PersephoneClub

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

Catching up on last month‘s #PersephoneClub book. I‘m fascinated by stories of the Lowell Mill girls, but this one is particularly bleak. It took me a long time to finish because my feelings of dread kept growing stronger and stronger, as did my anger at most of the characters. Poor Emmeline never had a chance.

rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @Caryl @sisilia @CarolynM @daena @LeahBergen @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Tamra @andrew61 @Cathythoughts @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful 2w

LeahBergen Poor Emmeline, indeed. 😬 2w

quietjenn I am very behind, but already not expecting a happy ending ... 2w

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CarolynM So much to be angry about in this book! 2w

Cathythoughts Great review. Tough book , Yes, a lot of feelings of dread. 2w

Bookbuyingaddict Great 👍 review & totally agree , poor emmeline beauty was a curse all she craved was friendship & love ❤️ the women were jealous and awful to her whilst the men lusted or treated her as a pawn 😩certainly no sisterhood 👯‍♀️in this book ! Glad I read it though thank you 🙏 Leah x x x. X 2w

rubyslippersreads @Bookbuyingaddict Even Matthew (before anyone knew who he really was) could be possessive and controlling. 2w

rubyslippersreads @CarolynM @Cathythoughts Yes. Hard to find many likable characters. 2w

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ferskner

The Ultimate Reading Challenge: Complete a Goal, Open an Envelope, and Reveal Your Bookish Prize! | Weldon Owen

Help a Litten out! I'm wanting to get back into reading challenges this year but I'm having a hard time figuring out what Litsy is hosting these days. It looks like a few I used to do aren't active anymore. Are there any I should know about? (I'm planning to do #bookspin with @TheAromaofBooks and #agathachristieclubR3 with @Librarybelle, of course!)

Picture of my dog's dumb teeth for tax!

TheAromaofBooks I'm participating in - #Pantone2025 and #FourFoursin25 with @lauredhel
- #WickedWords with @AsYouWish
- #Roll100 and #GottaCatchEmAll with @PuddleJumper
- #FictionalTraveler and #ReadorDonate with @julieclair
and my own other challenges, #ISpyBingo and #BookChain

Have you checked @LitsyEvents ? That account does a great job reposting all kinds of shenanigans!! 2w

Ruthiella You can follow @LitsyEvents for reposts of all the challenges, etc. Good luck! 😃 2w

AmyG There is #authoramonth @soubhiville where one reads 1+ books from that specific author for the month. #TBRTarot is where a card is chosen and you pick a corresponding book. #readyourkindle is like Bookspin but just for ereaders. Last two are with @Cbee (edited) 2w

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Jess861 Some of the ones I'm participating in and aren't listed above:

#BookedInTime @Cuilin
#FoodAndLit @Catsandbooks @Texreader
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#OhCanada @jess861 (me) 2w

Cuilin #HashtagBrigade @BarkingMadRead #NoPlaceLikeHolmes @Dabbe & @Cuilin #NaturalLitsy @alldebooks #WhatTheDickens @Texreader & @Cuilin #literarycrew @Librarybelle 2w

dabbe Some others: #WithTheBanned2025 (host: @Jadams89); #NancyDrewBR (host: @Librarybelle); #ChristiesCapers (host: @Librarybelle); #teamlesmis (host: @TheBookHippie); #ShardlakeSeriesBR (host: @dabbe) 2w

TheBookHippie I do #SUNDAYBUDDYREAD #CHILDRENSCLASSICREAD2025 #CHLOEGONGREADALONG #READLESMIS #JOURNALINGPROMPTS #KARENINAWINTER and #LITSOLACE with @AllDebooks & @Chrissyreadit 2w

Librarybelle @Cuilin @dabbe —thanks for mentioning the buddy reads I host! This is the last year for #192025 , which is reading a book originally published in each year from 1920-2025 (I‘ll post details later in the year for the next challenge, #192030 ). 2w

Texreader And #litsyatoz that I‘m hosting. 2w

AllDebooks #SeriesLove2025 challenge is a good one, hosted by @Andrew65 2w

AllDebooks Sorry, not finished. And @thelibraryview. I'm doing the Wild Moor reading challenge. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDKncU5i_Y7/?igsh=MXQ0a3U2cWZ1OHlieQ== 2w

