One of our Books of the Year 2013 Two girls from different social classes meet by chance and discover that their lives are unusually intertwined. Queenie grows up in squalor and poverty; her beautiful mother sells her body to feed her children. Ellen is an only child living unloved but in comfort; Ellen’s father is a successful and wealthy doctor but cold-hearted. There seems to be nothing that these two girls could have in common. But unbeknownst to them their lives are already linked and, when Queenie sets out to find herself a better way of life, she and Ellen meet again. Alison Rattle vividly brings to life both the girls and the dark practices around the removal of unwanted babies in nineteenth century London.
A Piece of Passion from the Editor, Sarah Odedina The Quietness is a novel set in one of the darkest of social times - Victorian London. In the book Alison Rattle explores what it means to be a young woman with little real control over one's fate. Through the lives of two young women, one wealthy and the other poor, we realise that wealth does not offer any greater freedom of choice than poverty. Like Sarah Waters, Alison has a fine-tuned sense of the historical period and the nuances of the time, while bringing the characters to life in a way that will appeal perfectly to today's generation of teen readers. This touching, beautifully researched and vivid story will grip readers who like a gritty and compelling read with a female-centric cast of characters. It is a hugely exciting debut novel.
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In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Quietness a small number of teenagers were lucky enough to be invited to review this title. Here's a taster....'This book is perfect for those who like a thought-provoking, thrilling and exciting book'....
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| Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
| Recommendations: |
When fifteen-year-old Queenie escapes from the squalid slums of nineteenth-century London, she has no idea about the dangers of the dark world she is about to become embroiled in. Initially thrilled at being taken on as a maid for the seemingly respectable Waters sisters, Queenie comes to realise that something is very wrong with the dozens of strangely silent babies being 'adopted' into the household. Meanwhile, lonely and unloved sixteen-year-old Ellen is delighted when her handsome and charming young cousin Jacob is sent to live with her family. She thinks she has finally found a man to fall in love with and rely on, but when Jacob cruelly betrays her she finds herself once again at the mercy of her cold-hearted father. Soon the girls' lives become irrevocably entwined in this tension-filled drama. The Quietness is a novel of friendship and trust in the darkest of settings.
The Quietness features in the following genres: Young Adult Fiction, Books with reviews by our Reader Review Panel, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Recommendations
The Quietness is available in Paperback
The Quietness was written by Alison Rattle and published by Hot Key Books
The Quietness has 277 pages
