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bookishmadness's review against another edition
2.0
What I thought: I was so very excited to read The Disgrace of Kitty Grey, for I absolutely love historical fiction - so I went in with very high expectations. Unfortunately, all this caused was serious disappointment. It's not often that I give books such low ratings, but I kept hoping as I read that maybe the book would redeem itself somehow. Kitty Grey is a milk maid, and she's happy with the life she's been given. She is in love with Will, the river ferry-man and believes they will be married. But after Will disappears, leaving his little sister in Kitty's care, she takes the opportunity to travel to London to look for him. From there, Kitty and Betsey enter a (almost ridiculous) chain of events, eventuating in gaol time and boarding a ship to Australia as a disgraced woman.
This novel certainly had it's good moments, but unfortunately I found that they were too few and far between.
The Good: Kitty is a strong character, and that gives the story most of it's leverage.
The Bad: I was bored after the first 50 pages and it was a serious struggle to read the rest of the story.
Rating: 2 bookstacks
This novel certainly had it's good moments, but unfortunately I found that they were too few and far between.
The Good: Kitty is a strong character, and that gives the story most of it's leverage.
The Bad: I was bored after the first 50 pages and it was a serious struggle to read the rest of the story.
Rating: 2 bookstacks
fictionalkate's review against another edition
2.0
Kitty Grey is happy with her life. She looks after five gorgeous milk cows, has plenty of free time and is in the start of a lovely romance with Will the Ferryman. But Will dreams of more than just living in Devonshire. He’s keen to go to London and earn his fortune so that he will be a man Kitty can be proud of.
When Kitty discovers Will is missing and all his belongings are gone too, she’s furious. When she gets given a chance to run an errand in London, Kitty is eager to go to the city and track Will down. But what greets her is nothing at all like she expected.
I had high hopes for The Disgrace of Kitty Grey. I’ve read some of Mary Hooper’s contemporary novels before but this is the first historical novel of hers that I read. It’s got a lot of charm. From the first few pages when Kitty gets asked to assist the young Misses in their quest to create a tableau vivant complete with live cows I knew it was going to be an entertaining novel. And it had some great points. I enjoyed the differences between modern life and the world Kitty lives in. There are some lovely contrasts of Kitty’s idyllic life in Devonshire and the world she experiences in the city of London.
Where this novel fell short for me was in the intensity of Kitty’s emotions. She has to face some tragic circumstances and throughout it all she never sheds a tear. I needed to feel more from Kitty in order to enjoy the story more. Another shortcoming of this novel was the incredible coincidences that occur – it made this story feel less realistic with just how impossible some of the situations were.
Beautifully researched, The Disgrace of Kitty Grey was a lovely book to read with a strong heroine but lacked a lot of emotion.
When Kitty discovers Will is missing and all his belongings are gone too, she’s furious. When she gets given a chance to run an errand in London, Kitty is eager to go to the city and track Will down. But what greets her is nothing at all like she expected.
I had high hopes for The Disgrace of Kitty Grey. I’ve read some of Mary Hooper’s contemporary novels before but this is the first historical novel of hers that I read. It’s got a lot of charm. From the first few pages when Kitty gets asked to assist the young Misses in their quest to create a tableau vivant complete with live cows I knew it was going to be an entertaining novel. And it had some great points. I enjoyed the differences between modern life and the world Kitty lives in. There are some lovely contrasts of Kitty’s idyllic life in Devonshire and the world she experiences in the city of London.
Where this novel fell short for me was in the intensity of Kitty’s emotions. She has to face some tragic circumstances and throughout it all she never sheds a tear. I needed to feel more from Kitty in order to enjoy the story more. Another shortcoming of this novel was the incredible coincidences that occur – it made this story feel less realistic with just how impossible some of the situations were.
Beautifully researched, The Disgrace of Kitty Grey was a lovely book to read with a strong heroine but lacked a lot of emotion.
katieejayne's review against another edition
3.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book but it felt very young although marriage was spoken of frequently. I've had this book on my TBR for years and had I read this a few years ago I think I would've enjoyed this more. I've read two others of Mary Hooper's books; Fallen Grace and Velvet both of which I recall really loving when I read them.
At the same time, I can recognise how much The Disgrace of Kitty Grey could be loved by a younger reader. The writing is engaging and gives you a clear sense of both the world and time the characters are in. I'm slowly becoming more interested in the historical fiction genre and therefore was very intrigued in the situations Kitty found herself in. Having read Moll Flanders for my degree I felt like Kitty was a similar character. Whilst she was by no means a criminal through a series of unfortunate circumstances she found herself at the mercy of the law. Time and time again she tried to do the best for herself and the child in her charge but it went pear-shaped.
