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Montreal 1873, rich Marie Antoine and a less wealthier Sadie Arnett, are 12 yrs old and best friends, doing everything ting together. This leads to an incident and Sadie are sent off to boarding school in England for 9 yrs. How are those 9 yrs apart? And what will happen when they are both in the same city again? And how will that incident effect their lives?

I love O‘Neill and she had me hooked from the first paragraph.

Now that‘s a first sentence, absolutely pulled me in

#FirstLineFridays

O‘Neill tried to do A LOT with this one: French Revolution retelling set in historic Montreal as seen through a feminist lens. IMHO the second half was MUCH stronger than the first, but the first sets the scene and this almost fairytale vibe.

Another book about toxic female friendships, featuring two young girls in 19th century Montreal. Later parts of this reminded me of a very female centric A Tale of Two Cities.

I have loved HO‘N since I read Lullabies for Little Criminals! This is set in 19 th century Montréal with the Golden ( English) Mile and the Squalid (French) Mile. It has a real fairy tale vibe as it tells the story of Marie Antoine and the plight of women in that time line. I didn‘t devour this, I think so much is going on my brain needed time to process it. It‘s got a strong LGBTQ storyline and it‘s so well written ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Mocktail reading time 🍹happy almost weekend

I don‘t know what to say yet about this, mostly unlikeable characters so far but I‘m compelled to read it

I really don't know about this one. I loved The Lonely Hearts Hotel, but this I struggled with. I'm sure it would make a good book club selection as it covers tons of women's rights and ideas to discuss, but I didn't find any of the characters likable. Because of that, I really didn't care what happened to them. This is one that I think alot of people can go either way with.

#booked2023
#52bookclub23
#Readyourtbr
#Aroundtheworld

Oh look, it's me and the 100+ books that have been sitting on my shelf unread for a literal decade... #ImTheProblemItsMe

August.

Faves:
* I'm Glad My Mom Died
* The Queen of the Cicadas
* Harrow the Ninth
* The Book Eaters
* Stories from the Tenants Downstairs
* Clown in a Cornfield 2
* When We Lost Our Heads

Dark, funny and subversive. This fairytale-like novel set in 19th c Montreal has playful parallels to the French Revolution, transposing male historical figures into female characters. The frenemies around which the plot swirls show how passionate & how cruel girls can be to each other. Women‘s labour rights are another important aspect to the story; combined with the lesbian erotic elements, it brings Tipping the Velvet to mind. #CanLit #LGBTQ

George was filled with a rage she had never felt before. It sprouted thorny branches out of her heart. She had no idea rage was in the heart. She imagined it would be somewhere in the brain. She had felt many emotions in her stomach before. That was where sadness always seemed to be.

Her quill moved furiously, like the tail of a fox that was halfway down a rabbit hole murdering a family.

She had embroidered an anatomically correct heart on it. “When I laid eyes on what a heart actually looked like, much about affection and love made sense to me. Because love is quite grotesque when you think about it. We try to make it very neat and symbolic. But this is what it looks like.”
(Internet photo)

He had been told by a doctor that the best cure for nervous anxiety in women was to take them out to the fresh air. They could sit in the sunshine and wiggle their toes and not worry about fashion. Louis also felt there was something more natural about women. He thought they belonged in nature: in fields of flowers, milking goats and holding sheep in their arms.
(Image: Marie Antoinette as a dairymaid, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun)

This was interesting. She has a very distinct style. No one character was all good or all bad. I felt like lots of people “got what was coming to them” Telling the narrative of revolution by workers through the lens of women was very good

5⭐/5⭐

Heather O‘Neill has written another unique wild character driven novel.From the opening scene two young girls one blond one dark holding pistols and the wild story begins.

A book only Heather O‘Neill could write. A fantastical, wonderful absurd look at class, gender, sexuality and female friendships. A similar theme in O‘Neill‘s books is ever present here - the rights of girls and women and the violence of men towards girls and women. It‘s excellent.

I just watched a book launch for Heather O‘Neill‘s new novel. The story begins with a pair of 12-year-old girls dueling with pistols… and I want to read it RIGHT NOW!

Forecast is calling for a big snow storm for tomorrow. A multi-day one! My library is getting me ready for a potential snow day or two!! Two holds came in today. First up has to be Heather O‘Neill‘s since it‘s a 7-day loan only.

O'Neill has once again captured the role of the downtrodden woman in this new novel set in the late 1800's in Montreal. This time we see the contrast between the grandeur of those born to wealth and the despair of those who are not. It deals with the rights of women, factory workers, sexual freedoms and gender roles. It also is a fascinating story. I found it weirdly wonderful and a great read if you like that kind of thing. 4.5/5 stars.