this book is set in san francisco in 1876, there is a heat wave and a smallpox epidemic engulfing the city. as i was reading it after the heatwave we've had this year and also covid the oppressiveness of this novel felt pretty true to life. i have to admit i didn't really love the characters apart from Jenny who i won't spoil if for anyone but who out of all the ragtag bunch they were was the most likeable and had the hardest time which you find out as you read on through the book. Blanche who although i did feel sorry for her at times i also felt was bit of a character who if she'd made different choices may not have been in the circumstances she was in, but i guess that's the point humans do think that way and the hand your dealt you try to make the best of it. what i liked in at the end was finding out that this was an unsolved real crime that i had been reading about and the author wove this really well and explained at the end what resources she'd found to write the story. i have Room and The Wonder by this author that i feel were better, but this was still worth the read.

You may wonder how I could possibly love a book that has taken me this long to read but we have been super busy with summer vacation, soccer, back-to-school preparedness, work, and now renovations. I've been tired at the end of the day and using this excuse for how difficult it was for me to get into this book. Once I was able to give myself a proper sit-down and allow myself to have a bit of me-time with a book, I was hooked. I haven't read a story about this type of character, that I recall, ever. From the cover, to the story, to the characters, to San Francisco during a heat wave/smallpox epidemic (coincidentally, we were going through a heat wave ourselves here in Nova Scotia), I loved everything about this story. I felt everything Blanche was going through as a naïve new mother, as a woman with few rights trying her best to have some independence and pride for herself, as a young adult learning what strength, self-sacrifice, and love really means, and as a person who bonds with a friend for the first time. I could hardly wait to see what became of Blanche and several times had to stop myself from reading the last chapters. Loved it!!

At the end of the book is an explanation of how the story came about through real-life newspaper stories of The San Miguel Mystery. Even better! Emma Donoghue can write a story 😍

Goddamn that was stressful

This book sucked me in although I often had to stop and take a breather as the author’s descriptions of smallpox and the heat wave in 1876 San Francisco were harrowing. The friendship between Jenny and Blanche, often fractious and at the same time, loving, is at the center of the novel. I found it engrossing, both rich in historical detail and tender in its treatment of women scrabbling to survive in a violent world.

Don't read the afterward!

And the story isn't told linearly - the time jumps are awkward.

It's got potential, but doesn't quite work.

Fantastic historical crime fiction. The story was enthralling and it was clear the author did her research. So intriguing that this was based on a true story. At times I was enraged reading about the treatment of women and minorities in this time period. The author really brought Victorian San Francisco to life.

Meh.

Loved this book
very vivid and drew you into the experiences of the characters.

Donoghue brings alive the boom town seedy side atmosphere of San Francisco in 1876 while creating an assortment of characters woven into an intricate plot. A great choice for book discussion. Good on audio but a bit tricky with the flashbacks.