, her family, her friends, the solicitors, the boatmen untold problems! Will there be a happy ending, will Neva and her friends find lasting happiness despite the evil scullduggery of certain unpleasant characters! Oh you just ‘have’ to read this wonderful story for yourself!

4.5 stars - Thanks NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Delightfully odd! This book broke my heart over and over in the most beautiful way.

Set in early 1800s London, Neva is a young Russian girl who can accurately predict the weather. Orphaned at a young age and taken in by a clockmaker, he helps her reach her full potential by disguising her as a boy and making her his apprentice. Together they create “The Weather Woman” - an automaton to utilise Neva’s ability without endangering her identity. Full of angst, secrets, grief, and happy reunions; this book is simply breathtaking.

This book discusses topics of gender equality and gender identity in a really lovely way. Neva “becomes” a man during her transformation into Eugene (an act that is aided by trans side character Mr. James) and Henri accepts that Eugene is a part of her as much as Neva is. Neva as a woman rejects the idea that she has to fill a particular role and often questions why Victor feels The Weather Woman is necessary when her predictions should be helping people rather than entertaining the wealthy elite.

I highlighted so many passages; there’s lots of beautiful descriptions of feelings as weather or talking about the nature of life and love. It sweeps you away visually and really makes you think. It did take me a bit to get into but once she grew up I was hooked and couldn’t put it down!

Definitely read if you like historical fantasy with a side of romance!

*There is on-page sex but I wouldn’t call this book spicy at all.

I absolutely loved the opening chapters of this novel -starting in 1789 when a great cold settles over London and a frost fair is set up on the River Thames. The descriptions of the city, the river, the fair and the characters are wonderful and tale of Neva and her irresponsible parents who run a stall using an trick bear to win chess matches really draws the reader in.
The story goes on, Neva is adopted by Victor Friezland and her extraordinary ability to read the weather develops. Victor won't allow Neva to express this skill, instead he builds her a weather woman machine so that she can continue to foretell the future. Neva also uses a male disguise to move about a society which does not recognise the position of women and certainly does not recognise their place as equal to men as scientists. All is well until Neva, whilst in disguise, falls in love with a young man.
The cast of characters in this book cross the social boundaries from lords to gamblers and business men to landlords. All are beautifully described and noticeably different to each other. As a reader I was completely immersed in the period.
The story comes full circle at the end with another frost fair on the Thames that threatens to take some of the major players from us. Gardener's descriptions of the ice cracking, the booming and the explosions as it crashes against the bridge supports, and the panic of those watching place the reader in the middle of the scene.
A very enjoyable read and great sense of time and place. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

Everything about this book was good, the writing, the storyline, the character development, the setting, There literally wasn't anything I didn't like and I thought the book was full of such descriptive language and imagery. I loved it.

Taking place in London during the early 1800s, we are introduced to a very special little girl, Neva. She has a gift, one that cannot be truly explained with any logic or science.

This small child can predict the weather.

But how?

The weather is seemingly unpredictable, changeable, it has no master to tell it what to do.

However, as unlikely as it seems, Neva really does have the ability to truly understand these forces of nature.

Remarkable, but in an age where women are meant to simply marry and look after their husband, home and children, this unique child is forced to hide her talent.

Not wanting to waste such expertise, her father comes up with ways that she can still use her genius whilst essentially remaining anonymous.



I was captivated from start to finish.

Sally herself has a true talent, writing, the words within this book are quite honestly hypnotising.

The perfect word to outline this novel is inventive.

When Neva described how she saw the weather, she described it as 'walking on clouds' and I could really picture it in my mind. The colours mentioned were quite vivid to me.



There is the bonus of a budding romance within the pages which I was definitely happy about, if you read my blog regularly, then you know how much I adore a love story.

Gardner managed to weave it into the story gently, it didn't take away from the main subject that was the visions of the upcoming forecasts.



The Weather Woman is the tale of a young woman who I guess was born in the wrong time because in this day an age a talent as strong as that would be celebrated and utilised by everyone regardless of their gender.

A charming story that in the end warms the heart.

Beautiful historical fiction.

Firstly a huge thank you to Netgalley and head of Zeus for the chance to read this.

I loved loved loved everything about this book, the characters, the secrets, the history.
Already preordered my a copy.

This is so a beautifully written story about the hardship of being an extraordinary woman in the men's era. In old times two things determined your place in this world: your gender and the wealth of the family in which you were born. The best place to be was a son of a wealthy family of power. Worst - being an intelligent woman in any family. Why? You´d have to read the book.
This is a story about a highly intelligent woman, who doesn't fit into her era. Seems like all of her life will be a struggle. Fortunately, she finds happiness and love. That's all I can tell about the plot without giving away too many details.
My only problem with this book is that some things are being perceived from our modern, XXI-century point of view. For example, there are a few passages regarding air pollution and that it's quite possible that this has an impact on the weather. Well... the book ends in 1812 and I´m sure nobody was thinking this way back then. So I would suggest better proofreading before publishing because these things are important.
And yet I really enjoyed this book. Even though there was too much romance to my liking I still liked it.

This is a strange little book, I'm still not quite sure what to make of it but I did enjoy it. The character of Neva in particular was what kept me hooked. Quite a different take on a regency romance as well. It has a balance between a magical quality really grounded in reality.

