Saturday, November 10, 2018

Becoming Belle

Title:  Becoming Belle
Author:  Nuala O'Connor
Publication Information:  G. P. Putnam's Sons. 2018. 384 pages.
ISBN:  0735214409 / 978-0735214408

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Isabel Maude Pernice Bilton. Isabel Bilton. Issy Bilton. Belle Bilton. All she could think to write was her name."

Favorite Quote:  "A home ought to be a shrine, a solid place for all life to happen in, the joys and the sorrows. It should be a shared place for a family, not some temporary stop-off in which to lay her head..."

Isabel Maude Pernice Bilton (1867-1906) was born into a military household. Her mother had a flair for the dramatic in her theatrical pursuits and in her life. "Mothers are queer creatures, are they not? They love us madly until we display the signs of our true selves, until we're no longer malleable. Then they choose whether to love us anymore. Or not." Her father was the grounded one; he loved and supported Isabel. Her dream was to escape the expectations life set for her. She wanted a life in the theater in London. When an opportunity presented itself, her father supported her dream.

So begins the story of Isabel Bilton, who I discovered was an actual historical figure. The trajectory of her life led from her home to a life in the London music halls and to eventually the title of Countess. It went in cycles from poverty to financial comfort and back again. It led from being Isabel to becoming Belle. Along the way came successes and setbacks, friends and detractors. This book tells a fictional account of her story.

This is to a great extent a story of reinvention. With every success and with every setback, Belle reinvents herself to move forward. Sometimes, it means leaving entire parts of her life behind. "You astonish me the way you invent yourself anew for every situation. As if each time something happens, the life your were made for is about to begin." Some of these beginnings are quite astonishing because of the people Belle leaves behind. The book does not explore the emotional ramifications of those life altering decisions. It is startling in that it almost seems as if she moves on and doesn't look back. It makes her a less sympathetic character, but perhaps that is portrayed as the price of ambition or the way to survival.

Based on the setup and description, I expected this book to be about a strong woman, her independence, her career, and her ambition. It is about an independent woman who owns her bohemian lifestyle. However, much of the books becomes about the men in her life and the repercussions of her relationships. That makes senses given the time and place; it was just not what I expected.

Much of the book is about her relationship with Viscount Dunlo, heir to the Earl of Clancarty. This section of the book is fascinating because in telling Belle and William's story, this book relates a look on the social setup of England at the time. It particularly shines a light on the edicts and laws governing marriage. Let's just say that Belle Bilton was clearly not the type of woman that William's family - wealthy and members of the peerage - felt was acceptable in their family.

In this way, the book accomplishes what I love about historical fiction. It introduces me to a historical character, and it set me on a path to read more about her actual marriage and the laws that applied to it.


Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

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