No Angel by Penny Vincenzi Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of No Angel
Book Review: okay, I'm addicted.
Summary: 5 Stars
The addictive properties of this book are such that as soon as I put it down, I jumped up to order the two other books in the Lytton trilogy from the UK. Penny Vincenzi is a huge seller in Europe and it is easy to see why. "No Angel" has the full cast of vivid characters, urgent situations, and confident writing that make the family saga one of the most venerable and satisfying of fiction genres.Despite the stylish 1950s fashion cover, "No Angel" is set between 1904 and 1928. Aristocratic Lady Celia has gotten herself pregnant so she can marry Oliver Lytton. The Lyttons may own a publishing house, but they are not of Celia's class. The match is a success, and easy-going Oliver and sparky Celia are a happy couple. But it seems inevitable that Celia should become restless and look for more to do than peek in on the children occasionally. She dabbles in social activism, which awkwardly ends with her fostering Barty, the little daughter of the slum family she's supposed to be observing. She carefully begins to take small part in the business of Lyttons, which is now run by Oliver and his sister LM. When the Great War breaks out, Oliver enlists, and it is up to LM and Celia to keep the publishing house that supports them all afloat.
With her brains, looks, and business sense, Celia would seem to be a slam-dunk for a charmed life. But no one's life is, least of all the Lyttons, who are as full of flaws, bad judgment, humor, and hope as anybody else. There is excellent period detail, with a fascinating look at the publishing industry in the early part of the century, social activism, family dynamics, World War I, fashion, and popular culture. One of the most pleasing aspects of the book is that Vincenzi has created strong female characters without having to resort to assigning them anachronistic behavior. They are women of their time and behave as such.
"No Angel" has an exciting ending and you will be kept on the edge of your seat to the last page. Considering the way the characters have developed, any number of possible endings would be believable. Whew! This is an adept and satisfying novel that will bring hours of pleasure. My question is: What took so long for this enjoyable writer's books to reach these shores?