Customer Reviews

She Walks in Beauty

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(54)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After reading a HOST of mediocre Christian Fiction, Siri Mitchell has once again given me hope in the genre. After a litter of amish and pioneer subjects - Siri does not disappoint when it comes to historical fiction. And once more, her characters are multi-dimensional and interesting! They are not boring and predictable. Oh, Siri I could just HUG you for this book! Thank you!

Clara is a bright, intelligent woman who dreams of going to Vassar College. She lives with her wealthy, but distant and somewhat mysterious father and prickly aunt - an ambitious and socially-driven woman who is determined to help her niece marry the "catch of the ton" - Franklin de Vries. Clara is socially-anxious and is constantly concerned with what she should do and say. A welcome relief to her circle is Harold de Vries, the congenial younger brother. Her lifelong friend, Lizzie, is also a lifeline to her in this foreign land of intrigues and alterior motives.

The supporting characters are just as interesting! How did her father really earn his fortune? Were the de Vries really responsible for ruining the Carter fortune decades ago? Is a marriage between Franklin and Clara for revenge?

My ONLY regret is that I finished this book in one day and now there is no more! Siri Mitchell is a breath of fresh air in Christian Fiction. These characters are fresh, the storyline is unique and ingenuitive. And Siri is a genius. Do yourself a favor. Buy DON'T BORROW this book. You'll want to read it again.

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but I LOVED this book. Normally, I prefer Siri Mitchell's contemporary stories over the historical, but this grabbed me from the first page. The historical facts are blended nicely, giving an accurate lesson of what women and young girls went through to catch a husband. I really would love to see more of Clara - she's now one of my favorite book characters. Highly recommended, even for those readers that care little for historical fiction. Truthfully, I will read She Walks in Beauty a second time, something I rarely do.

She Walks in Beauty is the compelling story of one girl as she faces the pressures of late Victorian mores and family expectations. This book is for anyone who's looked at the exquisite fashion, decadent parties, lavish balls and gentile manners of the Gilded Age and said, "I should have lived back then." It's eye-opening to discover how the fashion of the day molded society, both figuratively and literally. As an amateur fashion historian I have to say Mitchell gets it right. Her research is flawless. The juxtaposition of the glittering social season against the tenements of the Bowery and the political corruption of Tammany Hall gives the book depth. But more than that, it's a satisfying love story-- a story about discovering that we can be loved just as we are.

Wow.

From the very first paragraph, Siri Mitchell had my full attention. I read She Walks in Beauty in two evenings. I could not stop reading it!

Clara Carter is pushed into the social season a year earlier than she expected. Aunt and Father have insisted that she must win only one man's hand, the De Vries heir. No other man will do. No other handsome catch will fix the breach of honor the Carter family has endured.

Clara has difficulty learning all of the rules of the social season. She doesn't understand what her father and Aunt have lost nor why love can't play a part in this high-stake game of marriage matching.

It all comes down to money...and secrets.

Will Clara risk true love and true honor to obey her family's wishes?

The historical references to Victorian high society behaviors fascinated me. Behaviors such as super-tight corset lacing with the ensuing health issues and the desire of debutantes to have the proper, "pouty" lip.

I'm not sure we've come all that far since that era!

Siri absolutely enchanted me in She Walks in Beauty. I loved Clara and how real she seemed. A young girl, thrust into a world she doesn't want or understand, and yet who has no reason to doubt her upbringing or family's confusing demands. It is what it is...isn't it?

She Walks in Beauty is the perfect blend of rich, historical detail and glittering jewels in the ballroom. Loved it!

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I suppose that writing a "Christian" book set in New York City's late 19th century Gilded Age would be a challenge for any author; unfortunately, "She Walks in Beauty" fails miserably. Unlike many readers, I do not look for spiritual principals or guidance or enlightenment in my fiction reading; I turn to the Bible exclusively for that. I turn to Christian fiction simply for well-written entertainment that is free from the sorts of things that fill mainstream books nowadays. While Mitchell's book is certainly clean, it fell fall short on the well-written part.

The story is told in the first-person by Clara Carter, a young debutante. The one and only thing I can say about "She Walks in Beauty" that is an improvement over the previous two books I have read by Siri Mitchell, is that this time she eliminated the multiple, unidentified narration changes that were so confusing in her previous books; this time around, there is only one narrator. However, that narrator is a superficial, shallow and silly young girl (as young girls are often wont to be), and so, because she is telling the story, the whole thing comes across as superficial, shallow and silly. This was evident by page 100 and, although I had no hope that it would improve, I decided to press on, anyway. I managed to get through another 100 pages before I decided enough was enough.

I had numerous problems with "She Walks in Beauty". The story line, as told by Clara, is disjointed and erratic; her feelings flip-flop constantly. In the beginning she was dreaming of going to college. Then her governess is suddenly dismissed by her autocratic aunt. Clara's reaction? Oh, well. The governess's reaction? Oh, well. Now Clara is excited about debuting a year early. Now she is terrified. Now she dreams of meeting the wealthy heir her father has demanded that she marry. Now she dreads meeting him. Now she dreams of meeting him again. Now she thinks about the plight of the city's poor that she has read about. Now she wants to be a bluestocking and read Byron and go back to school. Now she dreams of the heir's younger brother. Now she thinks again about the city's poor. Now she is excited about the upcoming ball. Now my head is spinning.

The characters -- every one of them -- were shallow and one-sided. As a result, they came across as cartoonish rather than as believable, likeable characters. I felt no sympathy or empathy for any of them, and I didn't care what happened to any of them. There was more emphasis given to the details of dress than to the emotional development of the characters.

