I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.
I jumped at the chance to read and review this. I am a geek for old-time theatre and love stories of women busting through the gender restrictions of their time.
Jumping from Edinburgh to London to Bath and everywhere in between, this is the story of Sophie McGann, a young woman who has more of her share of hard times, trying to fight for a voice in the theatre. She suffered through an annoying censor who was one of many who had their opinion that the theatre was no place for 'petticoat playwrights,' and other road blocks such as her work being stolen and having to choose between her work and love.
It amazed me how this little Scottish woman persevered through every hardship that came her way, and believe me, there was a lot of hardship. It seems every time she turned around, there was something there to take her down. I wondered if Sophie was going to ever get any type of happy ending.
Wicked Company blended both fiction and real historical figures. I loved the focus on the women playwrights, who have been largely forgotten. Sophie came across a few of them at Drury Lane, such as Kitty Clive and Elizabeth Griffith. This book opened my eyes to their work, which I plan to further explore in the future.
Wicked Company was right up my alley. I loved. it. It was a thick historical novel set in the 18th century with a wickedly strong heroine and with a great view of the gritty world of the theatre. The descriptions and characters were spot on. I know this sounds cliché, but I felt like I was right there with Sophie, experiencing her frustrations.
This is one of my top books read this year!
3 comments:
sounds like I need to hurry up and read this one.
I unfortunately missed this one for review... I can't wait to pick up a copy :) So glad it was one of your favorites!
Hi Christy!
Just a quick hello and a thank you for your thoughtful review of WICKED COMPANY. I've just posted Readin' & Dreamin' to my newly-revised fiction-nonfiction website: http://www.cijiware.com/media-contact/blog-interviews-reviews/
Now, it's on to the final tweaks to the next historical of mine being published by Sourcebooks-Landmark, A RACE TO SPLENDOR slated for April, 2011 on the 105th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.
It's the story of Julia Morgan and a composite heroine based on the lives of the women who worked for California's first licensed woman architect. Amazingly enough, Morgan & company were awarded the assignment of rebuilding the devastated Fairmont Hotel, atop Nob Hill, in ten months following the disaster, proving to the outside world that the City by the Bay would, indeed, rise from the ashes.
(That a "tall, dark, and dangerous" fellow hotel owner had other plans, just adds to the mystery, romance, and intrigue!)
At any rate, having six historical novels come out within two years keeps me a busy bee, but I didn't want too much time to go by without expressing my appreciation to you and all the other historical novel bloggers whom I credit with restoring this noble genre to its rightful place among readers of fiction.
Cyber hats off to all of you!
Ciji Ware
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