Book Synopsis:
You wouldn’t suspect it, but scandalous secrets are being kept on Blythswood Square…
1846. Glasgow is a city on the cusp of great social change, but behind the curtains, neighbours are watching, and rumours of improper behaviour spread like wildfire on the respectable Blythswood Square.
When Charlotte Nicholl discovers that the fortune she has been bequeathed by her father is tied up in a secret collection of erotic art, she is faced with a terrible dilemma: sell it and risk shaming her family’s good name or lose her home.
An encounter with Ellory McHale, a talented working-class photographer newly arrived in Glasgow, leads Charlotte to hope she has found not only someone who might help her, but also a friend. Yet Ellory is hiding secrets of her own – secrets that become harder to conceal as she finds herself drawn into Charlotte’s world.
As the truth begins to catch up with both women, will it destroy everything they’ve fought to build – or set them both free?
My Review:
I was a huge fan of The Fair Botanist, Sara’s first novel, so I was very excited to read more from her. The Secrets Of Blythswood Square is another absorbing, fascinating historical read which I really enjoyed.
Firstly I absolutely loved the setting of 19th Century Glasgow, with the author’s vivid descriptions often making me feel like I was actually there experiencing it myself alongside the characters. It was definitely a time of great social expectations where people were meant to act a certain way and anyone different was treated with suspicion. It was interesting to see who was considered an outsider though and I found it very frustrating to see how they were treated.
I absolutely loved the two female main characters Ellory and Charlotte. They were such strong, determined women and I loved seeing them assert themselves to go against the norm. It was very interesting to learn about early photography through Ellory’s work and I enjoyed finding out more about the process, especially how long it took to take a picture. The different views on how to set people up for a photograph was also fascinating and I enjoyed exploring the different ideas that the early photographers had.
I thought the book had a lovely pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. Even in the slightly slower moments I just enjoyed hanging out withe Charlotte and Ellory, watching their wonderful friendship develop. There were a few revelations that kept me guessing, especially a few towards the end that made it hard to put the book down. I loved the ending that and enjoyed seeing how things end up for all of the characters.
Huge thanks to Alainna from Hodder and Stoughton for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
“History is a treasure chest of stories. I love them.”
Sara Sheridan works in a wide range of media and genres but mostly historical and especially the stories of women. She loves exploring where our culture comes from. In 2018 she remapped Scotland according to women’s history. Tipped in Company and GQ magazines, she was nominated for a Young Achiever Award. She has received a Scottish Library Award and has been shortlisted for the Saltire Book Prize and the Wilbur Smith Prize. Her work was included in the David Hume Institute’s Summer Reading list 2019. She has sat on the committee for the Society of Authors in Scotland (where she lives) and on the board of ’26’ the campaign for the importance of words. She took part in 3 ’26 Treasures’ exhibitions at the V&A, London, The National Museum of Scotland and the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. She occasionally blogs for the Guardian about her writing life, the Huffington Post about her activism as a writer and a feminist and puts her hand up to being a ‘twitter evangelist’. From time to time she appears on radio, and has reported for BBC Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent from both Tallin and Sharjah. Sara is a member of the Society of Authors and the Historical Writers Association. A self-confessed ‘word nerd’ her favourite book is ‘Water Music’ by TC Boyle. In 2016 she cofounded feminist perfume brand, REEK: artefacts from the project are now held at the National Museums of Scotland and the Glasgow Women’s Library.
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