The Linnet Bird

"The Linnet Bird" By Linda Holeman At age 11 Linnet Gow is forced into prostitution by her evil stepfather and after one terrifying night that leaves her scarred but with new determination Linny escapes to freedom. Reduced to doing the only thing she knows how to do, sell her body, Linny joins a group of prostitutes and saves her money to eventually buy herself passage to America so she can build her life there, free from the rough and nasty English streets that she has only known. After working an overly rough customer one night however Linny finds herself hurt and falls into the kindly hands of Shaker, a would-be-doctor who has nothing left to offer but his kindness. By passing her off as his cousin, Linny manages to escape poverty and makes a name for herself as a lady, if a low-bred one. After making friends with Faith, a plucky, free-spirited and well-off girl, the two ladies head for India, their goal, for Faith at least, to find husbands. India however turns out to smother Linny despite its beauty and exoticness. Through a chance encounter with a ghost from her past Linny soon finds herself in a loveless marriage and though it threatens to crush her spirit, she finds a way to survive and eventually, thrive. Despite an admittedly cliché plot: Spirited girl can't conform to society, "The Linnet Bird" was engaging. Holeman's descriptions and plot twists keeps the reader wanting more. I was genuinely sad when this book ended. I'd built a relationship with Linny and always wanted more for her despite the fact that she was a less-than-loveable heroine. Holeman truly does have the ability to create pictures with words, and this is reason enough to pick up "The Linnet Bird."

This Canadian author is a new one for me. A friend recommended I read this book and I cannot thank her enough. Excellent story, and writing. The smells, feels and sights will be on your mind for ever after you finish this book. There is no point in repeating the story as so many other reviewers have already given too much detail. Trust me this is worth the read. Outstanding. I cannot wait to read another book by this writer.

I love historical fiction and read so many novels that fall into that category, but none I've read in a really long time could hold a candle to Ms. Holeman's masterpiece. This novel takes the reader for an exciting and heartfelt journey from England to India in the mid-eighteen hundreds following the life of Linney Gow, whose tale is full of sin, intrigue, love, deception, growth and strength. I'm an extremely judgemental reader (why else would I review other people's novels) and usually find fault with writers' ability to portray well developed and life like characters, but this novel is a wonderful example of how its done. Linny Gow is such a remarkably well drafted character, which makes her story that much deeper and more meaningful; you end up relating and sympathizing with her despite the horrible crimes/sins she commits and (sometimes) bad decisions she makes. I did not want this book to end- it was truly a work of art, an all-consuming pleasure to read. I recommend it for anyone looking to read and be fulfilled by an incredible novel- lovers of historical fiction in particular will really recognize her first-rate writing abilities as comparred to so many other novels in this genre.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book. A friend who turned me on to Sarah Waters recommended it. There's a certain amount of grittiness to the first few chapters that would turn off the squeamish, but even the grim parts are beautifully rendered and well worth reading. Once Linny--the heroine--lands in Victorian India, the whole book takes a remarkable turn and you find yourself pulled into a captivating and cinematic story that's an amazing contrast with the first part of the book. Hats off to this talented writer for evoking two very different Victorian settings. This book kept me reading until the very end. Highly recommended for fans of Sarah Waters, Sheri Holeman and Emma O'Donoughue.

When I began reading this book, I thought "Oh no, an historic romance novel", which I hate. But I was wrong; this is definitely no romance novel. The vivid descriptions of Lindy's, (or Linnet's,) life as a child prostitute in Liverool are sometimes so harsh, they almost made me cringe to read them, but still very mesmerizing. I really started to love the book when she sets off on a four-month sailboat journey to India with its agonizing hardships, but it's when the story moves to India that it really became fascinating. The description of India's climate, landscaping, and people, including the uptight ruling English class with their rigid, sanctimonious views of the "proper way of life" is brilliantly portrayed. The more you read, the better the story becomes, and doesn't disappoint at the end.