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Book Review: The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee

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The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee

  • Method of Obtaining: I received my copy from the publisher.
  • Published by:  Gallery Books
  • Release Date:   1/29/2013
        

In Victorian London, there’s only so far an unmarried woman can go, and Betsey Dobson has relied on her wits and cunning to take herself as far as she can—to a position as a typewriter girl. But still, Betsey yearns for something more…so when she’s offered a position as the excursions manager at a seaside resort, she knows this is her chance for security, for independence, for an identity forged by her own work and not a man’s opinion. Underqualified for the job and on the wrong side of the aristocratic resort owner, Betsey struggles to prove herself and looks to the one person who can support her new venture: Mr. Jones, the ambitious Welshman building the resort’s pleasure fair. As she and Mr. Jones grow ever closer, Betsey begins to dream that she might finally have found her place in the world—but when her past returns to haunt her, she must fight for what she’s worked so hard…or risk losing everything.

I recommend:

My Review:

I had high hopes for The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee. I mean, I read that this book would be for lovers of Kate Morton and trust me… I’m right up there in fangirl status when it comes to Morton. So I thought okay – great recommendation, great cover, interesting premise, and feminist leanings! Perfect!

But it wasn’t so perfect. What I expected was to read about a woman who, in spite of the limitations placed on her by the time she was living in, managed to rise above it all and make a life for herself. What I got was a book about a woman who, in a nutshell, needed to be rescued by a male in spite of being broken.

There’s a big difference there between expectation and reality. Were my expectations unfounded? Let’s look, as this is in the books description:

“Underqualified for the job and on the wrong side of the aristocratic resort owner, Betsey struggles to prove herself and looks to the one person who can support her new venture: Mr. Jones, the ambitious Welshman building the resort’s pleasure fair. As she and Mr. Jones grow ever closer, Betsey begins to dream that she might finally have found her place in the world—but when her past returns to haunt her, she must fight for what she’s worked so hard…or risk losing everything.”

So we have an underqualified woman, Betsey, who is struggling to prove herself. We have a Mr. Jones, an ambition man. They grow close, that’s to be expected. Betsey begins to dream she may have found her place but something returns to haunt her so she has to fight for it all or risk everything?

Now that can be taken two ways. The way I read it was that Betsey and this ambitious Welshman had managed to create something together, in spite of Betsey’s underqualification and past history. And that something they managed to create appears as if it might be something connected to the resort – right?

Big disappointment here. What I got instead were sex scenes, some steamy, some not. Crude language (does not equate a forward thinking woman, rather it tore at the character of Betsey). Blame placed on herself, a devaluation of women who are unable to conceive, the need for knights on white horses to come swooping in and fix it all – and then some. I was sincerely disappointed by the character of Betsey and felt as if I’d been duped. As I read I kept thinking.. surely here is where Betsey comes into her own – but what was revealed was that Betsey’s own was simply a desire to be like every other woman of the time.

Unfortunately, this is not a story I can recommend. Instead seek out authors such as Isabelle Allende, Barbara Kingsolver, and Margaret Atwood for strong, forward thinking women.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

 One Little Library 

 

 


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