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Summary
Summary
Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist-a nearly impossible dream for a girl.
After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind- her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse-or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out- just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?
Author Notes
Sharon Biggs Waller worked as a riding instructor at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace and as a freelance magazine writer. She is currently a dressage rider and trainer on a ten-acre sustainable farm in Northwest Indiana. She is the author of three non-fiction books as well as the young adult novels A Mad, Wicked Folly and The Forbidden Orchid.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Horn Book Review
Victoria's dream of becoming an artist leads her naively into scandals, tempts her into a convenient marriage, and drives her to join the Women's Social and Political Union. Persistence eventually triumphs, and friendships, love, and art lessons are her rewards. Sound historical research provides the backbone for this warm novel about the development of women's opportunities in Edwardian London. Historical notes are appended. Bib. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Historical fiction fans are in for a treat. Seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling scandalizes 1909 proper society when she poses nude for the fellow students in her life drawing class. Aghast, her parents hastily bring her home to London from French finishing school and attempt to salvage her reputation. They secure an arranged marriage to a wealthy young man who will join and later inherit the Darling family business: indoor flush toilets. But Vicky is not about to put aside her lifelong dream of becoming an artist, and she secretly applies to the Royal College of Art. She also discovers the suffrage movement and a handsome young constable who supports the suffragettes. This historical romance has all the elements dear to readers of the genre: forbidden love, great fashion details, and impossibly beautiful protagonists, but the feminist tone and art history focus distinguish the debut novel. Readers will appreciate the way Vicky takes the suffragette motto deeds, not words to heart, making the difficult decisions that allow her to grow into a strong and independent woman. Waller's intriguingly sympathetic characters, effortless and effective blend of history and romance, passion for her subject, and swift-paced plot make her a new YA voice to watch.--Carton, Debbie Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Waller's debut is a feminist romp through Edwardian England. Victoria Darling has everything-money, position, and a place at France's finest finishing school-except what matters most to her: autonomy. Vicky wants to be an artist, and when she decides to pose nude for an art class, she's whisked back to England and the stifling life she is so desperate to escape. She's caught between an arranged marriage and a handsome police constable, plus a growing sympathy for the Women's Social and Political Union and the cause of women's suffrage. Waller's painstaking research is evident in every detail. Particular attention is paid to weaving historical details seamlessly into the narrative-the Pre-Raphaelites, technological advances such as flushing toilets and the telephone, and the WSPU hunger strikes. Katharine McEwan gives each character his or her own unique timbre and articulations and manages to hit the perfect emotional notes of every line of dialogue. Riding the popularity of Downton Abbey, this book will be sure to attract an instant following. However, it will be the struggles and triumphs of the characters that will leave listeners clamoring for more.-Michaela Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Vicky Darling is the rebellious, artistically talented daughter of a wealthy plumbing magnate, coming of age in Edwardian England at the height of the women's suffrage movement. The title ironically references Queen Victoria's condemnation of " this mad, wicked folly of Women's Rights' with all its attendant horrors on which her poor feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feelings and propriety." Vicky's personal struggles to become a respected artist are paralleled with those of the suffragists with whom she becomes closely involved when her arranged marriage with a wealthy scion of a well-bred family falls apart and she is cut off from the family finances. Vicky finally finds true reward when she is accepted into the Royal College of Art on her own merits. Her lower-class lover and sometime "undraped" art model, police constable Will Fletcher, finally agrees to an artistic partnership publishing the "tuppenny novelettes" he writes and she illustrates. Although the modern dialogue is jarring at times and the plot somewhat implausible, the narrative moves swiftly along, and the historical background is painted credibly and with a light touch. The moving and authentic portrayal of Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters will engage readers with an interest in the history of the women's movement. Author's notes at the end of the book on Edwardian life, the women's movement and the Pre-Raphaelite art movement, on which much of the fine art thread in the book is based, are helpful in establishing the context of the novel. An enjoyable historical romp. (Historical fiction. 12 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
With Will next to me, the fog no longer seemed ominous; instead, it felt peaceful. The fog blotted out the surroundings and any passersby, making it feel as though we were the only people about. "So you believe in votes for women?" I asked as we walked. "I don't see the point in denying half the population the right to vote." He shook his head. "It's daft. So yes, the suffragists have my sympathies. I can't work out which side you're on, though." "With the women, of course." "But you don't fight with them?" He looked at me, his eyes questioning. "I'm going to help them with the artwork. I'm not the fighting type." I twirled my beret around my hand. He grinned. "And an artist can't fight?" Excerpted from A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.