Book Friday - She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell
18 June 2010
“Get dressed, Clara. In your visiting costume. We are going out.” My aunt’s words were at once both commanding and precise – as precise as her posture: a series of ninety-degree angles, seated upon one of my bedroom chairs. She was perpendicular in the extreme.”
My mom has gushed over Siri Mitchell for a year or so now, and I’ve finally had the chance to read my first. It will not be my last.
She Walks In Beauty is a beautifully written book about Clara Carter, who couldn’t care less about debuting in New York society, but nevertheless has been forced to do so a season earlier than expected. All because Mr. De Vries has suddenly returned from Europe, and Clara’s family intends for her to snag him.
Unfortunately, Clara’s best friend, Lizzie, has been given the same instructions by her family. Oh, and the guy’s a total tool who Clara feels she doesn’t know how to talk to, much less be the wife of.
There were so many things to love about this book that I’m having a hard time narrowing down what to mention.
The first thing that struck me is this book is written entirely in first person. I can’t think of another historical fiction book written in such a manner, and I loved the effect. I hope it means publishers will be open to authors doing it more often.
Of course, Siri has such a beautiful voice; maybe first person historicals are hard and she makes it look easy. I was captivated by her choice in language, and even flagged some of my favorite passages:
“My debut had ceased to be a vague kind of doom floating about my future; it had grown wings and teeth and swooped down to carry me away with its obligations.”
“…but snow that fell into the city was always corrupted by the atmosphere through which it passed. By the smoke from tens of thousands of chimneys, by the great spark-lit belches of the elevated trains, and by the grime and filth that it finally came to rest upon.”
And the characters were fabulous. At times I thought, “Why is Clara being so stupid about such-and-such?” But then I realized that Clara’s a very honest person. I really don’t think it occurred to her to question others, to think that they might feel something different than they said.
Clara’s best friend, Lizzie, is a delight. A sometimes-ditzy delight. Even though she was much more wrapped up in the debut than Clara was, she was true in her friendship. I didn’t expect that.
I can’t leave out Clara’s aunt, who is so season-driven that she said some of the funniest things in the whole book. Like, “There is only a month left in the season. If it gets around that you don’t eat oysters, I don’t know if there will be enough time to fix the damage.”
A wonderful read about a period of time that mirrored our own much more than I anticipated.
Siri’s A CONSTANT HEART was first-person as well—I’m guessing all her historicals are, which is pretty cool. Nice and Jane Eyre-ish. =)
Posted by Roseanna White on 21 June 2010