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A Net for Small Fishes
A Net for Small Fishes | Lucy Jago
15 posts | 9 read | 20 to read
Based on the true scandal that rocked the court of James I, A Net for Small Fishes is the most gripping novel you'll read this year: an exhilarating dive into the pitch-dark waters of the Jacobean court 'The Thelma and Louise of the seventeenth century' Lawrence Norfolk 'Terrific, rich in colour, character, place and time. If you like your history spiced with sex, scandal and the sweet sensibilities of female friendship, then this is for you' Sarah Dunant 'A fabulous book. Frankie and Anne's world is not just brilliantly evoked but brilliantly sustained. Lucy Jago doesn't make a single false step. And it's exciting!' Andrew Miller 'Full of colour and intrigue ... Jago has a great flair for the sensuous image and evokes the heady mix of gaudy glamour and grime that characterises the era with a distinctive, dense poetry. Historical fiction at its scintillating best and most filmic' Susan Elderkin Frances Howard has beauty and a powerful family and is the most unhappy creature in the world. Anne Turner has wit and talent but no stage on which to display them. Little stands between her and the abyss of destitution. When these two very different women meet in the strangest of circumstances, a powerful friendship is sparked. Frankie sweeps Anne into a world of splendour that exceeds all she imagined: a Court whose foreign king is a stranger to his own subjects; where ancient families fight for power, and where the sovereign's favourite may rise and rise so long as he remains in favour. With the marriage of their talents, Anne and Frankie enter this extravagant, savage hunting ground, seeking a little happiness for themselves. But as they gain notice, they also gain enemies; what began as a search for love and safety leads to desperate acts that could cost them everything.
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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
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Library hold came in!

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Mitch
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Dear publishers - please make pretty bookmarks for every book I buy! 🤩

LeahBergen Ooo! 😍😍 2y
wanderinglynn That‘s so cool! 2y
marleed Nice! 2y
68 likes3 comments
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TorieStorieS
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Mehso-so

This #audiobook, set in the 16th century revolves around the friendship of Anne Turner & Lady Frances Howard - a friendship across stations that results in more Court intrigue & drama than you would expect if unfamiliar with the historical facts. I really appreciated the performance and the quotidian details of the era here- particularly the fashion! And while I think Jago tries to make her characters sympathetic, I struggled to connect with them!

43 likes2 comments
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Mitch
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Pickpick

An immersive Jacobean story of female friendships, battling norms with women finding their way to lives that fulfil and enable them to provide for their families. Jago makes clear the weight of law, of church and of society that is against the women. It is richly imagined and avoids glorifying the silks, velvets and pearls. There were parts I wanted to hear other characters voices - but overall an engrossing historical read.

71 likes2 stack adds
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TheEllieMo
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Mehso-so

I usually love an historical novel but this one was very disappointing. The sense of life in a Royal Court in the early 17th century is good but I had no sense of empathy with or sympathy for the main characters, and some historical errors and stupid mistakes grated. Possibly would have bailed had it not been the month‘s choice for my IRL book club.

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TheEllieMo
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“The servant led the way as if into battle, his torch throwing monstrous shadows of my form against the walls.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

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charl08
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Mehso-so

A fascinating look at life at court for the hangers on under James 1st. Anne Turner dresses courtiers but has a large family and is desperate for a more secure life. Frances Howard is married to an abusive husband and is desperate to escape. The book cover has a huge spoiler about how this ends (factually) but it does take rather a long time to get there.

One for the #WolfHall fans I think.

charl08 Photo is of the gorgeous endpapers. 3y
46 likes1 comment
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charl08
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When I was young, there was no news. Gossip perhaps, about neighbours, but nothing of high persons. Since then, a great hunger had arisen in the bellies of ordinary people to know everything that happened beyond their own parish. The streets were littered with the ballads and broadsides ripped from the doors of churches and walls of taverns to make way for the next. No person was safe from the libellers and intelligencers, not even the King...

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charl08
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Detail from Judith beheading Holofernes - Artemesia Gentileschi

So shocking was the image before me that I was silenced. A young woman was severing a man's head from his large, strong body. Ribbons of blood flew out from the butchered neck as the man gazed beseechingly at his killer, from whose strength of purpose the artist had not shied away.

33 likes1 stack add
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readingjedi
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Pickpick

It took me a long while to warm up to this - I found the writing style a little frosty & I was well into proceedings before I felt I knew the characters. Didn't fully understand Anne's motivations either which prevented me from fully empathising with her. But I enjoyed the sense of the period & learning about an historical episode I was previously unaware of. The scenes of Anne's execution were particularly moving as was the epilogue.

70 likes2 stack adds
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Curvybookgirl
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Pickpick

Thoroughly enjoyed this book set during the time of King Charles I. It looks at life in court, who the king favours, who he doesn‘t and witch craft.

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readingjedi
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Starting this one tonight. With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

This gorgeous edition is available exclusively at Waterstones - love the black page edges 🖤🖤🖤

kaleidoscope.reader 😍😍😍😍 3y
Come-read-with-me Beautiful! 3y
67 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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VanessaCW
Pickpick

I thought this was a fabulous read and a wonderful piece of historical fiction based on a true story. It‘s well researched and atmospherically written. The descriptions of court life and life on the streets of London are very vivid. The characters are well depicted and seemed realistic. I did shed a tear or two towards the end but the epilogue does leave the tale on a note of hope. A powerful story about female friendship. #Pigeonhole

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VanessaCW