⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️…Welcome to the Edwardian Urban Dictionary!
Shortest Summary Ever: Words are Esme’s life as she grows up under her father’s desk where he and other men edit the Oxford English Dictionary – an arduous undertaking that dominates a lifetime. As pieces of paper fall to her by chance, she collects them; these treasured words fascinate and enthrall her. As she grows up and exposes herself to more in the world, new words capture her awe and enter her life – words used by women from all rungs of society (yep the dirty ones too!), and thus she begins to collect those into a dictionary of her own making. With women’s suffrage as the backdrop of the story, Esme navigates this world captured and lead by what she knows – words.
Thoughts: So unique! The fictionalized story of actual people and events lends an education to the reading (and piqued copious Google searches on the creation of dictionaries). Add in the tumult of the Suffragist’s Movement and I’m in literary heaven! It was surprising (and refreshing) to learn of women who were different in the turn of the century – unmarried and unconcerned about it. Say whaaa? There were women like that? In this book yes. So spinsters and those who “do you” or those who chose marriage and kids, unite and enjoy a book that cerebrally celebrates our amazingness.
All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommend to: It’s middle road feminist but should grab the feminists’ interest, those who enjoy the genre, English teachers and wordsmiths will drool.
Not recommended to: If words bore you, but then you probably aren’t reading this.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Random House Ballantyne for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me appreciate the words, yup the dirty ones too.
