Fallen Grace

December 20, 2010
It is 1861 London, and 15-year-old Grace, who cares for her childlike older sister, Lily, is on a funeral train to give a dignified burial to Grace's stillborn baby, which was conceived after she was raped. Grace and Lily are in dire financial circumstances—their mother is dead and their father left before Grace was born to seek his fortune in the Americas—and they make ends meet by selling watercress. But Grace's train ride brings her into contact with a series of characters—including a wealthy and corrupt family of undertakers, who Grace and her sister come to work for, and a handsome young lawyer—that dramatically change her fate. There's a Dickensian quality to Hooper's (Newes from the Dead) story (the man himself makes a brief appearance); that which seems random is in fact meticulously planned, and nothing, not even the bundle in Grace's arms, is as it seems. And though Hooper's period descriptions, while evocative, can slow the story at times, readers will be engaged by the twists, turns, and deceits of Grace's rags-to-riches story. Ages 14–up.

December 15, 2010

In the years since their mother's death, Grace Parkes, 16, and her developmentally disabled sister, Lily, 17, have struggled to survive on their own in Victorian London. While surreptitiously depositing her stillborn child, conceived under horrific circumstances, at a cemetery, Grace is offered employment as a "mute" (hired mourner) in the Unwin family's booming funeral business. Desperation soon forces her to take the job, although it means separation from Lily, who is sent to be a maid at the Unwin residence. The crooked, opportunistic Unwins have their fingers in many pies, and when they discover that Lily is heiress to a fortune, they plot to obtain it for themselves. When Lily disappears, it's up to Grace—armed only with wits, beauty and a chance meeting with a young law clerk—to find her sister and claim their inheritance. Hooper, author of many historical novels, packs her brisk Dickensian fable with colorful characters and suspenseful, satisfying plot twists. The sobering realities of child poverty and exploitation are vividly conveyed, along with fascinating details of the Victorian funeral trade. (historical note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 14 & up)

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April 1, 2011

Gr 7-10-Grace, 15, and her mentally slow sister, Lily, 17, have next to nothing. Their mother is dead, and their father left to try to make his fortune in America before Grace was born. They live in a small, shabby boardinghouse and barely sustain themselves by selling watercress on the streets of London. The girls had lived in a home where Grace was being trained as a teacher until she was raped and became pregnant. When the child is stillborn, she must find a way to make sure he is given a proper burial. At the cemetery, she makes the acquaintance of a woman whose family is in the funeral business and, because of Grace's countenance, she offers her a job as a "professional mourner." Thus begins Grace's new life. But not all is what it seems, and the unraveling of lies opens up a new world for the girls. There are only two flaws in this otherwise well-crafted and readable novel: Hooper fails to adequately capture the heartbreak of the loss of a child and, as such, the characterization of Grace falls short. Also, the optimistic ending is contrary to the actuality of the sisters' social situation, and is the only part of the book that feels unrealistic. Otherwise, the clear, descriptive prose beautifully captures the crushing realities of the poor in the 19th century. A compelling read with a Dickensian feel.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2011
Grades 7-10 In this Dickensian read, Grace Parkes and her sister, simple Lily, have been abandoned to fate. Their mothers dead, and their father long ago disappeared. Life in a school for underprivileged girls led to pregnancy for Grace after one of the schools benefactors came to her bed. When the book opens, Grace is at the cemetery hiding the remains of the baby, who died in childbirth, in a strangers casket because she is too poor to provide a burial. There she meets a handsome young lawyer who offers his card and a shifty woman who offers her work in a funeral home. All of Dickens touchstones are here: the tightly wound connections; the greatand not-so-greatexpectations; the bumpy twists; and the detailed descriptions of life in Victorian England. The latter are particularly notable. Hooper has done her research, and she makes elements like Victorian funeral practices absolutely fascinating. The story itself moves at an energetic, page-turning clip. If at times the coincidences seem, well, too coincidental, blame Dickens.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)