Helpful Score: 7
Set in Victorian England, this is the story of Susan Rose, the daughter of a wet nurse who finds herself taking on the same job.
On the surface, the book describes her journey from single parent to wet nurse, and her struggles along the way with her family, her work, her employers, etc.
But there's also another story being told. It's the story of women from all walks of life and their experiences with motherhood, pregnancy, PPD, etc. We meet women who want to nurse their babies but can't, women who don't want to nurse. Women who must help their husbands or take care of other children and are just too busy. We see women who are helpers to their husbands, who are lovers, and also those that are at the mercy of men who are cruel to them.
And throughout the book is the love Susan has for her child, and the lengths she will go for him. She will risk everything for this child.
I'm not a huge reader of historical fiction, but this one completely captivated me! I highly recommend it - for the story of the women, the historical significance, and the beautiful writing and plot.
On the surface, the book describes her journey from single parent to wet nurse, and her struggles along the way with her family, her work, her employers, etc.
But there's also another story being told. It's the story of women from all walks of life and their experiences with motherhood, pregnancy, PPD, etc. We meet women who want to nurse their babies but can't, women who don't want to nurse. Women who must help their husbands or take care of other children and are just too busy. We see women who are helpers to their husbands, who are lovers, and also those that are at the mercy of men who are cruel to them.
And throughout the book is the love Susan has for her child, and the lengths she will go for him. She will risk everything for this child.
I'm not a huge reader of historical fiction, but this one completely captivated me! I highly recommend it - for the story of the women, the historical significance, and the beautiful writing and plot.
Helpful Score: 5
"Bodice ripper with dripping milk"! Don' know what I was expecting but this was a big dissapointment.....poor writing,silly plot and very little historical information on nursing.....I guess as an RN and Lactation consultant I thought they would include some interesting historical facts on wet nursing, it was minimal. I feel "ripped off" having purchased this from the advance notices on B&N. If you are looking for a very light silly beach read this would fill the bill.
Helpful Score: 3
There is nothing like being transported to another place and time. I think this book achieves that. The author chose an unusual subject for a work of historical fiction, but I think it was a wise choice. The story, set in England, centers around a young girl whose mother was a wet nurse, and then she herself becomes a wet nurse. In between telling the story of Susan there are small stories from other people explaining why they made the decision to use the services of a wet nurse. Honestly, the first one of these snippets confused me as I didn't realize it was someone else's story other than the main character's. I think this book manages to give a good view of the differences between class during those times as the wet nurse is a poor farm girl with an abusive alcoholic father who finds herself working in great houses for the very upper class. I personally enjoyed this book and would recommend it as very entertaining historical fiction, as long as you are comfortable reading about breast feeding.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a captivating tale about a mother's love and the social limitations for women in the Victorian Era. Susan Rose works as a wet nurse in order to make a living. Susan takes the reader on a journey to find out how she became a wet nurse, how her mother before her was a wet nurse, and what happens to her two sons since their birth made it possible for her to follow this career path. Be prepared to be frustrated as you read this book because it shows how powerless women, especially poor women, could be during the Victorian Era, though Susan creatively manages to overcome much of what is thrown in her path. I especially enjoyed the stories between chapters about reasons why some women (and even a few men) might hire a wet nurse. Most of those tales are directly tied to Susan's career or her mother's career. It takes a little work to get used to Susan's way of speaking and a few elements of the story are a bit far-fetched, but overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down since I kept wanting to know what would happen next!
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book.It was entertaining and engaging. I read it in two days.