Sally Gardner is very well known for her children’s and young adults’ fiction and ‘The Weather Woman’ feels very much like the latter although it is marketed as an adult novel. Granted, the use of profanities and the sex scenes are not typical of the YA read – I suppose it just depends on how liberal a library’s reading policy is as to whether or not many teens will read this.
They should! Gardner has created a very likeable heroine in Neva Friezland. Not only can she predict the weather but she also knows herself well and understands that the Regency world into which she has been born will not allow her to flourish unless she takes matters into her own hands.
Her adopted parents recognise her singularity of mind and allow her to assume a male persona as she ventures into society so that she may debate with men and play chess. As her friend, Henri Dênou, recognises, ‘The world is lopsided … we put value on things that have no value at all: sex, colour, beauty – all transient, and in these we imprison women and enslave men.’ Gardner has taken the current discussion of gender identity and made it a very natural part of her narrative.
There is much to enjoy in this historical novel, not least the descriptions of Thames life and the fantastical performances that the Weather Woman gives to high society. Half way through the novel, the focus is on Neva’s inheritance and the plot becomes more thriller-like in tone as Neva and her friends work out how to thwart those keen to snatch what is rightfully hers. However, the final section of the book feels unnecessarily drawn out and the whimsical ‘river voice’ which concludes the novel did not work for me.
My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus, Apollo for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

This was a great read. Excellent plotting and beleivable characterisation even though the story is pretty unbelievable. I found this unputdownable, it had a superb sense of time and place . It really was a very enjoyable read.

Absolutely beautiful, brilliant and engrossing, Sally Gardner proves she is an extraordinary storyteller with this twist on regency fantasy. With sharp and vivid characters and enchanting scenes The Weather Woman has quickly become one of my books of the year.

The Weather Woman was a pleasurable historical fiction read. Neva was an engaging character from start to finish and the plot was original and interesting. The pacing started slow, but then settled. To me, the end seemed a little rushed in comparison, but it was a satisfying conclusion nonetheless. The world building and period setting came across well. There were only a couple of times when a line of dialogue niggled at me a bit, where the word existed in that era but perhaps not in that particular usage/phrasing. But it was only once or twice and it is a very minor complaint. In all other respects, this was an enjoyable read that it sure to please fans of historical fiction with a slight magical twist. It gets four stars from me.

Set aside your preconceptions and walk the clouds with Neva, the mesmerising heroine of The Weather Woman. Set in Regency London at the very end of the 18th century, this novel has it all - magic, mystery, romance, gambling dens , the aristocracy and the poorest in society, all astonished by the ability of the Weather Woman to accurately predict the weather. This book is so well written and the characters well-developed. Sally Gardner has produced a wonderful novel.

I was enticed to read The Weather Woman by its setting alongside the Frost Fairs in Georgian London. I wasn’t disappointed – Sally Gardner took me there straight away and on to life in the Friezland house in Southwark where I found a family built on warmth and kindness rather than the legal ties or blood relationships which had served all of the residents poorly.
Neva can predict the weather. She sees and hears things that others cannot, walking among the clouds. Apart from its starring role in Neva’s predictions, the weather is central to the story – storms destroy buildings and people, and the imagery uses the language of weather throughout the book.
Neva’s talent might be supernatural but all else is matter of fact and believable so if you’re not sure you’re keen on magical realism I’d urge you to read on. That said, it made me think about the people that deal in this kind of thing – fortune tellers, mediums. Just because some are frauds doesn’t mean they all are. And being a fraud now doesn’t mean you didn’t once do it for real – the spirit might be fleeting.
Whatever the story, it’s the characters that keep me interested in a novel. There’s a real mixture of personalities here among the chosen family and beyond. Some of the relationships are star-crossed, some unlikely, some parasitic; there is one particular unexpected alliance where the balance of power is not clear.
I think it’s hard for a woman in historical fiction these days not to be railing somehow at the strictures society puts upon her. The creation of Eugene Jonas is a clever way of allowing Neva into places a woman might not be able to enter or where she would be too conspicuous. And Henri’s deliberations about his feelings run true to the notion that we fall in love with an individual rather than a type.
There are some lovely descriptions; I particularly liked Mrs Dent’s force of personality likened to her having ‘a wooden spoon that stirs up company, smoothing out any lumps in the conversation’. And Aubrey finds a ‘remark scratches at the thin walls of his sanity’.
One measure of how much I enjoy a book is if I find myself sad when a character dies or has something dreadful happen to them; or if another has deserved good fortune and a happy ending. I definitely felt that here, but I won’t blurt spoilers. And it’s not too obvious – I exclaimed out loud at one point when someone made an unexpected appearance. I’d recommend this if you fancy being transported back a couple of hundred years to an odd-looking house by the Thames.

The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner
This book opens during a Frost Fair on the River Thames. Neva’s Russian father has a stall of the fair where his bear takes on all comers at the game of chess. Unbeknownst to everyone sewn inside the bear is his brilliant wife; capable of beating anyone at chess. Neva is just 3 years old and she is terrified for she can hear the voice of the ice and knows that it is about to break.
Following a disastrous event at the inn in which her family are staying Neva is left alone in the world. Only able to converse in Russian when she encounters her saviour, in the form of Victor Friezland, extraordinary clock and automaton maker. In regency England her skills in predicting the weather are untapped; for who would believe a mere woman! Her adoptive father imagines a way of protecting his daughter but capitalising on her amazing skills.
This is a beautifully evocative novel and the era definitely comes to life through the fashions worn, the wonderfully detailed description of Victor’s house which is made from a ship, the gambling dens and brothels of the underbelly of London. There are those who would make use, for their own ends, of Neva’s prodigious talents and Victor has to find a way to protect her.
There is also a nod to our current climate crisis as Neva describes the damage wrought on the skies by the pollution from the factories of London. Her descriptions of the colours and patterns of the sky are beautiful. I loved this book and will be thoroughly recommending it at my book groups. Many thanks to Sally Gardner, The Publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read it in return for an honest review.

"To see things differently is a gift, Neva. It makes you unique."

I’m delighted to be opening the tour of The Weather Woman, the story of an extraordinary young woman trying to find her place in a world that has none for those who don’t fit the mould.

Set in the early 1800s, it centres around a young woman named Neva with an unusual gift. She can predict the weather. But this is Regency England, a place where women are to be seen and not heard. There is no place for an intelligent and educated woman with a unique talent in the male-dominated world of science. So she adopts a male persona and disguise in order to debate with them, and her father creates an automatron called the Weather Woman as the public face for Neva to make her predictions. But while she is happy to be making predictions and enjoys the freedom her disguises bring, it leaves her feeling even more of an outsider and fearing she will never find her place in the world.