And then there were the numerous "public service announcements." I am being facetious, but that is what the digressions into the hazards of corset-wearing and the plight of the poor felt like. I enjoy being "educated" in historical fiction when the author works facts into their book in such a way that it creates a sense of the time and place. In this case, however, it felt like the author's research was being forced into the narrative with a crowbar; it didn't flow, but rather interrupted the narrative and seemed totally out of place. In fact, the corset-wearing issue took over much the same way that the lead-face-painting thing took over "A Constant Heart."

And just as with "A Constant Heart", the beautiful cover is the best part of this book.

Probably part of the reason I am so strongly disappointed in this book is because Mitchell showed such a strong improvement with her second book ("Love's Pursuit") over her first book ("A Constant Heart") that I was hoping for more of the same caliber. Instead, "She Walks in Beauty" is even worse than "A Constant Heart". What happened??!!

One out of three isn't a good enough track record for me to keep buying an authors' books, so this will be the last Siri Mitchell for me. However, since I seem to be in the minority in my opinion of this book, no doubt it will be a popular choice at the library when my copy finds a new home there.

I knew next to nothing about New York City's gilded age before reading this book, so this was both a history lesson and an eye-opener to the practices of that time period, expecially among the wealthy young women. I had no idea of the extent that corsets were damaging to the body and health of a woman, and it really explains much of the female behavior that has been epitomized in Hollywood's classic films, such as the common fainting spells. It shows that the "modern" world really has not changed very much in regards to the demands put on women to look and act a certain way to be regarded as attractive. The similarities between Hollywood and the Gilded Age are both remarkable and quite sad, from the encouragement of anorexia and the overindulgence of luxury to how the popularity of an individual can be solely determined by the words of the press.

I did enjoy following Clara's rise to fame and infamy, even if the glamour and mystery of it was stripped away, so to speak. The Christian themes of God loving you just as you are and having a purpose beyond the practices of "society" seemed muted and understated throughout the book, but rather than detracting from the plot, it only seemed to enhance it. While I have been under the impression that books that fall in this genre of Christian Fiction should focus mostly on some Christian theme, this particular book did not seem to. The focus seemed more on revealing the truth about what really happened in New York City's Gilded Age through the eyes of a debutante.

In case anyone cares, I'm a 31-year old woman writing this.

Having just finished The Apothecary's Daughter (which I liked 2/3 of and didn't like the last 1/3), I was looking for a similar novel that would end more satisfyingly, and this one did. This novel is set in the Victorian era, but is not too different from ...a Regency-era novel for those who like them - it's all about society, dances, and attempting to marry off one's daughters. There is a Christian element to it - no surprise since the publisher is a Christian company. I have no objection to that since I'm a Christian, but for those who may, I thought it was very inobtrusive for anyone who might hold different view. The intent is not to evangelize through the book, but a hymn is quoted several times and two characters discuss whether God cares for us and has a purpose for us on two or three occasions. The plot was engaging and although it mostly focused on the main element of Clara's need to secure the DeVries heir, there were secondary plots that were brought in, especially after the halfway point, which add to the story. I was as pleased with the second half of the story as the first, which was not my experience with other novels I've read lately. I knew I really liked this book when I finished and wished it wasn't over. This is an author that delivers the payoff you hope for.

The book takes place during the late-Victorian area. An area where money and appearance means everything and one would do anything to obtain. The women were put through a training regimen to take on a role in society. The story mainly is about two young girls - Clara and Lizzie. This is the season they will make their debut. The objective is to either be engaged or married at the end of the season. The catch of the year is Franklin De Vries, heir to the De Vries' fortune. Both girls are in competition to win Franklin as their husband.

Lizza is really cut out for this kind of life. She doesn't resent her mother pushing her towards the final goal. She whole heartily embraces the balls, dancing, flirting, etc. Her main goal is to become Mrs. Franklin De Vries. Clara, on the other hand. is being forced into playing a role she doesn't want. She must marry Franklin to restore the family's honor. It seems the De Vries owns her father a huge debt that can only be paid by Franklin's marriage to Clara. Her father and aunt will do anything to make this happen. Clara doesn't even like Franklin, but she will do as asked - she has no other choice. She is more comfortable around Harry - the second son.

The book is a delightful read. The author keeps you turning the pages. Whose circumstances change practically overnight? Does Franklin propose to Clara or Lizzie? What happens to Harry? How does God figure into the conservation between Clara and Harry? What is society's (general Victorian) attitude towards the poor? Are some races simply inferior to others?

Highly recommended. Ms. Mitchell is an excellent writer of historical fiction.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

This book is an excellent read and comparable in quality and theme to the popular Luxe series. I loved the story and would certainly read a sequel. The characters were sympathetic and, for the most part, well thought out.

What I appreciated most is that the author writes a story that, while published by a Christian publishing house, contains a great story for any reader. There is not patronizing message or ulterior motive, and the author allows the story and the message behind the story to speak for itself. It is a great crossover book for anyone who enjoys period fiction.

I love to read Christian fiction and I believe this is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I've read other Siri Mitchell books but this one is her best! The story is well developed and well researched. She very cleverly gives us facts about the 1890s while keeping you in the fictional world she has created. I was swept up in ball rooms and elegant dinners. Corsets and beautiful gowns. The book is told from Clara's point of view and while narrow, you get to experience all of the things she does. You get uncomfortable when the corset laces are tightened, and indigestion when she eats too much. I really feel like I was able to live a debutant for the few days it took me to read this book!