The Silk Weaver

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Anna Buttterfield moves from her Suffolk country home to her uncle's house in London, to be introduced to society. A chance encounter with a local silk weaver, French immigrant Henri, throws her from her privileged upbringing to the darker, dangerous world of London's silk trade. Henri is working on his 'master piece' to make his name as a master silk weaver; Anna meanwhile is struggling against the constraints of her family and longing to become an artist. Henri realizes that Anna's designs could lift his work above the ordinary, and give them both an opportunity for freedom . . . This is a charming story of illicit romance, set against the world of the burgeoning silk trade in 18th century Spitalfields - a time of religious persecution, mass migration, racial tension and wage riots, and ideas of what was considered 'proper' for women.

Reviews

What a delicious read The Silk Weaver is. I was enchanted by this novel set in eighteenth-century Spitalfields; meticulously researched, richly detailed, the brilliantly structured story shimmered as the threads of silk wound through its pages. I devoured it in two days and was gripped from start to finish. The characters shine too and Anna is an absolute triumph. A fabulous book -- Dinah Jefferies
I absolutely love the details about silk weaving . . . Liz Trenow conjures up atmosphere concisely and brilliantly, with not a spare word to be found. I felt enriched when I reached the end of this gem of a novel, and cant wait to read her next one -- Gill Paul
Push back the gorgeous brocade curtains of The Silk Weaver's period detail and romance and you find a window on eighteenth century London that, with its prejudice and divisions, is surprisingly pertinent today -- Kate Riordan
I absolutely loved The Silk Weaver. Liz writes beautifully, and I adored the characters of Anna and Henri - their love was so delicately and believably evoked. The background motifs of the silks and the floral designs, and the political/social context which made their relationship so difficult is also brilliantly done. I really couldn't wait to get back to it each evening -- Tracy Rees
A wonderful read . . . full of such extraordinary, fascinating detail -- Kate Thompson
Liz Trenow sews together the strands of past and present as delicately as the exquisite stitching on the quilt which forms the centrepiece of the story -- Lucinda Riley on The Forgotten Seamstress
An assured debut with a page-turning conclusion -- Daily Express on The Forgotten Seamstress
Extraordinary, fascinating . . . deeply rooted in history * Midweek, Radio 4, on The Forgotten Seamstress *
This absorbing novel delves into the secrets of wartime silk production and makes them totally fascinating . . . tremendously atmospheric and convincing in its details, with characters that touch the heart. A book to savour * Kate Furnivall, author of The Russian Concubine, on The Forgotten Seamstress *

Author Bio

Liz Trenow is the author of three previous historical novels: The Last Telegram, The Forgotten Seamstress and The Poppy Factory. Liz's family have been silk weavers for nearly three hundred years, and she grew up in the house next to the mill in Suffolk, England, which still operates today, weaving for top-end fashion houses and royal commissions. This unique history inspired her first two novels, and this, her fourth novel. Liz Trenow is a former journalist who spent fifteen years on regional and national newspapers, and on BBC radio and television news, before turning her hand to fiction. She lives in East Anglia, UK, with her artist husband, and they have two grown up daughters. Visit Liz's website at www.liztrenow.com or join her on Twitter @liztrenow