YOURS FROM THE TOWER, by Sally Nicholls, Walker Books US, Jan. 30, 2024, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
Three school friends share their lives through letters in Yours from the Tower, a YA historical novel by Sally Nichols.
Tirzah, Sophia, and Polly are best friends who’ve left boarding school and gone back to very different lives.
The year is 1896, and Polly is teaching in an orphanage, Sophia is scouting for a rich husband at the London Season, and Tirzah is stuck acting as an unpaid companion to her grandmother.
In a series of letters buzzing with atmosphere and drama, the friends air their dreams, hopes, frustrations, and romances. Can this trio of very different young women—one industrious, one artful, and one in exile—find happiness and love near the dawn of the Edwardian era? —Synopsis provided by Walker Books
If ever there was a YA novel that could easily crossover into the adult market, Yours from the Tower would be it. The book explores of friendship and love during the Victorian Age, with a wholesome freshness that is delightful from beginning to end.
Yours from the Tower is told through letters between Tirzah, Sophia, and Polly — and occasionally someone else. And because it’s told through letters, you get a real sense of personalities. Tirzah is the dramatic one; Polly the loving one; and Sophia the romantic one. Each girl is conscious of their familial responsibilities and how they may — or may not — mesh with their personal dreams.
This lighthearted read is a lovely escape. I look forward to reading more from the author.
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