Falling Angels (Paperback)

I'm glad I took the risk. On page four, I realised I was utterly hooked.

Falling Angels follows the lives of two very different best friends from five years old through to their teens. Lavinia is spoilt, beautiful yet insecure about her families' (slight) lack of wealth. Maude is plain but intelligent and compassionate, well off but unaware of it.

Each chapter is taken from different characters points of view - the girls, their parents and families, cooks and maids. This is where Chevalier shines - the plot is never confused or lost amongst all these different voices. These shifting view points only add to the compelling story.

The book starts with the death of Queen Victoria and the new ruling of King Edward. Chevalier weaves slow, subtle social changes of the Edwardian era into the storylines and quietly looks at how it affects the characters. The Sufragettes movement is largely featured, Maudes mother becomes involved and quickly becomes consumed by it. You feel Edwardian London coming to life around you.

Chevaliers' talent is creating atmosphere and stillness in very ordinary situations and simmering them to boiling point. She can build and inject pressure effortlessly.

I have never had any interest in historic novels but Chevalier could write about a sheet of blank paper and you would devour it!

The fans of 'Girl' do not think this is a modern classic, and maybe it cant live up to 'Girl', yet it has all the terrific Chevalier magic. That makes it a worthy read in my eyes.

Don't get caught up in comparing it with 'Girl' with 'Falling Angels' its not worse, it's just different. This is a divine little book to get lost in, I couldn't recommend it more.

This novel is very readable and the device of having different characters narrate the story keeps it really fresh. It was also difficult to put this book down as I felt compelled to find out what was going to happen to all of the characters. This novel also transports you to what must have been a really interesting time for society, on the cusp of leaving the Victorian age of repression behind and entering the new 'modern' Edwardian age of progress.

Each character seems to be well-rounded with good and bad points but we are still left with unanswered questions about why some of them act in the way they do, which I think is just how a good book should be - not necessarily giving you ALL the answers, but definitely giving you something to think about. It also integrates contemporary history into the novel as seen on a large scale (women's suffrage) but also intimately records history on a small scale through two families' daily lives.

I read that Chevalier is considering writing a sequel to this novel and I have to say that I would be interested in reading it. For those interested in this novel, I would suggest they look at http://www.tchevalier.com/ AFTER they have read Falling Angels, so as not to give anything away beforehand. Thumbs up, Ms Chevalier!