Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
|
Loading... Becoming Belleby Nuala O'Connor
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.   ) bjsikes | Jan 30, 2023 |   ) Cotswoldreader | Jun 22, 2022 | This is a terrific story, a woman who led her life on her own terms in the cauldron of society in the 1890s, Belle is an engaging character. My problem was that I was expecting a biography and instead got a very syrupy romantic novel. This is the sort of book that will appeal to the masses who like their stories with a rosy glow and their characters very one-dimensional, the issue is that is not me. It's my fault for expecting something different, not the the author's fault, she has written what she wanted to write. (  ) pluckedhighbrow | Aug 20, 2019 | The rest of the story tells of her trials and her determination to become something. When she meets another young noble, William LePoer Trench, they quickly marry. William's father is enraged and sends his son off to Australia and immediately starts divorce proceedings. The trial is held after William returns and Isabel is found not guilty of having an affair with her friend. She becomes known as the peasant countess of Clancarty after her marriage. This is a kind of historical bodice ripper in parts. (  ) maryreinert | Aug 8, 2019 | Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/11/becoming-belle.html Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program. ( ) njmom3 | Nov 10, 2018 | no reviews | add a review
A witty and inherently feminist novel about passion and marriage, based on a true story of an unstoppable woman ahead of her time in Victorian London. In 1887, Isabel Bilton is the eldest of three daughters of a middle-class military family, growing up in a small garrison town. By 1891 she is the Countess of Clancarty, dubbed "the peasant countess" by the press, and a member of the Irish aristocracy. Becoming Belle is the story of the four years in between, of Belle's rapid ascent and the people that tried to tear her down. With only her talent, charm, and determination, Isabel moves to London alone at age nineteen, changes her name to Belle, and takes the city by storm, facing unthinkable hardships as she rises to fame. A true bohemian and the star of a dancing double act she performs with her sister, she reigns over The Empire Theatre and The Corinthian Club, where only select society entertains. It is there she falls passionately in love with William, Viscount Dunlo, a young aristocrat. For Belle, her marriage to William is a dream come true, but his ruthless father makes clear he'll stop at nothing to keep her in her place. Reimagined by a novelist at the height of her powers, Belle is an unforgettable woman. Set against an absorbing portrait of Victorian London, hers is a timeless rags-to-riches story a la Becky Sharpe. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.23)
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikipedia in English
2