“I don't fit the square, I'm too irregular; I'm too angular for the curves. This age is not made for me.”

The story inside these pages is as lush as its gorgeous cover. Sally Gardner is a skilled storyteller, painting pictures with words as she weaves magical realism into historical fiction and mixes in an irresistible love story. The result is an atmospheric and beautifully descriptive tale that has an almost fairytale quality. The characters are richly drawn and compelling, with Neva being particularly memorable, and there are multiple threads that cleverly tangle together in some unexpected ways. I was captivated from the start, though there was a point I felt the story lost a little momentum and my mind started to wander, but it soon picked up and I lost myself in its pages once again.

Enchanting, original, and filled with wonder, I’d recommend this book, especially if you enjoy stories with a magical twist.

The Weather Woman is a beautifully crafted story. Full of intriguing characters, a little suspense and more than a little mystery, the story flows through Neva’s life. A story about love and acceptance, it was totally understandable that Neva was frustrated at being a woman in this man’s world.
I loved Neva from the very beginning - strong, independent and clever- her mysterious gift is one that fascinates. From the very beginning of her story to the end, magic and mystery surround her and I found many of the aspects of her life very emotional. A beautiful story and one that deserves all of the recommendations. Definitely one of my top read of the year.

An atmospheric and unique historical fiction with a touch of magic.
Set in Georgian/Regency England between the frost fairs of 1789 and 1814, we follow Neva who discovers at a young age that she can sing the weather and that this ability makes her 'other'. As she matures, Neva must determine a place for herself.

Neva's adopted father says to her when she is young:

"To see things differently is a gift, Neva. It makes you unique."

But in Regency England, many people would just see Neva as odd, and people fear and reject that which they cannot understand. Neva is "fabulously original" in so many ways, but will that be accepted?

There is also an Anne Lister feel to the story. Neva finds that, as a man, she can express scientific and meteorological ideas without fear of derision. But this deception beings further challenges and misunderstandings.

"An outsider, both as a woman and as a man. The bit of me that fits in nowhere."

The descriptions of the automatons were fabulous. Automatons may be considered quaint and a little silly in view of modern robotics, but at the time they were the height of sophisticated mechanics and held audiences mesmerised.

A beautifully descriptive novels in all aspects. The feel of the era definitely comes to life in the fashions, the architecture, the drawings rooms of the rich and the gambling dens and brothels of the underbelly of London.
But most gorgeously rendered of all are the passages relating to the weather. The weather becomes its own character.

Neva is totally captivating and her story was entrancing from beginning to end.

Thank you to Net Galley and Head of Zeus for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A gorgeous read set in Regency era England, about a young woman who has a strange gift for predicting the weather. An absolutely beautiful, captivating story with unforgettable characters.

This is an excellent read, so different to the usual genres. Around at the moment I’m not sure it fits in any genre really.
Superb writing, excellent characterisation and wonderful storytelling just made reading this such an enjoyable experience. It is such an unusual story, and though set in historic times in London, it is written in contemporary language. Sometimes I forgot that it was an historic novel, because of that.
There are so many different strands, including other-worldly characters, and has a hint of the supernatural too. It’s all beautifully woven together to make an amazing and unusual story, I could not put the book down. Several days after finishing reading, it is still buzzing around in my head! Always a sign of a superior novel, I find. Read it for yourself, you will not be disappointed.
I will look for more of this author’s work.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

What a fascinating story, I was transfixed by this book and became very involved in the lives of the characters. It is a fascinating mix of history and fantasy, beautifully written and a really captivating story. Written in the first person, it had a wonderful narrative of events around London's Frost Fairs. It touched on gender issues and women's roles in society in the early 19th century, this was written with real insight and feeling.

The characters were vivid, deep and very well-written. These complex characters and lives were mesmerising. I loved how I really got to know them; their personalities, their traits and their complexities. I loved Henri the most, I think but there were plenty of characters in the story to both love and hate. I really liked Neva, I liked her determination despite all the setbacks she faced.

This is certainly different with a unique story line and I loved reading it. I found it hard to put down and was disappointed when it finished, always a good sign. I would highly recommend reading The Weather Woman, you won't regret it.

Historical fiction with magical, mystery

Neva Friezland and Eugene Jonas face the vagaries of early nineteenth-century London together, in a truly lovely story about love, friendship, families - and the weather.

With orphans, young girls in danger, careless parents and tensions between the aristocracy and the lower classes, there is so much to love and to learn from this novel, set between the frost fairs of the 1800s.

This is a lovely novel that took all my attention, I was completely invested in the story, There are so many well-drawn characters, especially the women, and between them all you get a great picture of the life people lived.

Well-written and carefully drawn, this detailed story tells so much about London, about people, and about hope.

This story read like a classic with a fantastical twist. The writing was easy, and flowed so well that I found it hard to pause reading. I felt strongly for the characters, whether I loved or hated them. I could really delve into this book and get lost in the story. The only wish I had by the end was that the second half of the book wasn’t as rushed. I really enjoyed the slow paced story telling within the first half and by part 3 I felt the pace speed up. I could’ve stayed in Neva’s world much longer! Overall, I loved it and will be getting a physical copy at some point.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the copy!

The fact the heroine of the book, Neva, can predict the weather might give you the idea this is a book with a strong element of fantasy. However, although Neva’s gift is inexplicable, it seemed to me she just has a different way of seeing the world. In fact she struggles to comprehend that others cannot read the clouds as she can. ‘Her gift, she thinks, outdoes rational thought, making her an island utterly disconnected from others.’ Her gifts don’t stop with forecasting the weather because she also perceives people’s emotions in the form of colours – what we might now describe as synesthesia – and is a chess prodigy.

Initially her weather forecasts are treated with sceptism but gradually the person she has come to think of as her father, Victor Friezland, realises her predictions are always right. You could bet your house on the fact that if she says it’s going to rain at a certain hour on a certain day, it will. However Regency England isn’t ready for someone who can predict the weather, and certainly not if that person is a woman. And received ‘wisdom’ is that the weather is a product of chaos, not something that can be predicted by scientific, or any other, means.

