LoveReading Says
An all-embracing feel-good historical relationship tale with a difference. Wonderfully independent and unconventional, Endurance Proudfoot arrives in London determined to follow in the family business of bone setting. This novel focuses on the importance of self-belief and staying true to yourself. Frances Quinn writes with beautifully simplicity, in that the story just flows, gathering up your thoughts and feelings as you read. While romance enters stage right, the relationships between the women sit front and centre. Durie’s sister, aunt, and step-mother are interesting characters in their own right, ensuring there is a depth to the tale. Durie is just fabulous, she is clumsy, naive yet determined, honest and true. Her journey had me wanted to shake her on some occasions and applaud her on others, always the sign of a character getting under your skin! You’ll discover the origins of the story at the end, and it was fascinating to read. That Bonesetter Woman is a truly heartwarming and oh-so readable novel I’ve chosen as a Liz Pick of the Month.
Liz Robinson
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That Bonesetter Woman Synopsis
It’s usual, they say, for a young person coming to London for the first time to arrive with a head full of dreams. Well, Endurance Proudfoot did not. When she stepped off the coach from Sussex, on a warm and sticky afternoon in the summer of 1757, it never occurred to her that the city would be the place where she’d make her fortune; she was just very annoyed to be arriving there at all.
Meet Endurance Proudfoot: clumsy as a carthorse, strong as an ox, with a tactless tongue and a face she’s sure only a mother could love. Durie wants one thing in life: to become a bonesetter like her father. It’s physically demanding work, requiring nerves of steel, and he’s adamant it’s not a job for a woman.
Strong-willed and stubborn, Durie’s certain that in bonesetting, her big, usually clumsy hands have found their natural calling. So when she’s bundled off to London with her beautiful sister, she won’t let it stop her realising her dream. As her sister finds fame on the stage, Durie becomes England’s most celebrated bonesetter – but what goes up must come down, and her success may become her undoing.
Inspired by the true stories of two of Georgian England’s most famous celebrities, That Bonesetter Woman is an uplifting tale about finding the courage to go your own way, when everyone says you can’t – and about realising that what makes you different can also make you strong.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781471193477 |
| Publication date: |
11th May 2023 |
| Author: |
Frances Quinn |
| Publisher: |
Simon & Schuster Ltd |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
438 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Frances Quinn Press Reviews
'Among the most impressive historical fiction out this July is Frances Quinn's That Bonesetter Woman (Simon & Schuster), based on a real story about two sisters in Georgian London, one who is desperate to be a female bonesetter and the other who is a determined social climber' - Independent
'Quinn's second book is a true celebration of courage, resilience and embracing being different' - CultureFly
'Endurance Proudfoot is an enduring heroine and her story is told with wit and warmth' - Yours, Book of the Month
'[An] intriguing tale, told with wit and compassion' - Choice, Book of the Month
'This rambunctious ride of a book mixes historical fact with a really memorable lead character (I completely fell in love with her!). Endurance Proudfoot wants to be a bonesetter like her father and won't let the fact that she's a woman get in her way. Entertaining historical fiction' - Good Housekeeping
'The narrative is fast-moving and lively... this is an enjoyable read, feminist history which does not neglect sources of humour or romance. It deserves to be reach a wide audience' - Historical Novel Society
'Frances Quinn's debut novel, The Smallest Man, was about a dwarf in the employ of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I. That Bonesetter Woman shares similar themes about being an outsider trying to succeed in a hostile society. Like The Smallest Man it is written with a warmth and tenderness for the characters that makes it irresistible' - The Times
'This second novel by the author of historical hit The Smallest Man takes its inspiration from two of Georgian England's most famous celebrities. Endurance Proudfoot is determined to go into the family trade and become a bonesetter, despite being a woman. But when she finds herself packed off to London with her sister, disgraced beauty Lucinda, the pair embark on a rollercoaster adventure' - BBC History
About Frances Quinn
Frances Quinn is the winner of the Great British Bake Off 2013. Having studied Textile Design at Nottingham Trent University, she worked at design companies in London and Vancouver, and has most recently worked for Joules Clothing as their baby toddler wear designer. Combining a love of design and baking, Frances produces unique and unforgettable bakes. francesquinn.co.uk / @frances_quinn
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