The Winter Rose, Jennifer Donnelly

by Rachel Hopkins | February 13th, 2007

Rating:

Set in the 1900s against the cruel backdrop of turn-of-the-century London, this epic book is bound to become a favourite on your bookshelf. Donnelly tells the story of a woman fighting against her parents and society to become a doctor. She dreams of changing the fate of London’s poor against all the criticisms of her fiancé and boss. In a slightly bizarre - yet not wholly unbelievable - twist of fate, she saves the life of one of the ring-leaders of gangland London. As with all fairytales, opposites attract and they fall for each other: idealistic do-gooder India Selwyn-Jones and king of the brawls, the notorious Sid Malone.

What follows is guaranteed to keep you reading as the real story unfolds; moving from London to Africa and California, the characters are all on a journey of discovery; one filled with murder, corruption and brutality from the most unlikely of candidates.

With plot twists littered throughout, this book provides a fascinating glimpse of a bygone era whilst remaining historically accurate and fabulously gripping. A definite must-read for anyone with a love for both romance and action.

publisher: harper collins
price: £6.99