Although constructed with the best of intentions in order to protect Neva’s identity, Victor’s Weather Woman automaton turns her predictions into purely a source of entertainment – or means of personal gain – for the aristocracy, not something that could be of genuine benefit. ‘Again she thinks of mariners who sail into storms and ships that are wrecked on rocks. What use is this gift, what use? she asks herself.’ And Neva longs to discuss her views with others, especially her observations on the impact of human activity on the weather. ‘I think perhaps the vapours produced by the industries of men can change the colours in the sky.’ However, as we are frequently reminded, this is a world run by men. As a result, Neva adopts a male persona – Eugene Jonas – whom she thinks of as her ‘second skin’, allowing her to go where a woman cannot. However, as it turns out, the brilliance of her disguise has unintended consequences.

From the early focus on Neva’s weather forecasting ability, the later part of the book introduces a mystery element and a number of romantic story lines. Some of these are incredibly touching and may leave you slightly tearful on occasions. The colourful cast of characters gives the book a real Dickensian feel with some of my favourites being Ebenezer Ratchet and his dog, Old Bones, and the formidable fixer-in-chief, Mrs Dent. I also had a soft spot for the lovelorn Mr Gutteridge, Victor’s legal advisor. And I particularly liked how the author included a number of characters in unconventional relationships (for the times) such as Mr James, who advises Neva on how to convincingly pass as a man, and Lady Elizabeth Wardell. There are characters for whom you will feel sympathy and those for whom you will feel no sympathy whatsoever.

There are wonderfully whimsical elements to the book, such as a chess-playing bear and a bet involving a live herring. There are also brilliant descriptions of London life including the frost fairs on the River Thames that open and close the book. All in all, The Weather Woman is a delightful historical novel with some unforgettable characters.

A look at the potential in lives, both realised and unrealised. Neva is orphaned at a young age, but fate provides her with foster parents who are the equal to, if not superior, to her original parents. She grows up in a clockmaker′s home, but in this world of automation she has a fantastical talent of being able to accurately predict the weather. This and her cleverness in other areas is accepted and encouraged, to the extent that she is allowed to dress as a boy (and then a young man) in order to be able to attend lectures and such like.
Her accuracy in weather forecasts is used by her father to win some money through a bet, and this sets in place a series of events which included the creation of The Weather Woman. This is an automaton which enables Neva′s forecasts to be passed off as as a wonderful machine instead of exposing her to the censure of society. But other stories split off from this creation: a dissolute lord who gambles too much, an orphaned French count who falls in love with Neva, a son who is looking for recognition as well as money.

There are lots of strands in this book and they seem to have an underlying theme of how the past affects the present, and how things might have been different, and how sometimes they can be fixed. All the characters, even the villains, were given moments of redemption, and a perspective where they might have been a better person. Because of the Regency setting I found a slight touch of Heyer in the writing, but there′s also a dreamlike feel to the writing. It captures some of the essence of the time without delving into the nitty gritty. I found I enjoyed the book more as it went on and we found out more about different characters and how they were connected.

I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

This was a really entertaining read: a book with heart. I loved the characters and the world created by an unusual found family and the context of regency London and the scientific debates of the time and the details of the last frost fairs. A really interesting plot to top it all! many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

An intriguing historical novel with some really unique characters and points of view. Sometimes a little slow, but overall enchanting.

A great piece of historical fiction set around the Thames frost fairs of the 18th century. Neva, a young girl with an extraordinary gift of being able to predict approaching weather, is orphaned and taken in by a generous benefactor. Her abilities are considered outlandish for a person of her gender and to aid her in her quest to help the community, Victor who is a renowned clockmaker creates a machine for her identity to remain private. In some ways this creates a barrier to her leading a normal and full life.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for a gifted copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Weather Woman is an original regency era novel which is just magical and beautifully structured. It has so much depth it's a very compelling read.

I always find myself enjoying novels set in this period. Things feel more dynamic and exuberant than Victorian era novels.

In this novel that is quite charming we have a vast of characters ranging from loveable to notorious rogues. I found Neva's story and her character completely delightful. There were some very outlandish plot points, but I found myself happily going where the author took me. There was something of the fairytale to the story, something fabulist...and there was a bet about swallowing a large fish whole. What more could one ask for?

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Readers will be dazzled by Sally Gardner’s magical historical novel, The Weather Woman.

In Regency England, single women should have only one objective in mind: matrimony. Making a suitable match and securing the arm of a wealthy bachelor is the number one priority for most gentlewomen, except for one notable exception: Neva Friezland. Neva is a woman with an inquisitive mind, an extraordinary intellect and an unusual gift: the ability to predict the weather. A woman who doesn’t conform to the rigid rules of society is considered to be very dangerous indeed and in order to protect herself Neva has adopted a sophisticated male disguise that enables her to foretell the weather from inside an automaton created by her clockmaker father.

Neva thinks that nobody will ever discover her secret. Her disguise keeps her safe and protected – until her heart is put in jeopardy when she falls in love with a charismatic young man. What is Neva going to do now? She cannot risk anyone finding out her secret nor does she want to let this chance at happiness slip through her fingers. Neva might be able to predict the weather tomorrow, but not even she could possibly foretell what is going to happen next!

The Weather Woman is a veritable treat for the senses. Lyrical, visceral and colourful, this brilliantly told and superbly written historical tale brims with brio, vigour and style and takes readers away from Almack’s and the marriage mart and into a world of an independent and idiosyncratic woman striving to find her voice and her own place in the world.

Sally Gardner is a hugely gifted writer and in The Weather Woman has written an exceptional, engaging and enjoyable historical novel readers will not want to miss.

This was such an inspiring read! Well written, well researched, with a magical twist, this book was fascinating from start to finish. Thank you for the ARC!

