Kathy George
HQ Fiction
4 December 2024
384
eBook - PDF
Historical Fiction/Retelling
ARC via NetGalley
A retelling of one of literature's great novels, Oliver Twist, from the point of view of Nancy, one of the most sympathetic, most maligned and most tragic of Dicken's characters.
Nancy has spent her whole life on the dark and gritty streets of Victorian London, first as one of Fagin's child pickpockets and now on the arm of violent and mercurial Bill Sikes. Nancy does what she must to get by. She's attuned to the harsh realities of life, but also knows how to find moments of beauty amid the grime.
When she embarks on a relationship with enigmatic gentleman Mr Rufus, it awakens emotions she's never felt before, and makes a better life feel possible for the first time. But when she takes cherubic orphan Oliver Twist under her wing, something even more elusive and appealing seems to be within redemption.
In The Scent of Oranges Kathy George gives us another nuanced retelling, this time from the point of view of Nancy in Oliver Twist. While I have read the original novel a couple of times it's been a while since I last perused it, so actually it is the musical that is more prominent in my mind. Therefore, it was interesting to remember some of the other details I had forgotten from the original story as I read this one. George's portrayal of Nancy is deeply sympathetic but still well rounded and believable. I was able to get behind her narrative right from the start and kept rooting for her despite knowing in advance how things would end. And that end was well handled in this tale, managing to finish on a slightly upbeat note in spite of all. I would recommend this book to fans of retellings that give the female characters in older works more of a voice. I am giving it 4.5 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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