For Women’s History Month, Writers Look Across the Centuries

reviews by Sharon L. Shervington

Belle Cora is the kind of novel that makes a reader want to put the rest of life on hold. It is the story of a 19th-century woman who describes herself as “a good girl who turns into a bad woman.” From her origins as the daughter of a good, comfortable family in New York City, her life changes drastically after her mother dies of consumption, and her father dies soon after. She is sent by her cold grandparents to live upstate with cruel and abusive relatives; this change of circumstances sets the tone for the rest of her life.

Upon returning to the city, in desperation she turns to prostitution and ultimately becomes a wealthy and celebrated madam. The characters are drawn with great precision and insight, including her aunt and cousin, both named Agnes, who become her lifelong enemies. The three men that she loves most—her loyal and terrifying brother Lewis; the love of her life Jeptha (whom she meets as a girl); and Charlie Cora, the dazzling gambler who always treats her as an equal and whom she marries—leave an indelible impression.

A broad canvas, excellent pacing, and unexpected twists join with a penetrating look at social issues to make this an outstanding novel that brings to mind Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. (Phillip Margulies; Doubleday; 591 pages; $28.95)

For Downton Abbey fans and anyone else interested in the vagaries of social class, Fay Weldon’s trilogy, set primarily in Edwardian England, is now complete with book three, The New Countess. Ms. Weldon, one of the grandes dames of English literature, has written dozens of books and the pilot episode of the classic series Upstairs, Downstairs.

This is a good introduction to the work of a writer who has written consistently and unflinchingly about gender, marriage, and money and how they intersect. Here, the heir to a noble yet impoverished family is in negotiations to marry a wealthy American heiress. This and the surrounding relationships form the core of the series. (St. Martin’s Press; 344 pages; $25.99)

Prince of Shadows is the kind of book readers may not realize they want to read. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is told from Benvolio’s point of view and goes deeper into the characters of the spoiled heir to the Montagues, Romeo, and his cousin Mercutio, who here is gay. There are many strong women, including a bookish Rosaline, around whom much of the action revolves. The violent Tybalt is still a brute, and this is a surprisingly good read.  (Rachel Caine; NAL; 354 pages; $17.99)

Young Adult

The evolution of young adult fiction over the past 10 to 20 years is a tangible outcome of the Women’s Movement and thus deserves special attention this month. Ten years ago it was a much smaller market with fewer strong protagonists. Some of the very best series now showcase just that.

The Razorland Trilogy comes to a satisfying conclusion with Horde, in which Deuce, a warrior and leader at heart and in action, comes into her own as genetically modified beings bring humanity to the edge of destruction. (Ann Aguirre; Feiwel and Friends; $17.99)

In Independent Study, book two of The Testing, a few candidates are secretly forced to compete in horrific tests and tortures as they vie for coveted spaces in the school that trains leaders in a nation facing the aftermath of nuclear war. Happily, book three comes out in June. (Joelle Charbonneau; HMH; $17.99)

Some of the very best YA writing is coming from Bloomsbury. Highly recommended is Hostage Three, about a teenager who takes a cruise around the word with her father a few months after her mother dies. She becomes Hostage Three when their luxury yacht is hijacked by Somali pirates.

Also, don’t miss Where the Stars Still Shine, a completely absorbing work about a girl who is reunited with her father 12 years after being kidnapped by an alcoholic and unstable mother. (Hostage Three: Nick Lake; Stars: Trish Doller; both Bloomsbury; each $17.99)

Uninvited almost reads as if it could have been ripped from tomorrow’s headlines. A brilliant musician and student (and daughter of a banker), Davy sees her world collapse overnight after being diagnosed with HTS—Homicidal Tendency Syndrome—supposedly a genetic marker for murder. She is kicked out of school and deserted by her loved ones; within weeks she and all those like her are sent to violent and isolated camps with hard-core murderers. Will she survive? I’ll be waiting for Book II to find out.

And for those who are waiting to find out the fate of Omega Point and of the deadly yet vulnerable Juliette, Ignite Me is available now. (Uninvited: Sophie Jordan; Ignite Me: Tahereh Mafi; both Harper; each $17.99)