If you're looking for a charming and original read, look no further than Sally Gardner's "The Weather Woman". I absolutely adored this book and Neva, the fierce and determined protagonist who has to navigate a man's world. The plot is almost fantastical for its time, with the inclusion of an automaton, but Gardner's writing makes it all seem perfectly plausible. I loved the diversity of London that the book portrays, especially with Neva's Russian background. The depiction of misogyny women faced back then is unfortunately still relevant today, and the disguise Neva adopts is a testament to the resilience of women.

With so many well-developed peripheral characters, including Henri and Neva's adoptive family, "The Weather Woman" is a whimsical yet truly wonderful read that I won't forget anytime soon. Gardner's writing style is poetic and enchanting, making the book an engaging and immersive experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique and captivating historical fiction. It's a story of love, loss, and resilience that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

amazing book from an amazing author, i loved the river thames freezing over elements and the frost fairs as well as the central plot. sally gardner's latest offering was wonderful to read and she is one of my favourite authors.

Many thanks to the publishing team for my digital copy for review
I was really intrigued by the blurb and the cover so went into little expectations and I loved it!
So beautifully written and it was just magical to read from start to finish. The pace of the story was well done, you get the right amount of story through chapter that builds this intriguing and enticing story.
Neva characters was multi layered and complex and it highlighted the imbalance during that time and the impact it had and how she was determined to remain strong.
There were a mix bag of characters with each carrying different emotions and challenges which tied the story off nicely.

This is such a great book. The characters are all so charming and even the ‘baduns’ are rogues that are so well written you’ll love to hate them. I fell in love with this book right from the opening pages as the writing is just so warm and inviting. I loved the sense of history and time and place with this book, but the leading lady Neva’s uniqueness adds an additional charm to this historical story.

I enjoy Sally Gardner's historical novels anyway, but what a glorious portrayal of Regency England this book offered!

Imagine being able to predict the weather but not being believed or having a 'true' voice at a time when this would have been viewed as witchcraft. Neva and her alter-ego 'Eugene' have a fabulous tale to tell as they negotiate their place in society. Neva, orphaned early in the novel, is lucky to end up with a forward-thinking adopted father in Victor Friezland, who helps her curate a variety of personas in order to be the person she is destined to be.

This story has so many twists and turns it makes your head turn at times, but they are cleverly plotted and all tied up beautifully at the end.

You with gasp and cry your way through this novel. There are awful characters and love matches a-plenty. Think 'Bridgerton' with a little bit of magic and illusion.

There's not a lot of Regency historical fiction. There's a lot of romance, there's Georgette Heyer and not much more as far as I know.
This was a mix of historical fiction with some magic realism elements. Neva is a fascinating character and the plot is riveting and entertaining.
An excellent read, Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

What a fantastic, beautiful book.
Historical fiction with a twist!
This book was engaging and kept me turning the pages with believable characters and a plot line that kept me hooked. More just like this please.
Thank you for this copy to read and review, loved it

Frozen river, frost fair, brrr!
Atmospheric, I love the cold weather descriptions, cracking ice, thick fog, snow.
The Thames really did become solid with ice, what a sight that must have been.
Neva, circus child becomes orphaned and is adopted by Victor and his housekeeper Elise, she is an exceptional child, intelligent, quick to learn and can predict future weather. Victor and Neva invent a weather machine which is secretly controlled by Neva. Both Neva and Victor make enemies through jealousy and greed, one of the enemies is Aubrey, who is Victor's ex wife's son, he is mad and works with a Lord to extract revenge.
There is love interest for Neva, Cassie and Elise, none of these entanglements run smoothly.
An exciting and fast paced book.
Thank you NetGalley and Sally.

Neva is born with an unusual ability - to predict the weather. At first she assumes everyone can do this, but as the frozen Thames ice starts to break under the frost fair of 1789, even little Neva can see that she's the only one to have foreseen the event. As she grows, she comes to understand how strange and unique her talent is. Using a mechanical figure made by her adoptive father, she disguises her abilities as being those of the automaton, the Weather Woman, and becomes a success in London's salons and soirees.
But Neva is frustrated that as a woman, she isn't taken seriously by the scientific experts of the day, and creates herself a male alias, Eugene Jonas, who can go where she can't. However, when Henri Denoue, an exiled French count, meets first Neva, then Eugene, he falls in love - perhaps with them both.

This is a lovely, fairly lightweight, but eminently readable, historical novel with a thread of fantasy or magic running through it. Neva's ability is never quite pinned down, but, as one of my daughters has a synaesthetic condition whereby she sees music as colours, that's rather how I understood Neva's visualising of clouds and colours. It doesn't quite matter to the plot which is one of thwarted romance, and adversaries who want to get hold of the Weather Woman for their own use.

As with Gardner's teen/YA books, there's a fantastic capturing of the period. Neva is very different to Austen's heroines, or the marriageable daughters of Bridgerton, not wanting to settle quietly into marriage and child-bearing, but to further her scientific curiosity, and her story explores the difficulties facing her.

Contrasting with the quiet domestic setting of Neva's adoptive family, are the grand houses of the 'bon ton', dingy lawyers' offices, seedy boarding houses, with characters to match - in fact a whole slice of Regency London from the high to the low.

*The Weather Woman* by Sally Gardner falls into one of my favorite sub-genres: early modern creepy fantasy, alongside *The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock*, *The Familiars*, and *The Miniaturist*. I have a YouTube video about this sub-genre which you can watch on my channel. Now technically, this book starts in the *late* early modern period and continues into the *early* modern period, but I think it still counts.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMdbWLwGrwQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMdbWLwGrwQ)

*The Weather Woman* follows Neva, a young Russian girl suddenly orphaned in London who can predict the weather. She is taken in by a craftsman of clocks and automatons and together they seek their fortune by combining their respective talents in the Weather Woman, an automaton who predicts the weather, and present it to stunned audiences. Unfortunately for the entrepreneurial family, there are agents who wish them harm. When Neva falls for a man related to one of her ill-wishers, their situation only worsens.