I will admit I did get thoroughly invested in each of the characters' stories. Whilst the novel focuses on Kitty and her love interest all these side characters have romances of their own or problems that need solving. Mary Hooper writes each character in a way that you want them to do well, you want them to achieve their dreams.
The ending of this book was possibly my favourite part. It fit perfectly and just felt right. It wasn't farfetched but instead produced some wonderful twists in what had been quite a harrowing tale.
Nearly twenty-four year old me enjoyed this, I think sixteen year old me would've loved this.
At the same time, I can recognise how much The Disgrace of Kitty Grey could be loved by a younger reader. The writing is engaging and gives you a clear sense of both the world and time the characters are in. I'm slowly becoming more interested in the historical fiction genre and therefore was very intrigued in the situations Kitty found herself in. Having read Moll Flanders for my degree I felt like Kitty was a similar character. Whilst she was by no means a criminal through a series of unfortunate circumstances she found herself at the mercy of the law. Time and time again she tried to do the best for herself and the child in her charge but it went pear-shaped.
I will admit I did get thoroughly invested in each of the characters' stories. Whilst the novel focuses on Kitty and her love interest all these side characters have romances of their own or problems that need solving. Mary Hooper writes each character in a way that you want them to do well, you want them to achieve their dreams.
The ending of this book was possibly my favourite part. It fit perfectly and just felt right. It wasn't farfetched but instead produced some wonderful twists in what had been quite a harrowing tale.
Nearly twenty-four year old me enjoyed this, I think sixteen year old me would've loved this.
rebeccabooks's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on: http://rebecca-books.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-disgrace-of-kitty-grey-mary-hooper.html
I will hold my hands up and say that Mary Hooper is one of the best historical fiction novelists for children/teenagers. Actually, Mary Hooper is the author that got me into the genre - and Young Adult books in general - after I read her book The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose set during the 1700's. I guess, it opened my eyes to the best books of that genre. Furthermore, I actually met Mary Hooper a couple of years ago (that was a surreal moment with her sitting next to Patrick Ness), where I handed her my dog-earred copy of Eliza Rose, smiling broadly and then having a long conversation with her about how much I loved her books. I think she also asked some advice on something in one of her books if I remember correctly.
Anyway, I was so happy to hear that Mary Hooper would be releasing another book this year and even more happy when I discovered it available on Netgalley.
Synopsis: 15 year-old Kitty Grey lives happily in the countryside working as a dairy maid in the dairy of a rich, grand family. She is treated well and loves her job. There's also her sweetheart, Will, the river man, who she sees regularly. The only worry on her mind is whether, and when, he will ask her to marry him.
Suddenly, one day, Will disappears leaving his young orphaned sister, Betsy, with Kitty. Kitty is distraught, was he leading her on? Has he gone to London to find his fortune?
When Kitty is given the chance to go to London to get a copy of the new Pride and Prejudice, she goes with the chance of finding Will. But London is very different from the countryside and soon, Kitty is left penniless, alone with a three year-old who everyone thinks is her own, in a town she doesn't understand or belong within. And so charts her fall from grace.
Review: I entered this novel with high expectations to say the least. Mary Hooper is a favourite author of mine and I was worried that the things I loved in her books when I was younger would be different now I'm older. But I didn't have to worry as I was faced with a beautiful, rich and detailed historical novel from Hooper which stayed with me once again after the last page.
This is an interesting subject and something that isn't particularly shown in many historical novels. While we're always shown the glittering, glamourous worlds of the rich in the 1800's, Hooper changes that and displays the simple things that disgrace an innocent person because of the unfair judicial system, something reflected perhaps in present day. The blurb for the book gave the impression to me that I would find out about that glittering world that we associate with Jane Austen of balls, muslin dresses, Mr Darcy (or just Colin Firth) and manners. But that is completely turned on its heard in this book and the contrast between the two classes becomes all that much clearer as the novel progresses.
Kitty is an interesting character. It is very clear from the beginning that she is quite naive as she's always lived in the idealic countryside in the same comfortable house in the same job which she loves. Her headstrong side of her character only comes evident at the start of her disgrace and she continues to be a good narrator. The disgrace made me incredibly sympathetic for her especially as things get worse and worse. I found Betsy on the other hand one of the most annoying characters I've read and it seemed to me that her role in the narrative at the beginning was unnecessary. She was just a little bit too whiny for my liking!