AllDebooks Series love is also hosted by @TheSpineView having a brain malfunction 😅 2w

AllDebooks Thanks for the tags @TheBookHippie and @Cuilin 2w

julieclair In addition to those already mentioned (thanks, @TheAromaofBooks 💙), I also host #ThematicCozies , #AllergicToChunksters , and #MonthlyNonfiction2025 . Others I participate in that haven‘t been mentioned yet are #KindredSpirits with @BarbaraJean , #LittensLoveRomance with @StayCurious , #JaneAustenThenAndNownwith @Crinoline_Laphroaig , #HitchToScreen with @JenlovesJT47 , #FurrowedMiddleBrow and #PersephoneClub with @LeahBergen . 2w

julieclair Also #ClassicsChallenge with @Lunakay and #2025FairyTaleChallenge with @Charityann . Also Acquired Via Litsy #AVL25 with @MatchlessMarie . 2w

Andrew65 This just shows how much is going on, an impressive list. 2w

PuddleJumper Teeth! ❤️ I think my general ones have been mentioned. I also have #RiordanverseReadalong which is reading Rick Riordan books and #ReadYourDamnDanmei which is reading Chinese light novels. I also run seasonal challenges in October/December 2w

PuddleJumper Also #QueerBC Monthly LGBTQIA+ authors and you can read anything they've written 2w

LeahBergen @julieclair Wow, this is a big list! Thanks for tagging our little reading groups. 😘 2w

MatchlessMarie When I have been away from Litsyland for a while I like to check out the @LitsyEvents page for most current things. But this is a great time of year to get back into them. It‘s hard to miss challenges since we are all abuzz with New Year wishful thinking 😂 2w

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle - I will be so excited to tackle another long-term project!! I actually think I'm going to complete #192025 which is pretty thrilling! 2w

Librarybelle That‘s so cool, @TheAromaofBooks ! I still have a bit to go but need to tally up my readings from the last half of 2024. I love the long term challenges! 2w

julieclair @LeahBergen I think it‘s more of a “wishful thinking” list! 😂 2w

LeahBergen @julieclair I think you‘re right. 😆 2w

Lauredhel I'm doing #Pantone2025 (two grids) #Fourfoursin25 #WickedWords #MonthlyNonfiction2025 #Bookchain2025 #LGBTQIA2025 #urc2025 #FictionalTraveler #readharder2025 #LitsyAtoZ2025 #booklistqueenchallenge25 #ISpyBingo 2w

Amiable Wanted to add #ChunksterChallenge2025, #DiseaseoftheMonthBookClub and #Nonfiction2025 (edited) 2w

staci.reads Also #SheSaid hosted by @Riveted_Reader_Melissa highlighting books by female authors and women's topics! 2w

ferskner @TheAromaofBooks @AmyG @Jess861 @Cuilin @dabbe @TheBookHippie @Ruthiella @Librarybelle @Texreader @AllDebooks @julieclair @PuddleJumper @MatchlessMarie @Lauredhel @Amiable @staci.reads thank you all for your help and ideas! I totally forgot about @LitsyEvents so thank you for that reminder too! I'll go through these and pick out a few. 17h

Texreader So great to have you back!! 16h

56 likes29 comments

Bookbuyingaddict

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

Oh emmeline! I Had a discussion in the pub recently about how some people do genuinely seem to be born with no good luck or good fortune at all and seem to attract one disaster after another & so it is with emmeline. One of the most depressing books iv ever read because you just know what disaster is going to befall the beautiful but naive emmeline. It js a pacey page turner but I‘d never have read it if it wasn‘t my Persephone bookclub pick.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Caryl, sisilia, Tamara, CarolynM, daena, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, andrew61, Cathythoughts, dabbe, julieclair, willaful

LeahBergen It was certainly a page turner for being so bleak, wasn‘t it? 3w

CarolynM I wouldn‘t have read it without #PersephoneClub either. I‘m so glad I did! 3w

