Paperback, 582 pages
English language
Published Jan. 1, 2002 by Riverhead Books.
No one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals. Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a "baby farmer." Mrs. Sucksby’s household also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.
One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, they all will share in Maud’s vast inheritance.
With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to regret her decision.
Loved it. Twice.
1/28/20 - Another listen to the fantastic Juanita McMahon read this great book to me.
Cockney thief joins a plot to steal a gentlewoman’s fortune & throw her in the madhouse. Alas, she’s cute. Love, betrayal, Victorian smut & Dickensian chaos ensues.
“What does it say?”
“It is filled with all the words for how I want you.”
The Handmaiden is a beautiful adaptation to Japanese-occupied Korea. But I prefer the original due to the strength of the twists & POVs. The way this book handled their perspectives makes it one of my absolute favourite novels.