The writing was excellent as always and Hooper successfully illustrates each stage of the disgrace. It's wonderfully detailed historically and you get a real idea of the ideal setting of the countryside compared to the hustle and chaotic feeling of London. This was such an easy read for me, the perfect book to spend an afternoon or evening reading. However, the book is pretty depressing following how Kitty becomes less and less civilised and further away from her innocence, it's not a book to make you feel better about yourself! The beginning and end were good, and rather engaging, it was just the middle section which dragged a little because of how sad and depressing it was really. The ending is perfect for the book, although it does end a little abruptly for my liking.
Overall, this was another great novel from Mary Hooper, a master at historical fiction. This wasn't my favourite ever book of hers but it certainly reminded me why I love her books so much. THE DISGRACE OF KITTY GREY is great, an alternate read to other books set in this time. Can't wait for what Hooper will throw at us next! If you haven't read anything by her, you've been missing out! I highly recommend any of her books.
I give it a 4 out of 5
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
I will hold my hands up and say that Mary Hooper is one of the best historical fiction novelists for children/teenagers. Actually, Mary Hooper is the author that got me into the genre - and Young Adult books in general - after I read her book The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose set during the 1700's. I guess, it opened my eyes to the best books of that genre. Furthermore, I actually met Mary Hooper a couple of years ago (that was a surreal moment with her sitting next to Patrick Ness), where I handed her my dog-earred copy of Eliza Rose, smiling broadly and then having a long conversation with her about how much I loved her books. I think she also asked some advice on something in one of her books if I remember correctly.
Anyway, I was so happy to hear that Mary Hooper would be releasing another book this year and even more happy when I discovered it available on Netgalley.
Synopsis: 15 year-old Kitty Grey lives happily in the countryside working as a dairy maid in the dairy of a rich, grand family. She is treated well and loves her job. There's also her sweetheart, Will, the river man, who she sees regularly. The only worry on her mind is whether, and when, he will ask her to marry him.
Suddenly, one day, Will disappears leaving his young orphaned sister, Betsy, with Kitty. Kitty is distraught, was he leading her on? Has he gone to London to find his fortune?
When Kitty is given the chance to go to London to get a copy of the new Pride and Prejudice, she goes with the chance of finding Will. But London is very different from the countryside and soon, Kitty is left penniless, alone with a three year-old who everyone thinks is her own, in a town she doesn't understand or belong within. And so charts her fall from grace.
Review: I entered this novel with high expectations to say the least. Mary Hooper is a favourite author of mine and I was worried that the things I loved in her books when I was younger would be different now I'm older. But I didn't have to worry as I was faced with a beautiful, rich and detailed historical novel from Hooper which stayed with me once again after the last page.
This is an interesting subject and something that isn't particularly shown in many historical novels. While we're always shown the glittering, glamourous worlds of the rich in the 1800's, Hooper changes that and displays the simple things that disgrace an innocent person because of the unfair judicial system, something reflected perhaps in present day. The blurb for the book gave the impression to me that I would find out about that glittering world that we associate with Jane Austen of balls, muslin dresses, Mr Darcy (or just Colin Firth) and manners. But that is completely turned on its heard in this book and the contrast between the two classes becomes all that much clearer as the novel progresses.
Kitty is an interesting character. It is very clear from the beginning that she is quite naive as she's always lived in the idealic countryside in the same comfortable house in the same job which she loves. Her headstrong side of her character only comes evident at the start of her disgrace and she continues to be a good narrator. The disgrace made me incredibly sympathetic for her especially as things get worse and worse. I found Betsy on the other hand one of the most annoying characters I've read and it seemed to me that her role in the narrative at the beginning was unnecessary. She was just a little bit too whiny for my liking!
The writing was excellent as always and Hooper successfully illustrates each stage of the disgrace. It's wonderfully detailed historically and you get a real idea of the ideal setting of the countryside compared to the hustle and chaotic feeling of London. This was such an easy read for me, the perfect book to spend an afternoon or evening reading. However, the book is pretty depressing following how Kitty becomes less and less civilised and further away from her innocence, it's not a book to make you feel better about yourself! The beginning and end were good, and rather engaging, it was just the middle section which dragged a little because of how sad and depressing it was really. The ending is perfect for the book, although it does end a little abruptly for my liking.
Overall, this was another great novel from Mary Hooper, a master at historical fiction. This wasn't my favourite ever book of hers but it certainly reminded me why I love her books so much. THE DISGRACE OF KITTY GREY is great, an alternate read to other books set in this time. Can't wait for what Hooper will throw at us next! If you haven't read anything by her, you've been missing out! I highly recommend any of her books.
