An Almond for a Parrot

Written by Wray Delaney
Review by Sarah Bower

In Newgate Prison, courtesan and arbiter of fashion Tully Truegood awaits trial for murder and passes the time writing her memoirs. She has a rollicking and deliciously naughty tale to tell, of her progress from neglected daughter of a drinker and gambler to wealthy landowner and darling of the pleasure gardens of Enlightenment London. While luck plays its part in her story, it is her twin skills in sex and magic which are the main drivers of her success. Under the guidance of the madam of the notorious Fairy House and her magician paramour, Tully becomes the darling of London society, courted even by minor royalty for the services of her pearl hand (whose skills you may imagine, dear reader), but falls from grace for true love.

This book has been compared to Fanny Hill, and its roots are firmly in the tradition of the 18^th-century picaresque novel. However, Wray Delaney is the pen name of children’s author, Sally Gardner, and she brings to her erotic romp a terrific sense of playfulness and anarchy, eschewing any of the heavy-handed moralising which characterises many of those earlier works. Although not perfect—I could not, for example, see the point of the recipes which preface some chapters – this is a skilfully executed erotic novel and hugely enjoyable. Highly recommended for bedtime reading.