The Hat Girl from Silver Street by Lindsey Hutchinson
Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Victorian era
Read: 26th February 2021
Published: 4th March 2021
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Let bestselling author Lindsey Hutchinson take you back in time to the Victorian Black Country, for a tale of love, hardship and fighting against the odds to succeed.
Life is tough for Ella Bancroft. After her father, Thomas, is wheelchair-bound by an accident at the tube works, the responsibility for keeping a roof over their head falls to Ella. Ella’s mother died when she was ten, and her sister Sally lives with her no-good, work-shy husband Eddy, so is no help at all. If she and her father are to keep the bailiffs from the door, then Ella must earn a living.
But Ella is resourceful as well as creative, and soon discovers she has a gift for millinery. Setting up shop in the front room of their two-up, two-down home in Silver Street, Walsall, Ella and Thomas work hard to establish a thriving business. Before long, the fashionable ladies of the Black Country are lining up to wear one of Ella’s beautiful creations, and finally Ella dares to hope for a life with love, friendship and family.
Meeting the man she longs to marry should be a turning point for Ella, but life’s twists and turns can be cruel. As the winter grows colder, events seem to conspire to test Ella’s spirit. And by the time spring is approaching, will the hat girl of Silver Street triumph, or will Ella have to admit defeat as all her dreams are tested.
The Queen of the Black Country sagas is back with a heart-breaking, unforgettable, page-turning story of love, life and battling against the odds. Perfect for fans of Val Wood and Lyn Andrews.
MY REVIEW:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for Lindsey Hutchinson's heartbreaking new saga THE HAT GIRL FROM SILVER STREET.
A little different from previous books I have read by this author, THE HAT GIRL FROM SILVER STREET reminds me a little of Catherine Cookson in style and tale rather than the usual stories of orphans I have come to know by Lindsey Hutchinson. Set in 1900, it focuses on a young woman who makes a name for herself as a milliner in the Black Country town of Walsall towards the end of the Victorian era, her life and her loves as well as her heartbreaks.
An apprentice hat maker, Ella Bancroft works under the watchful eye of her mean and nasty employer Ivy Gladwin. Encouraged by her kind father to see her true worth, Ella leaves the job where she is under-appreciated for a new venture that she endeavours to make a success.
Wheelchair-bound after a work accident some years before, Thomas Bancroft feels useless and unable to contribute until one evening, playing with some ribbon, he discovers a rare talent he never knew he had. Finally with a reason to smile again, he and Ella set up shop together in the front room of their house where she can put her millinery skills to work on making the finest hats in Walsall.
Unsure of her success in the beginning, Ella soon finds herself in demand when Mrs Elena Fortescue pays her a visit to buy a hat for her son's upcoming wedding. On subsequent visits she brings the bride-to-be, Darcie Newland, and her friends as prospective customers. But spoilt and snobbish Darcie turns her nose up at the provincial little shop and anything it offers, despite having loved the hat Mrs Fortescue had purchased previously. However, Darcie thought she had purchased such exquisite finery in London or Birmingham, or somewhere far more fashionable than Silver Street. But Ella would not be swayed and soon put the spoilt Darcie in her place, much to the amusement of Elena Fortescue and her friends.
Then, having heard such favourable things about the milliner from his mother, Harper Fortescue decided to pay the shop a visit to purchase something different for his upcoming wedding. He didn't expect to walk away with more than a new hat but upon entering and seeing Ella for the first time, Harper fell in love. Little did he know that Ella's emotions were as awhirl as his were and as soon as he left the shop, Ella couldn't stop thinking about him. Thomas could see his daughter was in love but wisely advised that nothing good could come from it as social status divide them. Besides, he was betrothed to another and was not hers to have. And yet, Harper cannot keep away from the little shop or the beautiful milliner.
Meanwhile, back in town Ivy Gladwin was at a loss as to why her sales had all but disappeared as day after day people passed her window display but no one entered her shop. Then one day the bell above the door tinkled as a woman walked in and pointed at the hat taking pride of place in her display window. Smiling, Ivy prepared herself for the compliments she expected from her hard work but instead was shocked when the woman criticised the monstrosity and by way of parting said there were far more striking and modern hats being sold down on Silver Street for a much better price. Ivy was speechless. Silver Street? Ella? She wouldn't...would she? Ivy knew then what she had to do. She took herself down to Silver Street to take a look for herself and was disheartened when she saw the beautiful hats on display in the front window. And then, Ivy smiled wickedly as an inkling of an idea began to form. What better way to draw customers back to her shop and get her revenge back on Ella at the same time?
Also hoping to gain from Ella's success is her sister Sally who could not be more different. Newly pregnant, Sally attempts to ingratiate herself with her younger sister in the hope she will be rewarded, as her husband Eddy had not yet seen fit to get himself work of any kind to support both his wife and expected child. This causes a lot of tension between the sisters as Sally strikes out spitefully at even the mention of Eddy and work. Sally even resents Ella's kindhearted neighbour Flossie Woolley's presence each time she finds her in the cosy kitchen. But Sally is needing money for the baby, and soon, as she makes suggestions to sell items that Ella prefers to hold on to. Furious at being unable to sway her sister, Sally flounces out without so much as a goodbye each time. And yet every day, Sally returns with yet more criticism and vitriol to spout, no doubt.
When Ella's sales start dropping off and continue to do so, Ella and her father endeavour to put measures into place to ensure her bespoke designs remain protected. And yet no matter what she does, customers appear to now be going elsewhere.
Despite his circumstances, Harper Fortescue cannot keep away from the little shop on Silver Street. He finds any excuse to pay a visit, purchasing many hats along the way. Although he is promised to another in a marriage of convenience, it is clear just looking at them that the couple are in love. But Harper is of middle class standing and Ella is just a milliner...what can the future possibly hold for them?
And then tragedy rocks Ella's world in a way she wonders will she ever come back from it?
Secrets, betrayals and deception abound in this touching yet heartbreaking tale set in the late Victorian era as we meet plenty of characters along the way - some likeable, some not so likeable. With a good range of traits from vindictive and sly to the sweet and gentle to the candid and outspoken, prepared to feel a range of emotions along the way, getting entirely lost in the story.
Due to the nature of sagas, they are generally predictable but still rather enjoyable. Despite this I found one aspect to be quite unpredictable as I didn't expect it, nor did I like it. But aside from the unexpected ending, THE HAT GIRL FROM SILVER STREET is an entirely enjoyable story that is perfect for fans of historical fiction sagas like Catherine Cookson and Dilly Court.
I would like to thank #LindseyHutchinson, #RachelsRandomResources, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheHatGirlFromSilverStreet in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Lindsey lives in Shropshire with her husband and Labrador, loves to read and enjoys photography.
Social Media links:
Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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