I give it a 4 out of 5
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
oxelera's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t expect much when I started reading this book. It certainly has a rather low rating on Goodreads and I hadn’t heard of it before either. I went in completely unaware of what was awaiting me. However, I must tell that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel.
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read even though I don’t get around to read those kinds of books as much as I would like. I’ve been studying about the era this story took place and know quite a lot about it, but I still learned new things. That shows how much research went into writing this book and that’s certainly something I appreciate. The best part of this book was the plot. It was so entertaining that I had trouble putting this book down. One of the themes dealt with within this novel was the famous “rich vs poor” theme. It was depicted in a great way in my opinion and was pivotal when discussing this era.
However, even though the plot was perfect, the book did lack certain things in my opinion. One of the things I missed was the emotional aspect of the story. Many issues took place, and being an easy crying, those things were certainly cry material, but I didn’t even get emotional when reading these parts, let alone tearing up. That’s why I believe that the story is not as moving as it could be. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a page-turner though.
Another issue I found when reading the book is the language. Now, I believe this is rather a preference of mine, but when I read dialogues, I like it when it’s written in a way that that person is speaking. Kitty was a milkmaid but at times was speaking as if she were a lady of high class. I did sense that the writer was trying to depict the fact that she was a milkmaid, but it wasn’t quite there yet in my opinion.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction and romance.
http://www.chaptersthroughmylens.com/2016/12/book-review-disgrace-of-kitty-grey-by.html
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read even though I don’t get around to read those kinds of books as much as I would like. I’ve been studying about the era this story took place and know quite a lot about it, but I still learned new things. That shows how much research went into writing this book and that’s certainly something I appreciate. The best part of this book was the plot. It was so entertaining that I had trouble putting this book down. One of the themes dealt with within this novel was the famous “rich vs poor” theme. It was depicted in a great way in my opinion and was pivotal when discussing this era.
However, even though the plot was perfect, the book did lack certain things in my opinion. One of the things I missed was the emotional aspect of the story. Many issues took place, and being an easy crying, those things were certainly cry material, but I didn’t even get emotional when reading these parts, let alone tearing up. That’s why I believe that the story is not as moving as it could be. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a page-turner though.
Another issue I found when reading the book is the language. Now, I believe this is rather a preference of mine, but when I read dialogues, I like it when it’s written in a way that that person is speaking. Kitty was a milkmaid but at times was speaking as if she were a lady of high class. I did sense that the writer was trying to depict the fact that she was a milkmaid, but it wasn’t quite there yet in my opinion.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction and romance.
http://www.chaptersthroughmylens.com/2016/12/book-review-disgrace-of-kitty-grey-by.html
serendipity_viv's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on www.serendipityreviews.co.uk
Mary Hooper is one of those authors who can pick you up and transport you anywhere in history. Every book she writes is so thoroughly researched, you feel like the author has magical powers allowing her to visit the periods in history she writes so realistically about.
During this novel, we are transported back to the time of Napoleon and find ourselves in a beautiful, idyllic country setting. Life isn’t easy, but Kitty loves her job and works hard to do it well; she takes great pride in the dairy. With the love of Will, the ferryman, she is content and looks forward to spending the future with him. It’s only when he disappears that Kitty’s life starts to unravel. In her desperation to find him, she enters London blindly only to discover her future doesn’t look too bright any more.
This book is full of fascinating contrasts. In the beginning, you compare Kitty’s life to the wealthy family she works for. The differences are obvious, and yet surprisingly, Kitty’s life seems more appealing. At least she can choose who she would like to marry unlike the young ladies of the house who are bound by their parent’s decisions. As the book progresses you begin to contrast life in the country with life in London. London comes across as grey and depressing, as Kitty struggles to survive. As each day passes, her situation just gets worse until she ends up in Newgate Prison, the lowest she can go.
I loved the descriptions in this book.From country life to London life, you get an excellent impression of both. Newgate Prison has always intrigued me. The conditions they lived under were appalling; the lack of places to sleep, no opportunities for cleanliness and very little food, yet if you had money you could pay to make your conditions better. This shows clearly the unfairness of society during this period in history. People were jailed for the least little thing. If someone burnt a chair these days, I doubt an eyebrow would be lifted, yet in those days you were thrown in jail, facing the possibility of being whipped or put in the stocks.
If I’m honest, I would’ve liked a different ending. I wanted to see what would happen if Kitty continued on the route she was originally destined to take. How her life would have turned out if the events of the final pages had not occurred. On reviewing the book now, I wonder if the author might take that idea and use it for a future book and we might see what happens when someone actually takes the journey that Kitty nearly embarked on.
