Product Description

London, 1859. By the time Dora Damage discovers that her husband Peter has arthritis in his hands, it is too late - their book-binding business is in huge debt and the family is on the brink of entering the poorhouse. But Dora proves that she is more than just a housewife and mother. She resolves to rescue her family at any price and finds herself irrevocably entangled in a web of sex, money, deceit and the law.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #92985 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
'A triumph ... Starling has created a witty and sympathetic heroine whose modern pluck enhances her charm' Observer 'A sinister tale that Sarah Waters' fans will love' In Style 'A scrupulously researched, racy tale ... a worthy addition to the ranks of historical fiction' Guardian 'A writer of real accomplishment ... Starling had that most important gift for a historical novelist: the ability to wear her research lightly and to integrate every fact into a well-stitched tapestry of plot, symbol and character' Independent

Catherine Taylor, Guardian
`Starling skillfully conjures up a dank, deviant London ... All the elements of the Victorian city metropolis are faithfully rendered... Her bustling, energetic book is a worthy addition to the ranks of historical fiction'

Alex Clark, Red Magazine
`A wonderfully vivid tale of intrigue, corruption and deceit ... Starling has left behind a heroine who is a testament to her talent and imagination'

Customer Reviews

Fantastic read!
Belinda Starling grasps you by the hand and pulls the reader into Victorian London from the very first page of this fantastic story.

Dora Damage takes over her ill husband's book binding business in 1860. Although this is frowned upon by her neighbours and associates, Dora is determined to make a living for her family. She is soon to find herself binding pornographic books on the orders of the aristocracy. Very quickly Dora finds herself caught up in lawlessness, slavery, bare knuckle fighting, sex and money.

Dora's Journal conjures up Victorian London excellently, the filth, the smell, the poverty, the perversity of the rich and the misery of the poor.

The history of book binding is fascinating and well researched. The issues of family values and the freedom from slavery are dealt with sensitively and also with a passion and in vivid explanation.

I devoured this book in three days and truly did not want it to end, but was just as keen to find out the fate of Dora, her daughter Lucinda, Din the negro slave and Lady Sylvia.

It was with real sadness that I read that Belinda Starling died soon after completing the book. This is an excellent first novel, on a par with Sarah Waters, it is a great loss that we will not be able to enjoy further novels from this wonderful author.

An enjoyable read
This story follows Dora Damage as she takes over her ill husband's book binding business. A woman running a business is very frowned upon by her neighbours and customers but she needs to make a living to support her child. As money becomes harder to come by, she starts binding illegal pornographic books for her wealthier clients. As often happens in illegal business, she finds herself getting deeper and deeper into this new world of slavery, sex and money.
This book really brings you into the sights, sounds and smells of 19th century London. I found the story a bit tricky to get into at first and I very nearly gave up but I am so glad that I didn't. Overall, the characters are very well written but I found Nora's romance a bit unbelievable and very predictable. I found the ending a bit weak but I still enjoyed the read.

Hugely enjoyable
I'm a great fan of Sarah Waters and snap up anything that promises to be in a similar vein; 'Dora Damage' is just that, minus the lesbian angle. It's thoroughly gripping from start to finish with fantastically realised characters and a C19th London which jumps from the page.
Dora is an original; tightly constrained by Victorian moral and social values, Dora's unexpected path leads her to break free from the roles and expectations of her relatives, employers and neighbours, aswell as her old self, as the story moves forwards and her eyes are opened to new experiences and ways of thinking and living. The in-depth description of hand tooled book binding is fascinating in itself and clearly well researched, as is Dora's heavy daily round of household chores.
The only criticism I have of the book is the weak ending (which seems to hobble a lot of modern film and fiction). As the momentum of the story gathers pace and various threads are drawn together it does fall apart slightly - a Mills and Boon style romance, a too unlikely and convenient friendship and aristo's with decidedly silly secrets, which is a shame as the books' initial strength is its wonderfully descriptive yet restrained sense of place, character and timing. Hmm. Still, the quality of the writing and the fact that I really did care about the heroine carried me through till the very end and it's one that will stay with me for quite a while.
Along the same vein I can highly recommend a gem of a book called 'The Observations' by Jane Harris, which evokes a similar sense of time and place and also has some wonderfully quirky characters.