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Historical FictionLearned by Heart - Emma Donoghue
In case some of you might be interested, I just finished this book which is imagining what Anne Lister and Eliza Raine’s lives might have been like in 1805, when living at a boarding school in England.
(Eliza Raine was Anne Lister’s first love and ended up in an asylum.)
The story is told from Raine’s point of view and I really enjoyed that choice. It’s a nice change as we’ve had a lot of art made about Lister in the past and Raine’s background makes things feel novel and fresh. The author did a lot of research and most of the characters and events are based around real life.
Most of it is about their every day lives at Manor school (and their relationship). Their connection and love is very well portrayed - Emma Donoghue is a lesbian so there’s no awkwardness when it comes to the love story between them.
I’ve seen a few posts here in the past asking about books without men, this one fits the bill as there are only girls in the book. It’s 100% gynocentric. It’s a cosy read and very seasonal, I recommend it.
Thanks for the rec, sounds good. I've read a couple of her other books and liked them :)
This sounds right up my street. I'm a sucker for boarding school stories.
As I read Harry Potter (early 20's when they came out) I swear JK Rowling grew up reading all the same books I did, Mallory Towers, St. Clare's, The Chalet School (relocating all around Europe, avoiding World Wars, TB wards nearby, kids dying of illness, love interests going to war, quite serious themes, hard to get nowadays), Trebizon, Jennings, Molesworth, etc, etc.
I spent a summer about 7 or 8 years ago just reading early 20thC young adult equivalent fiction on Project Gutenberg, and have forgotten most of it, but won't forget how one book focused on the coming radio revolution and the kids excitement about their contemporary tech boom. Might try and find that actually.
Sorry for ramble, but thanks for the memory jog. Going to try your recommendation now.
Thank you for the rec. Female boarding school in 1805 sounds just like my cup of tea.