This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
She Walks in Beauty

Bethany House
(April 2010)

by
Siri Mitchell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

For a young society woman seeking a favorable marriage, so much depends on her social season debut. Clara Carter has been given one goal: secure the affections of the city’s most eligible bachelor.

Debuting means plenty of work–there are corsets to be fitted, dances to master, manners to perfect. Her training soon pays off, however, as celebrity’s spotlight turns Clara into a society-page darling.

Yet Clara soon wonders if this is the life she really wants. Especially when she learns her best friend has also set her sights on Franklin De Vries.

When a man appears who seems to love her simply for who she is and gossip backlash turns ugly, Clara realizes it’s not just her marriage at stake–the future of her family depends on how she plays the game.

If you would like to read the first chapter of She Walks in Beauty, go HERE.

Learn more about Siri and her books on her Website.

MY REVIEW:

She Walks in Beauty is a fascinating look at a bygone era of New York City, an age where the extravagance and opulence of high society starkly contrasted with daily life of the common man. Mitchell paints a vivid portrait of Clara Carter, a young woman forced to debut a year early to “catch” the De Vries heir in order to vindicate her family’s honor. Filled with details of everything a young debutante endured to meet the expectations of her family and the demands of society, the narrative illustrated the extreme importance of outward beauty to those who dictated the rules of society.

Clara’s unwilling entrance into society is filled with drama and humor as she endeavors to learn how to conduct herself and please her aunt and father. As the season progresses, dark secrets are revealed that leave Clara questioning the wisdom of continuing to pursue “the heir”, a man she doesn’t like, particularly when compared to his younger brother Harry.

I truly enjoyed She Walks in Beauty and found many of the historical details intriguing. Of particular note was the barbaric custom of using corsets to reduce the waist size to unnatural proportions at great risk to a woman’s health. I am so thankful we are past those days.

She Walks in Beauty is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves historical fiction. I highly recommend it.