Slammerkin

Emma Donoghue

May 2002 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

From Emma Donoghue, the national bestselling author of Room, Slammerkin is "[a] colorful romp of a novel" (The New York Times Book Review) following one woman's journey of self-discovery and survival at the dawn of the industrial revolution in eighteenth century England.

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.

Ratings and reviews

One of my all-time favorites, a masterpiece! Transporting you to "The Five Dials" along with ill-fated young Mary Saunders, truly historical fiction at its BEST plus themes relatable to every young woman. Emma Donoghue will convince you that she was there!

Colorful writing; well-drawn characters, including a tragic anti-heroine inspired by real events. I was transported.

Haunting and heartbreaking. You can't help but to feel her pain.

About the author

Born in Ireland, national bestselling author EMMA DONOGHUE spent many years in England and now lives in Canada. Her books include Room (basis for the Oscar-nominated film), Slammerkin, and The Pull of the Stars. Her novels have been translated into eight languages.