Bookbuyingaddict @LeahBergen @CarolynM Absolutely 👍loved it and it took me by surprise 😮 who could have guessed that ending ! I sat up in bed with my new Christmas 🎄 gift 🎁 reading 📖 light to finish it , raced through it thank you 🙏 for choosing it 😌it‘s a shame our reviews are restricted to 451characters you can‘t say it all in that ! Happy NYE x x x 3w

37 likes3 comments

andrew61

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

What a compelling but sad story about a child (13) whose poverty striken family, send Emmeline to work in the hazardous cotton Mills on New Hampshire. The subsequent events find her then moving away from the area back to her family, but again, fate deals her a terrible hand. Based on a true story, very readable
@quietjenn @Tamra @CarolynM @sisilia @Caryl @daena @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful #persephoneclub

andrew61 A few spoiler comments. I was shouting as I read abt Maguire's seduction of Emmeline,an innocent 13 year old, who only wanted a friend rather than a predator. Then ostracised by her community! Such a judgemental society. Hannah, then her saviour , seems to befriend her but rips her child from Emmeline. Finally, what to say abt Matthew, I am still reeling when I thought happiness had finally arrived. Wish we were all sat around a table to discuss. 4w

Tamra @andrew61 yes, I wish we could discuss live! Matthew - I really didn‘t expect him to disappear completely. 😒 When I did some Googling, it does appear the real Emmeline was very much alone in the later years of her life. Even her son was absent. 4w

andrew61 @Tamra I found the relationship with her younger sister interesting, and it was sad that her family effectively abandoned her. It would have been curious to know what Matthew did next. 4w

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Tamra @andrew61 I was left wondering as well. 4w

Cathythoughts Great review. I wish we could discuss too. Maybe we‘ll get a zoom going someday … 4w

LeahBergen I was practically shouting, too! We would‘ve had such a loud and indignant, in-person book club 😆😆 4w

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 4w

CarolynM Great review. There was so much that made me angry and the victim blaming was infuriating. 4w

37 likes8 comments

CarolynM

Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon

#12BooksOf2024 February

This disturbing story which I read with the #PersephoneClub is my pick for February.

Andrew65

LeahBergen I still think about parts of this book! 😬 4w

BarbaraBB Me too. A thought provoking book 4w

Cathythoughts Great pick. So well written, I still think about it too. 4w

Andrew65 This is the second nomination for this book. 4w

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CarolynM

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

#PersephoneClub

OMG! Speechless! Off to read all those spoiler comments in the other reviews now.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Caryl, sisilia, daena, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, Tamra, andrew61, Cathythoughts, Bookbuyingaddict, julieclair, willaful

TrishB That‘s a great reading match 😁 1mo

Bookbuyingaddict Haven‘t started it yet but will do after my festive reads and over the holidays 👍😍💝 1mo

Crazeedi Thanks for my card Carolyn, one is coming your way! Merry Christmas and happy new year ❤️ 1mo

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Tamra I‘m glad you finished! 😬 It‘s hard to stop when you get started. (edited) 1mo

Cathythoughts Speechless is right! What a story. 1mo

LeahBergen That‘s just how I felt when I finished it!! 😮 1mo

julieclair Can‘t wait to read this!!! 1mo

Ruthiella You guys are making me want to drop everything and get a copy of this book! 😂 1mo

CarolynM @Ruthiella Do it! 1mo

CarolynM @Crazeedi You‘re very welcome😘 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you too🎄 1mo

Read-n-Bloom Really like your bookmark! 1mo

CarolynM @Read-n-Bloom I can‘t take any credit. Persephone books from the Persephone Bookshop come with a bookmark that matches their individual end papers which are usually inspired by the book. This book is about a girl sent to work in a cotton mill in the 1850s. 1mo

Read-n-Bloom @CarolynM That is so 🆒! 1mo

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Tamra

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

A morality tale Rossner tells in riveting fashion! Loved it even more after watching this documentary. Highly recommend as a follow-up. https://youtu.be/IRN91TeXAYE?si=L5r0urNjlonFkqvH

⚠️Spoiler Warning!!! Do NOT watch the film unless you want to know the story before reading the book.

