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Tracy Rees’ Amy Snow is a Romantic Cinderella-Style Saga
I tried rationing myself with this book, I really did. There’s nothing better than picking up a big fat paperback knowing you’re in for a good long read, but though Amy Snow is a hefty tome, its page-turning style will have you binge reading it within a couple of sittings. May as well give up, stash in some supplies and settle in for a weekend of wine, chocolate and 19th century England.
A Cinderella-style saga with enough twists to keep you guessing, Amy Snow begins in 1831, when an abandoned newborn is discovered inside the gates of stately Hatville, a grand Regency mansion steeped in secrets. Discovered by a freak chance by the gregarious eight-year-old heiress and only child Aurelia Vennaway, the infant is taken in and dispensed to the servants’ quarters. While she grows up to be a close friend and companion to the lonely girl, mysteriously she is despised by Aurelia’s distant and bitter mother.
Some of the servants help raise Amy (others are not so kind) and she is constantly reminded of the alternative that may have befallen her, namely the dreaded austerity and cruelty of the workhouses and orphanages of Dickensian Britain. Think: way to grow up without any self-esteem.
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But Amy’s salvation is her friend’s devotion, and when it’s suggested that Amy should be tutored alongside the turbulent Aurelia as a calming device to the feisty teenager, she’s also given the tools that will eventually help her rise above her lowly station.
Aurelia’s character is literally heartbreaking—an illness sets her on a course to tragedy, although not before she has embarked on a whirlwind year of traveling the country, attending balls and being the admired beauty that she is. Yet, we’re left wondering, is there some ulterior motive at work here?
Unlike some classic period pieces, author Tracy Rees makes Amy Snow’s struggles current to the core while staying within the bounds of history. There’s a close up of her issues with image and self-worth, the difficulty of life choices and, yes, which men are what they seem and which are mere players. Most of all, the story focuses on the strength and endurance of women, including some wonderfully ground-breaking mentors—and who doesn’t doubt that in the mid-19th century, many women looked out from behind great big wagon wheel bonnets determined to be more than just arm candy.
Inevitably, Amy finds herself cast adrift again, sent on a mysterious quest from beyond the grave. This real life treasure hunt will unravel the mysteries of the Vennaways while leading her on a voyage of self-discovery. This journey will change her life and her fortunes irrevocably while testing the limits of her resolve.
Amy Snow is on bookshelves now.