*The Weather Woman* was strongest in its commitment to found family and fostering relationships based on mutual respect. There were several instances where the characters could have fallen into petty jealousy and backstabbing in the hands of a lazy writer, but lucky for us, Gardner is not a lazy writer. She gives her characters real conflict-resolution skills and reserves the truly petty behavior for her villains (who are complicated and not cartoonish).

> Poverty makes criminals of us; opportunity in the form of shoes is the only way to walk out of it.
>

Gardner’s villains are also complicated and layered. There are several instances where characters who seem like they have good intentions fall into villainy instead and characters who initially have villain vibes turn out to be thoughtful and, if not kind, then decent. The story is mostly character-driven, but there is just enough plot-based drama for it to feel thrilling and adventurous.

*The Weather Woman* is what I had hoped *The Ladies of the Secret Circus* had turned out to be. If you are a fan of Jessie Burton, Stacey Halls, Elizabeth MacNeal, and Caroline Lea, then you will probably enjoy this book.

The premise of this book sounded really interesting to me. A woman who can predict the weather with amazing accuracy. But is it a blessing or a curse. It certainly seems that given the historical setting it is something that may work against the young lady in question.
Once I got into the book (which didn't take long) I was hooked on the story and found it difficult to put down.

Thrilling and utterly compulsive! An incredible read, impossible to put down. Incredible storytelling! Recommend you read this book! A propulsive read that never let me go from start to finish!
Top-drawer romantic escapism!
The book was well written in that it stirred up all sorts of emotions while I was reading it and made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a little slow at first and you have to accept Neva's weather magic, but then the plot really comes alive. All the relationships between the characters were totally believable and I completely understood Neva's frustration at not being able to be herself because of societal norms. A great book for those who like a bit of magical realism with their historical fiction.

Neva is rescued by her adoptive father, Victor, as a tiny girl after her parents are killed. The clockmaker dotes on his little girl, who appears to have a striking talent: she can predict the weather (and 'sing the rain') in a way that defies logic, religion and science. As she becomes more determined to use her skill to help those for whom the weather poses a risk, Victor realises that Regency society will never accept the words of a young girl, no matter how accurate she is. So he designs an automaton, the Weather Woman, to deliver her forecasts. Soon, Victor and Neva are the toast of London high society- but Neva wants something more, even if she is unsure how she will ever get it. With a supporting cast of amazing characters, we move with her as she grows into her abilities and navigates her way through a sexist society and maneouvres her way through the maze of the Georgian class system.

This is such a delightful novel that I would never have picked up had I not been offered a review copy. There's everything- a couple of dastardly villains, a few gorgeous love stories, and a death involving live herring. There's a dash of magical realism mixed in with one of the best senses of places I've ever read. This is a perfect novel for reading on a rainy day.

Neva has always known she is different, she can sing the weather. After her parents' death Neva is adopted by Mr Friezeland and as she grows up they create 'The Weather Woman' to harness Neva's talents. However in order to succeed Neva has to adopt a male disguise. Henri Denoue is the son of guillotined parents, he may be a Comte but he has no money. When Neva and Henri meet so begins the strangest of love stories.
This is a lovely piece of historical fiction, not too taxing but gentle and enjoyable. the setting is great, post-French Revolution but with the threat of Napoleon looming and Regency London is well-imagined. OK, the reader does have to suspend belief a lot but that is the point, it is light escapist reading and no bad thing at that.

A truly epic and complex tale weaving many strands together to a make a fascinating and absorbing read.

Neva has the gift of reading the weather, but it sadly doesn't save her parents being killed in a tragic accident. This fateful event changes everything and when Victor Friezland adopts her she is for the first time, loved and celebrated for who she is. But it's the nineteenth century and so, the rest of the world must remain in the dark about her gift.

Neva falls in love with Henri, but a misunderstanding separates them for many years and in that time, a lot changes. With much at stake, Neva must do all she can to show the world she is Victor's rightful heir and protect those she loves.

A strong supporting cast makes this a really atmospheric and dramatic story with intrigue, romance, passion and above all, love. Of one self and others is really what matters more than anything..

So so good! I loved this story (though have to start by saying the title isn't particularly inspiring).

Neva is the Weather Woman of the title, she has been able to predict the weather very exactly since she can remember. Although she wants to be able to use this hidden talent to help others, sailors, fishermen etc. she can see she could be seen as a danger in the views of early 18th century society.

This book is packed with fascinating and lovable characters: Neva's adopted father Victor, a clockmaker who fashions the Weather Woman, an automaton able to reveal Neva's predictions; Neva's 'aunt' Elise, Victor's love - a woman of intense comfort, but fierce and independent; Henri, fascinated by Neva and a potential love interest; and Eugene Jonas, Neva's alter ego and a character in his own right.

This is a book about women, boundaries, love, creating your own family, all set amid the fascinating elements of the society of the time.

This book has automatically become one of my top reads of the year, I already want to re-read it ❤️

I loved reading about the frost fair on the Thames, the timeline in the novel has always been ‘my era’ and through the author’s descriptions I could hear and see the ice cracking and the panic around.

Neva is one of the most interesting characters I have met, from her ‘skills’ to the way she had to deal with the social restraints at the time.

I would highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction with a touch of fantasy, I am looking forward to reading more by the author.

Having previously read I, Coriander and The Red Necklace, I knew that I would be in for a gripping treat with a novel by Sally Gardner and this didn’t disappoint.

Neva is a very modern heroine, despite the historical setting of the novel. She is very much her own person, gender fluid in a way that reminded me a little of Woolf’s Orlando. The child of feckless parents, Neva is taken in by a fellow countryman, growing up in an unusual but loving environment, where her ability to hear and see the weather is recognised.

There is much that is charming and enjoyable in this novel, with some beautifully etched characters and a great deal of heart. I can happily forgive Gardner’s determination to give all of her characters an ending but did feel that the 3rd quarter dragged a little. Definitely an enjoyable read and I can think of lots of friends to recommend it to.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Apollo Fiction, for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I was entranced by the story of Neva, the Weather Woman, who can mysteriously sense and predict the weather. Her relationships with family and friends were well drawn and believable and I loved her growing and changing friendships as she grew up. I also enjoyed the Regency setting which meant that Neva wasn’t taken seriously as a woman so had to take on a male persona to be listened to.

