A witty and inherently feminist novel about passion and marriage, based on a true story of an unstoppable woman ahead of her time in Victorian London.In 1887, Isabel Bilton is the eldest of three daughters of a middle-class military family, growing up in a small garrison town. By 1891 she is the Countess of Clancarty, dubbed “the peasant countess” by the press, and a member of the Irish … the Irish aristocracy. Becoming Belle is the story of the four years in between, of Belle’s rapid ascent and the people that tried to tear her down.
With only her talent, charm, and determination, Isabel moves to London alone at age nineteen, changes her name to Belle, and takes the city by storm, facing unthinkable hardships as she rises to fame. A true bohemian and the star of a dancing double act she performs with her sister, she reigns over The Empire Theatre and The Corinthian Club, where only select society entertains. It is there she falls passionately in love with William, Viscount Dunlo, a young aristocrat. For Belle, her marriage to William is a dream come true, but his ruthless father makes clear he’ll stop at nothing to keep her in her place.
Reimagined by a novelist at the height of her powers, Belle is an unforgettable woman. Set against an absorbing portrait of Victorian London, hers is a timeless rags-to-riches story a la Becky Sharpe.
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Becoming Belle is a glorious novel in which Belle Bilton and 19th century London are brought roaring to life with exquisite period detail. In her portrayal of Belle, Nuala O’Connor delivers a seductive study of a complex and fascinating woman, who deserves the stage provided for her in this wonderful book.
Becoming Belle is luscious, addictive and as satisfyingly wise as it is huge of heart. Nuala O’Connor has gone in deep to imagine the life of a fascinating woman, and from the dance floor to the townhouse to the bedroom, she renders Belle Bilton’s passion, determination and vulnerability bracingly real. A treat as well as a tribute; utterly absorbing.
Masterful storytelling! I was putty in Nuala O’Connor’s hands. She made the unsinkable Belle Bilton and her down-to-earth sister Flo real to me, and brought 1880’s London to my living room. Encore! Encore!
Belle, Isabel Bilton was an actress in the late 19th century. Acting, was a profession that wasn’t viewed with good eyes by Victorian society, but actresses did enjoy certain freedoms that other women of the era did not have. In fact, some believe these freedoms are equivalent to those of women in the late 20th century, for example they can sign their own acting contracts and represented themselves, they manage their own money etc. Belle wasn’t an exception and she was a successful young actress with a good income.
Nonetheless, Belle is not portrayed as a strong woman, she is more or less a damsel in distress, she prefers the company of men and her only woman friend was her sister Flo, with whom she performed. Keep in mind that this book is based in true events and people, therefore you’ll see in Belle a woman of the era with all her qualities and faults that in a matter of four years raised from being a middle class actress to become the Countess of Clancarty.
˝Oh, Isabel is not for literary pursuits, Mr. Weston. She prefers to live her story˝
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group, Nuala O’Connor and Netgalley for the opportunity.
Nuala O’Connor has the thrilling ability to step back nimbly and enter the deep dance of time―this is a hidden history laid luminously before us of an exultant Anglo-Irish woman navigating the dark shoals and the bright fields of a life.
O’Connor has a genius for finding the universal and unifying life essence of seemingly diverse women as they nurture their deepest sensibilities and draw upon their enduring strength… O’Connor’s rendering of a now little-known 19th-century music hall dancer in Becoming Belle is thrillingly dramatic and achingly moving and profoundly resonant into this present era.
A thoroughly engrossing and entertaining read. O’Connor’s meticulous attention to period detail and scrutiny of the upper classes and their shallow lives [is] reminiscent of Edith Wharton at her very best. It also makes us question whether women have ever really escaped from the censorious judgement of Victorian times.
Nuala O’Connor is a gifted writer who, with incandescent characters and mellifluous prose, captivates the reader with the same command as magnificent theatre. Becoming Belle is so mesmerizing you will be distraught when it ends and you remember that she lives no more. O’Connor has resurrected a fiery, inexorable woman who rewrites the script on a stage supposedly ruled by men. Sensual, witty, daring, and unapologetically forward, Belle Bilton and her cohorts will dance on in your mind long after the curtains fall.
My Review of “Becoming Belle” by Nuala O’Connor
Nuala O’Connor, Author of “Becoming Belle” has written an enthralling and captivating novel about ambition, love, passion and making dreams come true. The Genres of this story are Historical Fiction and Fiction.This also also is a story of a feminist way ahead of her time, and a Bohemian way of acting and living. The timeline of the story is around 1887 in London, and other areas. The story goes to the past only when it pertains to the characters or events in the story.
The author describes her colorful cast of characters as complicated and complex , possibly due to the circumstances and the time. The main character is based on Isabel Bilton, who is 19 years old when she comes to London to be an entertainer. Isabel is the oldest of three sisters, and has the need to escape her mother’s oppression, and find her way. Soon after, her sister Flo comes and joins her and both become part of a dancing and singing act. The two sisters are extremely popular at The Empress Club and The Corinthian Club, where high society visits.
At this time, Isabel changes her name to Belle. Belle has a certain innocence and naivety about her. Belle seems to prefer the friendship of men to women. Unfortunately Belle is betrayed and left with dire consequences. With the help of Flo and a wealthy friend, Belle lands on her feet. Belle is determined to find true love.Belle makes sure she is able to provide for herself, and becomes determined to do well.
In 1891, Belle has become a countess. Along the way, the press attacks her, people betray her, and she finds herself in a trial, fighting for her reputation.
I would recommend this entertaining Historical Novel for those readers that enjoy reading about a Bohemian lifestyle and feminism in this time period. Happy Reading!!