The Fortune Hunter (2014) (Headline)Daisy Goodwin
Grade: A
Genre: historical, fiction
Source: bookbridgr / NetGalley
Fiction RBC 2014: A book based on a true story
Charlotte Lennox, debuntante and amateur
photographer is one of the Town’s biggest catches, known colloquially as the
‘Lennox heiress’. Her reckless mother and the original Lennox heiress died in a
hunting accident when Charlotte was a child and her fortune is currently
managed by her half-brother, Fred, until she marries with his approval. Despite
being the most eligible girl on the market, Charlotte isn’t known for her striking
looks or scintillating conversational skills; rather, Charlotte has a passion
for photography and a mere mention of her hobby is usually enough to frighten
off any potential suitors, much to Fred’s dismay.
Captain Bay Middleton is smitten.
A friend of Fred’s, he’s well known for his superior riding and dancing abilities,
as well as being a known womaniser – especially of married women. Bay is thrown
by the fact that Charlotte isn’t like any woman he has ever met before and he’s
determined to win her over. Charlotte is equally infatuated: Bay is genuinely
interested in her photography and hearing her opinion. Despite Fred’s reservations,
the pair are well on their path to engagement … And then the most beautiful
woman in the world comes along …
Sisi, Empress of Austria, is the
(un)lucky woman known by that moniker. Wife of the Emperor of Austria, Sisi is
deeply unhappy in her marriage and has come to England to ride and hunt. Since the
age of thirty-two, she has refused to sit for portraits and photographs, so
that her public image can remain forever young. Appointed her pilot to guide
her through the unfamiliar land, Bay Middleton quickly finds himself dazzled by
the Empress and embarking on a relationship that every man desires …
I loved this. I’ve never been a
big reader of historical fiction, however much I love historical romance, but I
definitely need to start reading more. I’d heard good things about Daisy
Goodwin’s debut, The American Heiress,
but have never got around to reading it. When I get the chance, it’s next on my
list. There’s just a refreshing simplicity and almost bareness to her writing –
raw and straightforward and it reads really well.
I was fascinated to learn that
this is based on the true story of Elisabeth ‘Sisi’ Empress of Austria. Daisy
Goodwin provides a detailed account on her website here and much of this comes
through in the novel. Very little in non-fiction interests me, but this is
definitely an area that I’m willing to delve deeper into.
The Fortune Hunter switches between the three POVs and this was
similarly done well. I was momentarily surprised when I first started reading a
chapter from Bay’s perspective as opposed to Charlotte’s, but this perhaps made
me even more enamoured of the book and Ms Goodwin has a gift for making her
characters believable and loveable – as well as hated. Since the book started
with Charlotte, I was definitely more predisposed to like her and champion for
her corner as the story unfolded. I found myself a great enemy of Sisi and
there were times when I was tempted to hurl the book at the wall – it’s no easy
feat to get me that broiled.
Charlotte as a character is
really polished. She’s in charge of her life, however unconventional that is
for girls in those times, and the people around her (grudgingly) come to accept
her decisions. Bay is the first man who gained her respect and so it is utterly
heartbreaking when she learns of his relationship with Sisi.
The Fortune Hunter is a deceptive book: I wasn’t expecting it to be
nearly as engaging, exciting or entertaining as it was. Daisy Goodwin has a
fantastic writing style that was different to anything else I’ve read and I’m
looking forward to reading more from her.
Image courtesy of Fantastic Fiction.
No comments:
Post a Comment