A Mad, Wicked Folly, Sharon Biggs Waller
A Mad, Wicked Folly, Sharon Biggs Waller
5 Rating(s)
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
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A Mad, Wicked Folly

Author: Sharon Biggs Waller

Narrator: Katharine Lee McEwan

Unabridged: 11 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/23/2014


Synopsis

Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.

After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

About The Author

Sharon Biggs Waller grew up around artists and developed a passion for Edwardian history and the Pre-Raphaelites when she moved to England in 2000. She did extensive research on the British suffragettes when she wasn't working as a riding instructor at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace and as a freelance magazine writer. Her favorite painting is A Mermaid, by J.W. Waterhouse. She is a dressage rider and trainer and lives on a ten-acre sustainable farm in Northwest Indiana with her British husband, Mark.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Hailey on March 08, 2018

Sitting between a 3 and a 3.5 on this one! It was good, I liked the characters and the concept a lot, but it was a bit boring because it was too long.......more

Goodreads review by Delee on January 23, 2014

A MAD, WICKED FOLLY- comes out TODAY!! This is Sharon Biggs Waller's first fiction novel, and what a fantabulous debut it is!! The title- perfect. The cover-stunning. I was hooked from the first page... [image error] Victoria Darling has wanted to be an artist ever since she set eyes on John William Wa......more

Goodreads review by Gillian on January 24, 2014

I WANT TO HUG THIS BOOK BECAUSE I LOVE IT SO. Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs Rating:A delightful and romantic historical novel. A must-read! This book! Oh, I adored this book. It's everything I want in a historical novel. It focuses on characters and plot and never bogs you down with historical......more

Goodreads review by Meg on January 08, 2014

4.5 stars I’m sitting here trying to figure out what was my favorite bit of A Mad Wicked Folly. It’s quite difficult because this book is fantabulous from all angles and I can’t really pinpoint what, if anything, rises above the rest. Vicky, the protagonist, is amazing. She’s stubborn, she’s sassy, sh......more

Goodreads review by Debby on July 11, 2019

Not just a Goodread, but a great read! This spoke to me in so many ways. When at university I took a Women's Studies course there and learned the basics. Also, Gloria Steinem came and spoke. This book will let you in and draw you out.......more


Quotes

* "At equal turns humorous and heartbreaking. . . . A must-have first purchase."--School Library Journal, starred review


* "Waller’s intriguingly sympathetic characters, effortless and effective blend of history and romance, passion for her subject, and swift-paced plot make her a new YA voice to watch."--Booklist, starred review


"[A] compelling coming-of-age tale that’s as good as any British period drama. . . . The Edwardian world here is so immersive and Vicky so likable that readers will want to put on the kettle on and settle in for a lovely read."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books


"An enjoyable historical romp."--Kirkus Reviews


Selected for the American Library Association's 2015 Amelia Bloomer Project List.


Selected for the Young Adult Library Services Association's 2015 Best Fiction for Young Adults List.


Selected for Booklist's Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth.


Seclected for Booklist's Top Ten Romance Fiction for Youth. "This historical romance, set in 1909 London, has all the elements dear to readers of the genre, especially forbidden love, but the feminist tone and art-history focus add an edge."


Selected for Booklist's Top Ten First Novels for Youth. "Waller’s intriguing characters and effortless blend of history and romance make her a new YA voice to watch."


* "This book is outstanding historical fiction. Readers will become immersed in the story and admire Vicky’s commitment and risk-taking."--Library Media Connections, starred review