Set in the transitional years between the death of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, "Falling Angels" follows the lives of two families, the Colemans and the Waterhouses, through the perspectives of multiple narrators. The story revolves around the friendship that develops between their daughters, Maude and Lavinia, as they navigate societal changes, women's suffrage, class issues, and personal growth against the backdrop of a cemetery in Victorian England.

The book delves into themes of death, societal customs, women's suffrage, class hierarchy, and transitions from Victorian to Edwardian culture. Tracy Chevalier's writing style is praised for its strong character development, multiple perspectives, and the way it weaves together various voices to create a rich narrative tapestry that captures the essence of the time period.

Characters:

The characters are well-defined and multifaceted, showcasing a spectrum of personalities and societal roles that reflect the complexities of their time.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is engaging and straightforward, utilizing multiple perspectives to enrich the narrative and easily guide readers through the characters' experiences.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative centers on two families, their daughters' friendship, and the societal changes during the early 20th century, particularly around women's rights.

Setting:

The story is set in early 1900s London, with a rich focus on the cemetery as a significant location reflecting societal norms and transitions.

Pacing:

The pacing combines slow character development with bursts of action, culminating in more rapid developments towards the end.

Then I remembered the evening before and felt rather sick. I wondered where Richard was in this huge house and how we were meant to swap back. Everyone else here – the man beside me included – was far...

Notes:

The book is set in London from 1901 to 1910, spanning the time frame of Queen Victoria's death to King Edward's death.

It features two families, the Colemans and the Waterhouses, who are neighbors with adjacent cemetery plots.

The story centers on two young girls, Maud Coleman and Lavinia Waterhouse, who become best friends despite their social class differences.

Narrative is told from the perspectives of nine different characters, making it rich in viewpoints.

Themes of the story include friendship, social class, and the Women’s Suffrage movement in England.

Kitty Coleman, Maud's mother, transforms from a dissatisfied housewife to an active member of the Suffragette movement.

The novel explores Victorian customs around death and mourning, reflecting the era's obsession with these themes.

Simon, the son of the gravedigger, plays an important role by providing a grounded perspective on life and death.

The plot showcases the contrasting lives of its characters and how their fates intertwine through events in the cemetery.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Includes themes like marital discord, infidelity, and death.

From The Publisher:

A New York Times bestseller

From the author of the international bestseller Girl With A Pearl Earring and At the Edge of the Orchard, Tracy Chevalier once again paints a distant age with a rich and provocative palette of characters.

Falling Angels follows the fortunes of two families in the emerging years of the twentieth century in England, while the Queen's death reverberates through a changing nation. Told through a variety of shifting perspectives-wives and husbands, friends and lovers, masters and their servants, and a gravedigger's son-Falling Angels is graced with the luminous imagery that distinguished Girl With a Pearl Earring, Falling Angels is another dazzling tour de force from this "master of voices" (The New York Times Book Review).

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1 comment(s)

ColorfulLeo92

Loved It

1 month

Read this the first time in 2017 and I only gave it two stars, don't know my reason behind that but this time I've enjoyed it more, it's an interesting look at life in early 1900s. I thought it was interesting to see different behavior and what they thought was right and wrong. Not my favorite Tracy Chevalier but it was a good book nevertheless

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About the Author:

Tracy Chevalier is the New York Times bestselling author of nine previous novels, including Girl with a Pearl Earring, which has been translated into thirty-nine languages and made into an Oscar-nominated film. Born and raised in Washington, DC, she lives in…

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Falling Angels

Tracy Chevalier