An interesting story that plays with gender, love, gambling and fortune. A recommended read.

What a great book! A fantastic hictorical fic, set in Regency England. I loved the writing, it was immersive, I was hooked and I had to read half the book in one go!

I found Henri one of the most sweetest characters ever and I loved Neva as well.

Expect romance, will contesting, marriage proposals, grief, and greatest Showman vibes!

Neva Friezland was born to parents who ran a travelling show, and from a very young age was familiar with a world in which trickery and illusion invited fortunes to be won or lost on a wager. But the luck of her parents ran out amid the chaotic aftermath of the Thames Frost Fair in 1789. If only they had listened to tiny Neva's warnings... For Neva has been born with a rare talent - an ability to predict the weather.

Adopted into an unconventional household where her intelligence and thirst for knowledge are encouraged, Neva learns the brutal lesson that for a woman to desire anything beyond marriage and motherhood in Regency England is to court censure and contempt. She longs to be able to put her innate talent to use, as her weather predicting skills could be potentially lucrative, but to admit her uncanny ability openly could be very dangerous.

In order to obtain the freedom she wants so badly, Neva adopts a male alter ego to go where women cannot, and do the things society deems unsuitable for a lady. She and her clockmaker father also employ a little trickery and illusion to find a way to allow Neva to use her talents through the conduit of an automaton called The Weather Woman. All is going well for them, until their success attracts the attention of some very unwelcome parties who want what they believe they are owed... and until Neva falls in love while disguised as a man.

It can be very dangerous to be ahead of your time, especially if you are a woman.

I was first introduced to the marvellous books of Sally Gardner some years ago through her Carnegie Medal winning historical fiction story I, Coriander, so I am overjoyed that she is now writing for an adult audience. I loved her winter fable The Snow Song and could not wait to immerse myself in her spell-binding writing once more with The Weather Woman.

Where do I even begin to tell you how amazing this book is? Once again, Gardner pours her considerable creative skills into a story that blends historical fact and enchanting fiction into a compelling tale that highlights injustice - this time, about a young woman with rare gifts that she must keep secret, for fear of being damned by suspicion and the strictures of the time in which she lives.

Neva's start in life is a hard one, but she is lucky to fall in with people who nurture her and recognise her intelligence and, in time, the uncanny abilities she possesses - and they love and cherish her enough to know that the things she can do must be kept hidden. Gardner uses the need for secrecy to fashion this tale into one which burgeons into an adventure encompassing everything I love about historical fiction, threading it with a delicious touch of magical realism, and using the themes of trickery and illusion to utmost perfection. And yet, this story also brings with it a gritty exploration of the social mores of the time, delving particularly into the attitude towards women, and the gulf between those who exercise power in all its many facets and those who are exploited by them. It is a winning combination.

There is so much atmosphere in this story that brings time and place alive, with the whisper of the other-worldly, and the way Gardner uses water as a character in itself alongside the many vivid human (and canine) players is wonderful - especially the way life revolves around the Thames. The pages are filled with wonder, mystery, romance, and derring-do; and subversive threads of gambling, rebellion, sex and sexuality (and intriguingly the negative effect of humanity on the environment) that carry you along on the gripping tide of twists and surprises that hold you fast and keep you guessing - and there is a nod to Shakespearean storytelling that made me smile.

Behold a myriad of themes around manipulation, control, and the dark side of human nature, especially when it comes to the treatment of women, that stir your emotions to simmering rage. I very much enjoyed how this story is used to explore how the power of women can be usurped by men, and there is something so poignant, and curiously metaphorical, in the way Neva hides her skills behind the illusion of an automaton. It was not easy to be a free-thinking woman in this era. However, this is also a story that thrums with love, both romantic and of family, contrasting the lives of those who get to enjoy the benefits of warmth and affection and those who do not, and this feeds into almost every aspect of this story - whether it be the dark machinations of those driven by greed and revenge, the need for human connection, or the consequences of both disappointments and successes.

This story kept me turning page after page as I wondered how Gardner would ultimately decide the fate of every single character - and I was not left wanting. There is a breath-taking climax to it all too, as she brings everything full circle to another Frost Fair in a way that is truly magnificent. One of my books of the year!

The science of predicting the weather, mundane you may say but this novel takes this as its inspiration and weaves an intriguing and intricate story set in England in the 1700s. This is a beautifully crafted story and I can honestly say I really loved it.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for ARC copy.

An interesting take on a period story, The Weather Woman captivates readers as she does her audiences in the Regency salons of London. You are transported to Regency England, and mix with all classes of London. The characters are full of life.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Weather Woman.

This is a unique, enchanting and atmospheric historical novel.
Set in London. it begins at the frost fair on the river Thames in 1789 with three year old Neva and her parents. Neva has a special talent, she can read the weather and can hear the ice as it begins to thaw. After tragedy strikes her family, little Neva is taken in by a clockmaker who understands that Neva has a special gift.
This is a very well written, well researched book with a well drawn cast of characters and an engrossing story line. It has been one of my favourite books of 2022.
Highly recommended!

A wonderful historical fiction novel, this book is beautifully lyrical and atmospheric, particularly in the descriptive way Neva understands clouds and the weather, as well as the people she meets
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Neva is a brilliant character, she is unique and sees the world as no one else. I loved her relationship with Victor Friezland and the immediate connection he has to her. I would also love to see the mechanical Weather Women they created, they sound incredible!
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The book explores the attitudes towards women in the Regency period. Neva knows she will be ridiculed as a woman, but dressing up as a man allows her to enter into philosophical and scientific conversations. As a reader you root for Neva to be able to stand tall as the wonder that she is. Her relationship to her male disguise Eugene is interesting, as they become two people within her, and allow her to explore so much more than she is able to as a single woman
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This book is full of interesting characters, and the family created of lonely and broken characters is so beautiful, and I was sorry to leave their world behind
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If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of magic and mysticism, this one is one to pick up
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Thank you to Head of Zeus, NetGalley and Sally Gardner for the chance to read this beautiful novel.

