Debutantes
Debutantes written by Cora Harrison is one of the best historical fiction books I’ve read. And trust me, I’ve read quite a few books from that genre. It’s dreamy, romantic, glamorous, mysterious and warm all at the same time! I really loved it!
All right, I was attracted by the cover of this book first. Yeah, yeah, they say that never judge a book by its cover but the gorgeous shade of pink and the girl (It is Daisy, right?) looking at you with those delicate eyes and the summary at the back of the book – they attracted me a lot.
Slightly reminiscent of Little Women and Pride and Prejudice , this book tells the story of four sisters, mainly focussing on sixteen-year-old Daisy Derrington. There’s Violet, the eldest sister, who wishes to have her coming-out ball and marry a rich ‘elder son’. Next are the twins, Poppy and Daisy. Poppy is a jazz enthusiast while Daisy wants to be a filmmaker. The last, but not the least, is Rose – an aspiring writer who I personally could connect with.
The Derrington family was once wealthy but by 1923, they have become really poor. Their father, the earl, Michael Derrington is a depressed man who was mentally affected by the war and the girls’ mother’s death. Then there is Great-Aunt Lizzie, the girls’ maternal great aunt, who is strict and also wishes that Violet has her coming-out ball.
The supporting characters are also very good. Like Justin Pennington, the son of another earl who has to get a job because he wouldn't be the one to inherit his father's property (as he is the younger son). He’s very well sketched out and is pretty intense. And I liked how Violet and he fell for each other – that was one of the best parts of the book. Daisy’s godfather, Sir Guy Beresford is also pretty good and so are Morgan the chauffeur and Maud the scullery maid.
I liked the pace of the book – not too fast but not too slow either. Also, I really appreciated the fact that each girl has a dream to pursue instead of having one aim to get married to a rich and ‘suitable’ guy. Yes, even Violet had that aim but in the end, she listened to her heart and decided to marry Justin... ah, that was nice too.
The ‘secret’ part wasn't that hard to guess… but still, the way the author wrote the twists was interesting enough. Also, the really, really, really amazing part of the book was how the author made each character distinct from the other. There wasn’t a single character in the book that was bland and eerily perfect. And that is one of the facts I always obsess on whenever I read a fiction book.
The ending was okay… not as breath-taking as the rest of the novel. But in retrospect, if I put myself in Daisy’s position, I would’ve taken the same decision… I won’t discuss what her decision was but I can say that you’ll be shocked that this book isn’t just another teenage chick-lit book set against the historical backdrop. In terms of twists, it’s kind of like The Star Of Kazanby Eva Ibbotson. I guess it’s probably because of the similar way that the protagonists feel that they’re something but in the end they realize that they are not what they assumed themselves to be…
And the other commendable fact about this book was that it was really accurate historically. Some books that I’ve read often use modern slang – their excuse is to connect with the current audience. But I think that maybe using the era’s language makes the book seem more real and beautiful to read – makes you slip into that time period.
I would like to give the book four and a half stars. Half’s cut off because of the abrupt ending. But I highly recommend this book. Those who love reading historical fiction would seriously fall in love with this book.
All right, I was attracted by the cover of this book first. Yeah, yeah, they say that never judge a book by its cover but the gorgeous shade of pink and the girl (It is Daisy, right?) looking at you with those delicate eyes and the summary at the back of the book – they attracted me a lot.
Slightly reminiscent of Little Women and Pride and Prejudice , this book tells the story of four sisters, mainly focussing on sixteen-year-old Daisy Derrington. There’s Violet, the eldest sister, who wishes to have her coming-out ball and marry a rich ‘elder son’. Next are the twins, Poppy and Daisy. Poppy is a jazz enthusiast while Daisy wants to be a filmmaker. The last, but not the least, is Rose – an aspiring writer who I personally could connect with.
The Derrington family was once wealthy but by 1923, they have become really poor. Their father, the earl, Michael Derrington is a depressed man who was mentally affected by the war and the girls’ mother’s death. Then there is Great-Aunt Lizzie, the girls’ maternal great aunt, who is strict and also wishes that Violet has her coming-out ball.
The supporting characters are also very good. Like Justin Pennington, the son of another earl who has to get a job because he wouldn't be the one to inherit his father's property (as he is the younger son). He’s very well sketched out and is pretty intense. And I liked how Violet and he fell for each other – that was one of the best parts of the book. Daisy’s godfather, Sir Guy Beresford is also pretty good and so are Morgan the chauffeur and Maud the scullery maid.
I liked the pace of the book – not too fast but not too slow either. Also, I really appreciated the fact that each girl has a dream to pursue instead of having one aim to get married to a rich and ‘suitable’ guy. Yes, even Violet had that aim but in the end, she listened to her heart and decided to marry Justin... ah, that was nice too.
The ‘secret’ part wasn't that hard to guess… but still, the way the author wrote the twists was interesting enough. Also, the really, really, really amazing part of the book was how the author made each character distinct from the other. There wasn’t a single character in the book that was bland and eerily perfect. And that is one of the facts I always obsess on whenever I read a fiction book.
The ending was okay… not as breath-taking as the rest of the novel. But in retrospect, if I put myself in Daisy’s position, I would’ve taken the same decision… I won’t discuss what her decision was but I can say that you’ll be shocked that this book isn’t just another teenage chick-lit book set against the historical backdrop. In terms of twists, it’s kind of like The Star Of Kazanby Eva Ibbotson. I guess it’s probably because of the similar way that the protagonists feel that they’re something but in the end they realize that they are not what they assumed themselves to be…
And the other commendable fact about this book was that it was really accurate historically. Some books that I’ve read often use modern slang – their excuse is to connect with the current audience. But I think that maybe using the era’s language makes the book seem more real and beautiful to read – makes you slip into that time period.
I would like to give the book four and a half stars. Half’s cut off because of the abrupt ending. But I highly recommend this book. Those who love reading historical fiction would seriously fall in love with this book.
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| The cover was what attracted me the most! Doesn't it attract you as well? |
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