Queenie of Norwich: A compelling tale based on the true story of one woman's quest to beat the odds.

Product Information

At the age of six, Ellen is sold to a childless couple who run a shooting gallery in a travelling fair and she becomes Nellie Westrop, travelling around East Anglia. Again the author presents a vivid and well researched depiction of her life, the ups and downs of growing up in the fairground community. It turns out that despite limited schooling, Ellen/Nellie is good with numbers and this serves her well, helping to run the stall and keep the books.

And I’ve been the infamous Queenie of Norwich, moving up in the world by any means, legal or not. I’ve been heart broken, abandoned, bought and sold, but I’ve never, ever given up. After all, it’s not where you start that’s important, but where you end up.He put a hand on my thigh and moved it higher, digging his nails into my skin. That'll be a pair of tights gone. The tagline for Queenie states it is Bridget Jones meets Americanah - a book which I have not yet read, but do own because . . . . The whatsapp group chat with the friends I found worked really well in how it moved the plot along and got us to know more about Queenie and her friends. I think this was my favorite part of the book if I am being honest. I love how real those chat felt, how hilarious they were at times and as a millennial, that part of the book really resonated with me. And at the same time, the book doesn't feel too touchy-feely or didactic. The tone stays relatively light-hearted; Queenie's relationship with the Corgis is admirable and often hilarious. The book recognizes when Queenie's behavior is problematic even when she doesn't, but it treats her with empathy and understanding. Which is, honestly, something that we could all stand to learn to do a little better. It's a tragic story at times but ultimately uplifting as she suffers the loss of loved ones but keeps learning and moving on. Queenie has a resilience that I can only admire.

This emotional void dictates her life and we watch with mounting disbelief as she makes bad decision after bad decision, her life spiralling out of control. so either i will adore this book and give it 5 stars and think about it constantly, or i will forever be haunted by another quirky protagonist continually spilling coffee on herself and falling into the lap of not only colin firth but hugh grant??? At this stage, Nel is determined to become self-made and the reader watches her struggle and how the system is rigged to keep her, as a single-woman down but more than anything Nel is a survivor. When Nel becomes a bookie and meets Barny she finally becomes Queenie and successful. She finally has a house with running water, enough food not to go hungry and more importantly she becomes a mother. Author and musician LK (Laura) Wilde was born in Norwich, but spent her teenage years living on a Northumbrian island. She left the island to study Music, and after a few years of wandering settled in Cornwall with her husband, where she raises her two crazy, delightful boys.I really enjoyed her story and this is a great debut ! I love to read the upcoming book of this writer! I also must say, publishers - DON'T COMPARE THIS TO BRIDGET JONES. This is so not like Bridgette Jones, other than a young girl living in London and dating. Queenie is so much more. If you think you are going to find a Bridgette Jones here, skip this one. Romantic comedy this is NOT.

Another pleasant surprise this book gave me, on the level of seeing an adorable baby and having the baby wave at you (which is a blessing), was its discussion of sexual assault. Candice is a unique writer. Even that 500-word contest entry told me there was something special about her. After re-reading the finished work I knew I had been right. I’m excited to see Queenie meet a wider audience, and to see Candice’s star really shine. We need more voices like hers. I decided to break the process down into three parts- Ellen Hardy, Nellie Westrop and Queenie Read, all names Queenie held at different times in her life. At six years old Mum sold me. I became Nellie Westrop, roaming the country in a showman's wagon, learning the art of the fair.

I know some readers will feel frustrated with her behaviour at times, but I also think the author never portrays it as a good thing, and instead honestly portrays a young woman dealing with severe anxiety in the only way she feels she can. I think it's a good example of some very serious issues being wrapped up in a book that is full of humour to balance out the sadness. Queenie of Norwich by LK Wilde is a book you will not want to put down. I devoured this book in probably six hours. The vivid character development of Ellen Hardy born in the 1900s who grew up in Queen Caroline’s Yard in Norwich is like a moving picture of a young girl finding her way in a world set to keep her pinned down. I thoroughly enjoyed how the author broke the book into sections.

Queenie moved into her own flat in Southwell Road, and lived there up until she was moved into a care home and died in 1999. Darcy is the only work friend who is not awful and yet we get no character development for her. She is simply a non-problematic foil for Queenie.Because, mercifully and to my neverending gratitude, this story wasn’t as much “laugh at this ridiculous and inept protagonist.” It took itself seriously. Queenie Read– the research for this part of the book was largely based on family recollections of Queenie and the stories she had told. I found numerous newspaper articles reporting raids on betting shops, and these provided a window into the world Queenie was living in! At six years old, Mum sold me. I became Nellie Westrop, roaming the country in a showman's wagon, learning the art of the fair. No, this isn't another Bridget Jones's Diary, but then we're not living in the 90s anymore either. Queenie is bolder, more complicated, more diverse and - ultimately - more feminist. And I see nothing to complain about in that.