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The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer

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Margaret
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The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer

Post by Margaret » Thu August 6th, 2009, 6:18 am

This novel is just out today, August 6, and I've posted a review at http://HistoricalNovels.info/. It's one of the best and most original I've read all year. It's an excellent choice for readers tired of "Mary Sue" heroines who are sweet and charming and as beautiful as they come. If the heroine of this novel is not pretty and has her flaws, it just makes her all the more sympathetic. At the start, the novel doesn't have the nail-biting suspense it develops later on, but the heroine is so engaging and has such a distinctive, witty voice, just getting to know her is a delight.
Browse over 5000 historical novel listings (probably well over 5000 by now, but I haven't re-counted lately) and over 700 reviews at www.HistoricalNovels.info

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Thu August 6th, 2009, 12:15 pm

I remember this one from Amazon's ABNA contest, and only that I had a very hard time picking up on the story from the excerpt provided. I'll have to try the book one of these days and compare.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

User avatar
Margaret
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 2440
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: I can't answer this in 100 characters. Sorry.
Favourite HF book: Checkmate, the final novel in the Lymond series
Preferred HF: Literary novels. Late medieval and Renaissance.
Location: Catskill, New York, USA
Contact:

Post by Margaret » Thu August 6th, 2009, 10:42 pm

The first few chapters don't have a strong story narrative, though there is a sense of "How is this character going to find more joy amid the drudgery of her life?" (That makes her sound rather beaten down, but she's not at all.) The strong, witty voice and spirited personality of the main character (Susan Rose) were enough to carry it for me at the beginning. There are a few interspersed chapters that briefly tell the stories of the different women who sent their babies to nurse with the character's mother, and these can be disconcerting if you're not expecting them - once I figured out what those were all about, they added to the story for me by providing more texture and a broader view.

When the more specific plot kicks in, it's very intense - I don't want to give too much away, but there are conflicts between Susan's desire to care for her own child and her need to make enough money to live. I found this book absorbing from the beginning, but somewhere in the middle it becomes a page-turner and then doesn't let up until the end.
Browse over 5000 historical novel listings (probably well over 5000 by now, but I haven't re-counted lately) and over 700 reviews at www.HistoricalNovels.info

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Misfit
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Location: Seattle, WA

Post by Misfit » Fri August 7th, 2009, 12:15 am

Aiyee! Another one for the pile. Thanks Margaret. No, don't ever give too much away.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

User avatar
Margaret
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 2440
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: I can't answer this in 100 characters. Sorry.
Favourite HF book: Checkmate, the final novel in the Lymond series
Preferred HF: Literary novels. Late medieval and Renaissance.
Location: Catskill, New York, USA
Contact:

Post by Margaret » Fri August 7th, 2009, 4:42 am

Just posted an interview with Erica Eisdorfer at my blog.
Browse over 5000 historical novel listings (probably well over 5000 by now, but I haven't re-counted lately) and over 700 reviews at www.HistoricalNovels.info

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