I’ve read a fair bit of historical fiction this year but I have to say that this one might just be my favourite! You can tell that the author did their research on the time period for this incredible book with the level of details that are included in the world building. I got through this book in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down, the story in itself was hooking, but the actual writing and descriptions were what kept me completely glued to the pages. I felt fully immersed in this world and could easily imagine being there right alongside Neva.

If you’re looking for a new historical fiction read that’s as addictive as it is spectacular then look no further than this gorgeous gorgeous book.

Who knew a book about interpreting the weather could be so all-consuming? "The Weather Woman" is a lovely and empowering read. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with the characters and didn't want the book to end. I particularly appreciated the ways in which the women felt free to express themselves sexually, despite having to conform to gender norms in public. Definitely a book I would read again, and recommend widely!

I was sent a copy of The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner to read and review by NetGalley. This is an engaging and absorbing novel. It starts out reading like a fairy story and the becomes so much more. The characters are well rounded and I thought very believable and the descriptions of the clouds, the landscapes, the interiors, the clothes – everything really, all conjured up fabulous images in my mind. Even though I enjoyed the book from the start I got really invested in the lives of the players and though I really wanted to find out what happened I didn’t want it to end! A great read for anyone who loves imaginative, evocative historical novels.

Neva is rescued by a clockmaker from an uncertain future. Her uncanny ability to predict the weather develops as she grows up, but because she is female, her skill and intelligence aren't allowed to be aired.

Her adopted father (the appropriately named Victor Friezland- a refugee himself) builds an automaton through which the predictions can be made in shows which intrigue the wealthy segments of Georgian society.

However all it not as it seems amongst the rich with abuse and gambling rife. Life can pivot on one wager made for good or evil. We meet a dissolute lord and an orphan from the French Revolution. How will their stories intertwine with Neva's?

Neva herself has to take on an alter ego to get on in this male dominated world, so gender identity is one theme that is explored. The link between Nature and human life is another theme . The weather then, as now, has a direct influence on human life and there is the subtext of global warming, as Neva observes the first pollution caused by human industry. Change is afoot in many areas of this world from weather, to politics to love.

There is love which is genuine between the characters although not all of it fits the mores of the times- some of which are shown to be hypocritical.

Having just read another novel which was less skilfully written , this story set off at a pace with great dialogue,
a range of memorable characters and story lines. Sally Gardner knows how to mix a touch of "magic"/supernatural with gritty reality.

Really enjoyed this book. A romping adventure which is thoroughly absorbing.

This has been catalogued as science fiction by my library system, but I’d be more likely to describe it as historical fiction with a touch of magic realism, similar to The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock or Things in Jars. I loved the way the action is bookended by the frost fairs of 1789 and 1814. There’s a whiff of the fairy tale in the setup: when we meet Neva, she’s a little girl whose parents operate one of the fair’s attractions, a chess-playing bear. She knows, like no one else seems to, that the ice is shifting and it’s not safe to stay by the Thames. When the predicted tragedy comes, she’s left an orphan and adopted by Victor Friezland, a clockmaker who shares her Russian heritage. He lives in a wonderfully peculiar house made out of ship parts and, between him, Neva, the housekeeper Elise, and other servants, friends and neighbours, they form a delightful makeshift family.

Neva predicts the weather faultlessly, even years ahead. It’s somewhere between synaesthetic and mystical, this ability to hear the ice speaking and see what the clouds hold. While others in their London circle engage in early meteorological prediction, her talent is different. Victor decides to harness it as an attraction, developing “The Weather Woman” as first an automaton and then a magic lantern show, both with Neva behind the scenes giving unerring forecasts. At the same time, Neva brings her childhood imaginary friend to life, dressing in men’s clothing and appearing as Victor’s business partner, Eugene Jonas, in public.

These various disguises are presented as the only way that a woman could be taken seriously in the early 19th century. Gardner is careful to note that Neva does not believe she is, or seek to become, a man; “She thinks she’s been born into the wrong time, not necessarily the wrong sex. As for her mind, that belongs to a different world altogether.” (Whereas there is a trans character and a couple of queer ones; it would also have been interesting for Gardner to take further the male lead’s attraction to Eugene Jonas.)

London charms here despite its Dickensian (avant la lettre) grime – mudlarks and body snatchers, gambling and trickery, gloomy pubs and shipwrecks, weaselly lawyers and high-society soirees. The plot moves quickly and holds a lot of surprises and diverting secondary characters. While the novel could have done with some trimming – something I’d probably say about the majority of 450-pagers – I remained hooked and found it fun and racy. You’ll want to stick around for a terrific late set-piece on the ice. Gardner had a career in theatre costume design before writing children’s books. I’ll also try her teen novel, I, Coriander.

[Two potential anachronisms: “Hold your horses” (p. 202) and calling someone “a card” (p. 209) – both slang uses that more likely date from the 1830s or 1840s.]

Such an interesting premise right up my alley. I don't usually care for Regency England historical fiction - I prefer Victorian - but the author created such a multifaceted world with vivid imagery. This has a little bit of everything - mysticism, magical realism, history, science, supernatural, My pet peeve in historical fiction is unrealistically applying 21st century values and social norms to earlier time periods, and there is some of that here with Henri and Neva. The book could have used an editor and a good chop - it could have easily lost 100-200 pages without suffering.

Historical fiction is far from my favourite genre but for Sally Gardener I will always be willing to make an exception. Main protagonist Neva is a strong, intelligent woman, qualities that in regency times were definitely not valued in ‘the fairer sex’. I am fascinated by the London frost fairs that feature in the story and I found the book to be fast paced with strong themes of feminism, family (both blood and found) and nature versus nurture. A top read in my opinion.