Customer Reviews

The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have recently finished this fantastic book by Mary Hooper and I love it!
Set in the 17th Century Mary Hooper's descriptions of the clothes, sights, smells, and general life of London are brilliant. I would recommend this book to a wide range of readers, (mostly girls), from 12, (I being 13), to adults.
The journey taken by this exquisite character I enjoyed throughly and could barely take the time to put it down. I hope that you as well take the time to read "The Remarkable Life and Times of ELIZA ROSE".

This book was really good. Predictible, but very good. It moved at a good pace, had believable/likeable characters, and incorporated a lot of fact with the fiction.
I have a hard time with "historical fiction" sometimes because the writer gets so caught up in being "historically correct" that the voice of the story becomes dull and more like a history lesson than a novel. Mary Hooper did not do this. She seems to take into consideration that her readers are younger and have less patience for long-winded explanations that have little to do with the actual story.

Mary Hooper does an excellent job developing the character of Eliza Rose in this book. I couldn't but this book down, I read the whole thing in a few days! The book takes place in 16th century England, and you can acctually get involved with the characters and feel like you are there! This is definately a book to add to your collection, as it is beautifully written!

I LOVED THiS BOOK AND I AM DYiNG FOR ANOTHER ONE ABOUT ELiZA THiS BOOK iS DiFFENETLY A 5 STARS BOOK AND I WOUD RECAMMEND iT TOO GIRLS AGED 12 AND UPWORDS

KELSEY

I have read a few of Hoopers other novels and I must say that this one is by far and away my favorite.
I have loved this book so much that I have reread it many times over. I love all of the characters, how Hooper weaves fact with fiction, and how there is enough romance to keep it believable but it is in no way the main feature of the novel.
I love Nell, Charles Duval, the whole era in which this takes place. It is well thought out and developed. I am very glad that I own it.

The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose by Mary Hooper
Bloomsbury, 2006
334 pages
YA; Historical
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for Overlooked YA Book Battle.

I wasn't entirely sure about this book because it's set in Restoration England and features a closer look at one of Charles II's many mistresses, Nell Gwyn. She befriends Eliza Rose, who undergoes a remarkable journey. Eliza's stepmother kicked her out, so she traveled to London to find her father who was looking for work there. She lands in jail but is bailed out by Nell Gwyn's mother. After narrowly avoiding having her virginity sold to a wealthy man, she becomes the maid to Nell as she begins her affair with the king. Eliza learns more about the world and her family background.

I thought the most striking feature of this novel was the comparison of three paths followed by vulnerable young women in seventeenth century England. Nell is a poor actress who confidently manipulates men with her sexuality, steadily rising in the world as a mistress to powerful and wealthy men until she secures a place with Charles II and conceives a child by him. Their friend Jemima was wealthy but she fell for the charms of a scoundrel who only wanted her wealth; her fake marriage and their very real baby lead to her fall from grace. Eliza walks a sort of middle ground, avoiding the advances of men and attempting to live respectably. However all three girls achieve relatively happy endings.

Eliza's ending, while hinting at respectable marriage, was too pat for me. She finds out early on that the people she thought were her parents were not. Through a series of events, she discovers who her family actually is but I didn't buy it.

I was also disappointed with the historical details. I've read historical novels where I felt immersed in the world, could see the details, could smell the scents. This was not one of the novels. Nothing felt anachronistic; I just didn't disappear into the world as I would have preferred. Part of this might have been a general dislike for this time period. I've always disapproved of Charles II's excesses, especially the behavior encouraged in his illegitimate son and his rowdy crowd, which is highlighted in this novel.

Overall: A fine historical novel, of particular interest to fans of Restoration England or YA historical fiction in general.

Cover: Eliza is a pretty girl with lovely hair but it doesn't really look like a historical fiction novel to me although I feel like the title and font of her name signals another time.

I am a huge fan of Mary Hooper and have been since I was 13. 'At the sign of the sugared plum' was, by far, my favorite book but 'The remarkable life and times of Eliza Rose' is definitely worth reading. It can be a bit bracing at certain points so I wouldn't recommend it to any girl under 12 but, on the whole, it's a very well developed story with romance, thrills, and fantastic imagery of England.

This book is really well writen and realistically captures the lifestyle of a 15 year old girl in London in the 17th century. Eliza Rose was thrown out of her home by her stepmother after her father left to look for work in London. Eliza decides to go and seek out her father in full belief that he will set everything right, and scold her stepmother for doing such a terrible thing. However, when Eliza finds herself in prison for stealing a mouthful of bread and then rescued and befriended by the infamous Nelly Gwyn, realises that the quest to find her father will take much more than strolling about London's many streets. Through this journey Eliza is pulled into the busy and intriguing life of London and even finds herself introduced to the king himself. But will she ever find what she really yearns for: a place where she truly belongs?

Angelica

It was a fantastic book, and the best I have read this year. This was the first Mary Hooper book I have read, but now I want to read more books by Mary Hooper. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who is 12 and above.