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Slammerkin
The compelling historical novel from the author of LEARNED BY HEART
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 17,334 ratings, 1,667 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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See more* A gripping historical novel, based on a true story, which tells the tale of a girl born into rough cloth who hungered for lace and was hanged for murder in 1763. * By a well-known Irish writer.
* A gripping historical novel, based on a true story, which tells the tale of a girl born into rough cloth who hungered for lace and was hanged for murder in 1763. * By a well-known Irish writer.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
Set in London and Monmouth in the late 1700s, Slammerkin is an extraordinary novel about Mary Saunders, the young daughter of a poor seamstress. Mary hungers greedily for fine clothes and ribbons, as people of her class do for food and warmth. It's a hunger that lures her into prostitution at the age of thirteen.
Mary is thrown out by her distraught mother when she gets pregnant and almost dies on the dangerous streets of London. Her saviour is Doll β a prostitute. Mary roams London freely with Doll, selling her body to all manner of 'cullies', dressed whorishly in colourful, gaudy dresses with a painted red smile.
Faced with bad debts and threats upon her life, she eventually flees to Monmouth, her mother's hometown, where she attempts to start a new life as a maid in Mrs Jones's house. But Mary soon discovers that she can't escape her past and just how dearly people like her pay for yearnings not fitting to their class in society...
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue is praised for its engaging narrative that adeptly captures the essence of its historical setting. The Financial Times commends the novel for transforming a brutal story into a gripping tale with a fresh take on the 'girl about town'. Meanwhile, the Times Literary Supplement lauds it for being an absorbing and thought-provoking work that delves into the transformative climate of the 1760s.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781844087341
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 03 March 2011
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Virago Press Ltd
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 29.0mm
Width: 201.0mm
Height: 133.0mm
Weight: 298g
Pages: 432
About the Author
Emma Donoghue is an Irish novelist, playwright and historian. Her second novel HOOD won the American Library Association Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Award in 1997. She is currently adapting her novel STIR-FRY for Horizonline Films (Ireland).
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