Falling Angels - Tracy Chevalier

I bought this purely because I was buying books at a local charity fayre and saw this one and I recognised the name of Tracy Chevalier. I won't normally buy books which have received such high critical aclaim (as 'Girl with the Pearl Earring' did) as I always feel disappointed when I don't get the highbrow comments and I miss all the hidden meanings (I found when I studied English Literature that the act of dissecting a book actually spoilt my enjoyment of the story being told). However, the book was a bargain and virtually unread so I grabbed it.

The book is actually about the relationships between two families at the time Queen Victoria dies and is set a lot of the time in a cemetery.

The unusual style of the book means that it is written snapshot style, like pages taken from the diaries of the people involved - the two mothers, the two girls, the husbands, the mother-in-law, the cook, the maid and the grave-diggers son and it spans several years. The thoughts of the characters are almost taken at random, depending of the point of view being put across but this ensures that the storyline never loses it's grip.

Some things are never explained, but they are readily understood, for example, the animosity between the two mothers, Gertrude and Kitty. Right from the start their unease with each other is apparent but they keep the acquaintance going for the sake of the two girls, Maude and Lavinia. Also strong is the relationship between Kitty and her mother-in-law (who could be my husband's grandmother!!) who has strong opinions of how Kitty should be running her house and her concerns about Kitty's moral behaviour.

Without spoiling the story for you, I won't go into the plot but there is also the historical detail involved which beautifully illustrates the period it was written in. I didn't realise that only a short time ago cremation was disapproved of. I also was unaware of the protocols of mourning in Victorian times (which one of the girls seem to have a morbid fascination for). I've almost been educated without realising it (something else I avoid is books which try too hard to teach). I've never paid much attention to the women's suffrage movements either but this novel brings the cause to life.

I can really recommend this book, it was very easy to read and I didn't skim read any of it - I sometimes find I do this if a book starts to drag. I would also recommend it to men to read as it is nowhere near the average 'chick lit' novel. I hope it is never made into a film as the imagery, atmosphere and storyline would be lost.

I'm going to buy 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' next and hope that I am not disappointed.