#PersephoneClub

Tamra I gasped and woke up my husband to tell him this is mash up of Lolita & Oedipus! 😳 Whether or not it‘s actually true, the very fact the villagers shunned her for believing both “sins” as true makes it a very sad tale. Women always bearing the brunt of social punishment for any appearance of impropriety. 1mo

LeahBergen Wasn‘t it crazy?? That‘s why I couldn‘t say too much in my review of it on here when I was done. 😂 1mo

LeahBergen And I‘m loving your “mill girl” themed photo! ❤️ 1mo

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Tamra @LeahBergen 😉 1mo

Vansa This sounds amazing, thanks for recommending 1mo

CarolynM I‘m about 3/4 of the way through. Can‘t wait to read all the spoiler comments! 1mo

Cathythoughts Great photo ❤️ Thankyou for that link. 1mo

Cathythoughts @Tamra @LeahBergen Lolita & Oedipus ! Yes that‘s it. Em really went through the mill ( pun not intended) from the time she was so young and left home. That poor girl 💔 1mo

CarolynM I was completely shocked by that twist too. It is horrifying to me that she was the “sinner” when she was the victim in both cases, firstly of a predator, then of her aunt the child stealer. And before that the victim of her family, sending her into a foreign, adult environment at such a young age with so little knowledge. 1mo

Tamra @Cathythoughts think of how many girls. 😢 1mo

Tamra @CarolynM good point about victimizing the victim. Never ends - still happening. 😑 1mo

Tamra @Vansa I think you‘ll like it - reads like a page turning thriller! 🥹 1mo

47 likes12 comments

LeahBergen

The Godwits Fly | Robin Hyde

Amazingly enough, my IRL bookclub has picked a Persephone book for our current read (after 27 years together). And no, it WASN‘T my pick. 😆

I was going to ask you, @Centique , if you‘d read this classic New Zealand coming-of-age novel but I see you are the only other person to post about it on here! I‘m really enjoying it.

Ruthiella You have strong Persephone vibes! Your IRL book club has sensed them. Use your powers for good, Leah! 😜 1mo

Tamra You lucky book clubber! 😃 1mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella 😆😆 1mo

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LeahBergen @Tamra I am! But I hope the rest of the club actually likes it or it may be our last. 😆 1mo

Tamra @LeahBergen bahahaha Why do I doubt that? 🤔 1mo

Cathythoughts 27 years! That‘s one strong bookclub ❤️ book sounds good ! 1mo

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts It‘s a great bookclub with a mix of women and men! 1mo

Centique Im so glad youre enjoying it. She was an incredible woman. I recall it being quite a long read and - being so close to her real life - a bit messy and complicated - but so beautifully written 😍 1mo

LeahBergen @Centique It really rambles along quite beautifully, if that makes sense! 1mo

CarolynM Ooh, interesting, she says, immediately adding it to her pending #PersephoneClub order 😆 1mo

LeahBergen @CarolynM 😆😆 I‘m working on my order, too! 1mo

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Cathythoughts

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

Cosying up with Emmeline. I‘m at the halfway point … and I can‘t put it down!! #PersephoneClub

Tamra Oooooo, yay! Glad to know it‘s that good. Now that I‘ve finished Belle I can start Emmeline today. 😃 (edited) 1mo

Cathythoughts @Tamra It‘s soooo good 👍🏻❤️ 1mo

LeahBergen I couldn‘t put it down either! 1mo

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BarbaraBB This sounds so good! 1mo

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Emmeline !!!!! Where is it all going ! (edited) 1mo

Cathythoughts @BarbaraBB It is 👍🏻 1mo

andrew61 I finished it last night Cathy. The first half was remarkable and there is so much to say. Won't give anything away about the rest but 'enjoyed' it. 1mo

Cathythoughts @andrew61 Just finished, yes I agree first half was brilliant.. a lot happens in this story. I enjoyed second half, but not as much as first half. (edited) 1mo

LeahBergen @andrew61 @Cathythoughts I felt exactly the same way! I was really caught up in the first half. 1mo

rubyslippersreads I agree that the first half was better. 2w

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