A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure
Clara Stanton bears the weight of her family’s woes on her 23-year-old shoulders. That, and her ability to imagine the world beyond London in 1860 via books and maps, lead her grandfather, clockmaker C. E. Drosselmeyer, to dub her his “Little Atlas.” So, when Drosselmeyer disappears, leaving a clue that one of his inventions will lead to his whereabouts, Clara sets off on the adventure of a lifetime.
Theodore Kingsley is the youngest son in a successful family who had the misfortune of causing his mother’s death in childbirth. His father holds that and his failure to learn a trade befitting his status against him, so he seeks his fortune in the army. Misfortune befalls the Light Brigade and, as a failed leader of men, Theodore is blamed despite losing a leg in the slaughter. He is reduced to begging, but his one useful skill is in clock repair, which leads him to Drosselmeyer’s shop, where he is hired as an apprentice (to Clara’s initial dismay). They must pool their resources with her eccentric mother to find Drosselmeyer before Clara’s ex-fiancé can expose the family as insane.
Bell’s debut novel is a mashup of steampunk, Beauty and the Beast, and Around the World in 80 Days. Her characters are astoundingly well-drawn and endearing, making you root for the good ones and despise the rotten ones – and appreciate the difference between “eccentric” and “insane.” The best historical fiction reveals fascinating details about the past, and what we learn about the Victorian world in Clara’s travels across Europe makes this offbeat story work to perfection.
