The Winter Rose

Title:  The Winter Rose

Author:  Jennifer Donnelly

Rating:  4/5

There was a time years ago when I could not be bothered with a book unless it had a minimum of 500 pages and was historical in nature.  I absolutely adored these chunksters.  If the books were part of a series (which they often were), then that was even better!  I loved being able to open a book and step into the continuing sagas of characters from such authors as R. F. Delderfield, Winston Graham, Sharon Kay Penman, Karleen Koen and Barbara Taylor Bradford.  For me, it was escapist fare with a historical twist (you'll remember that I love history).  I don't read nearly as many of these books as I once did (my attention span has grown considerably shorter), but it is nice to have books like these on tap as comfort reads.

Jennifer Donnelly has join the ranks of such authors with her series that began with The Tea Rose and continues with The Winter Rose.   I was fortunate enough to snag an ARC from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.   

The year is 1900 and the place is London, England.  India Selwyn-Jones, a young woman from a wealthy background, has just graduated from medical school.  Her greatest wish is to provide quality medical care to the poor (especially women and children) in the slums of London's East End.  Because of this, her parents have cut her off from all funds.  She is engaged to marry an up-and-coming politician, childhood friend Freddie Lytton.  Both India and Freddie have goals to clean up East London - India by helping the poor with a proper medical clinic and sanitary conditions; Freddie by catching Sid Malone, the most notorious criminal in London, and thereby advancing his political career.  Unbeknownst to India, Freddie's political plans also involves money - money promised from India's mother contingent upon their marriage and Freddie's persuading India to give up medicine.  When Sid Malone is severely injured and brought to India as a patient, India saves his life and the two engage in a passionate and firey love affair that sets off a chain of events that takes readers around the globe in a fast-paced tale of murder, mistaken identities and a search for justice.  Turn of the 20th century medicine, London politics, and mountain climbing provide an interesting historical backdrop to the story.

Donnelly does her predecessors and contemporaries in this genre proud.  Her writing is very good and the story moves at a rapid pace (making you forget it is just over 700 pages).  If you like chunky historical fiction, then you will love The Winter Rose.

Comments

[Lezlie]

I envy your attraction to chunksters! They always look so good, but there are always so many darn books I want to read that I shy away from them. I need to work on that. . .

Lezlie

[Marg]

I loved this book when I read it a couple of years ago!

[Ex Libris]

Lezlie: This is the first I've read in a really long time, for precisely the same reason!

Marg: I didn't realize the book has been out that long. I thought it was new in 2008, as my copy is an ARC. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[Andi]

Glad to hear you enjoyed this one. I haven't read her stuff myself, but I was pretty intrigued by Heather's interview with Donnelly in Estella's Revenge a while back. I need to try 'em!

[Ann Darnton]

The only Donnelly I've read is her Carnegie winning "A Gathering Light' which is very different from this. I must look for these two in the library.

[Les in NE]

I read this recently, too. I think you liked it a little bit better than I did, but it was a good read. I plan on reading the third in the series once it's published.

[Mog]

This sounds a good book but 700 pages is such a big read. I will look out for it though.