Slammerkin

Emma Donoghue — 2002

Slammerkin: A loose gown; a loose woman. Born to rough cloth in Hogarth's London, but longing for silk, Mary Saunders's eye for a shiny red ribbon leads her to prostitution at a young age. A dangerous misstep sends her fleeing to Monmouth, and the position of household seamstress, the ordinary life of an ordinary girl with no expectations. But Mary has known freedom, and having never known love, it is freedom that motivates her. Mary asks herself if the prostitute who hires out her body is more or less free than the "honest woman" locked into marriage, or the servant who runs a household not her own? And is either as free as a man? Ultimately, Mary remains true only to the three rules she learned on the streets: Never give up your liberty. Clothes make the woman. Clothes are the greatest lie ever told.

Reviews

Kim@skullfullofbooks

Nov 15, 2021

Mary Saunders was a young woman who just wanted the finer things in life, but it seemed that her time period didn't give her many options. I personally loved this book. It was very accurate in depicting the tough decisions that women had for a life in the time period. Mary could have either married young or gone into a service or trade. She didn't have much choice, and a foolish decision led to her downfall. After being turned out, I think she survived as best she could for a girl of only fourteen. I feel like her decisions made sense given the fact that she was still young and foolish in many life matters, regardless of her expertise in others. I liked how we jumped between different character viewpoints, but wished that we had seen more of Dolly. It was actually ended in such a way that you can be OK walking away and not need to know more. It's definitely a great book for someone who enjoyed Crimson Petal and the White and other similar novels.