Mary Hooper is one of those authors who can pick you up and transport you anywhere in history. Every book she writes is so thoroughly researched, you feel like the author has magical powers allowing her to visit the periods in history she writes so realistically about.
During this novel, we are transported back to the time of Napoleon and find ourselves in a beautiful, idyllic country setting. Life isn’t easy, but Kitty loves her job and works hard to do it well; she takes great pride in the dairy. With the love of Will, the ferryman, she is content and looks forward to spending the future with him. It’s only when he disappears that Kitty’s life starts to unravel. In her desperation to find him, she enters London blindly only to discover her future doesn’t look too bright any more.
This book is full of fascinating contrasts. In the beginning, you compare Kitty’s life to the wealthy family she works for. The differences are obvious, and yet surprisingly, Kitty’s life seems more appealing. At least she can choose who she would like to marry unlike the young ladies of the house who are bound by their parent’s decisions. As the book progresses you begin to contrast life in the country with life in London. London comes across as grey and depressing, as Kitty struggles to survive. As each day passes, her situation just gets worse until she ends up in Newgate Prison, the lowest she can go.
I loved the descriptions in this book.From country life to London life, you get an excellent impression of both. Newgate Prison has always intrigued me. The conditions they lived under were appalling; the lack of places to sleep, no opportunities for cleanliness and very little food, yet if you had money you could pay to make your conditions better. This shows clearly the unfairness of society during this period in history. People were jailed for the least little thing. If someone burnt a chair these days, I doubt an eyebrow would be lifted, yet in those days you were thrown in jail, facing the possibility of being whipped or put in the stocks.
If I’m honest, I would’ve liked a different ending. I wanted to see what would happen if Kitty continued on the route she was originally destined to take. How her life would have turned out if the events of the final pages had not occurred. On reviewing the book now, I wonder if the author might take that idea and use it for a future book and we might see what happens when someone actually takes the journey that Kitty nearly embarked on.
ellaliest's review against another edition
5.0
I read most of her books in german but since this one never got published in Germany I decided to give it a try in english. I must admit I was suprised at how easy it was for me to follow the story and I literally got carried away just the same as in german. I adore the way she creates her characters and I absolutly love this story. I grew attached to Kitty and could feel her emotions and even got frustrated when she still tried to stay calm. I will most definitely reread this book a few times in the next years.
bethkemp's review
4.0
Thrilling YA Historical: my heart was breaking for Kitty several times!
Chronicling the fall from grace of a Regency dairymaid, this is a brilliant read. I always love a well-researched historical novel and you can absolutely rely on Mary Hooper to give you that. Here, her narrator is the eponymous Kitty Grey, dairymaid in a large Devonshire country house.
The narration is first person and past tense, showing us Kitty's lively and charming voice and giving us access to her thoughts, hopes and fears. She is young and naive, hardworking and reliable. She's a good and conscientious dairymaid who cares deeply for her cows and takes pride in her work. She worries so much about getting things right and not being thought badly of, and it's soon clear why, when we see how easily a working-class girl can come to harm. Her naivety leads her to trust where perhaps she shouldn't and there are several points where we can see she's about to come a cropper, but it doesn't occur to her.
Although the title and blurb give us cues that bad things are in store for Kitty, it's not always clear exactly what those are going to be, and there were certainly several twists that I couldn't have predicted, although often there was a generally ominous feeling, thanks to Mary Hooper's skilful ratcheting-up of the tension.
This is definitely a book to savour, and there were points where it was possible just to luxuriate in the period detail, while at other times, I was reading furiously to see what poor Kitty was going to face next or how she would ever get out of the mess she was in. It would definitely serve as a real eye opener for many readers on the period. I found it interesting that the main themes were around contrasts: rich and poor, country and city, good and evil.
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable read with emotional depth and plenty of historical interest. There is a fabulous section giving historical context and information at the end, which will be much more meaningful to teen readers after they've enjoyed the story and seen this history brought to life.
Chronicling the fall from grace of a Regency dairymaid, this is a brilliant read. I always love a well-researched historical novel and you can absolutely rely on Mary Hooper to give you that. Here, her narrator is the eponymous Kitty Grey, dairymaid in a large Devonshire country house.
The narration is first person and past tense, showing us Kitty's lively and charming voice and giving us access to her thoughts, hopes and fears. She is young and naive, hardworking and reliable. She's a good and conscientious dairymaid who cares deeply for her cows and takes pride in her work. She worries so much about getting things right and not being thought badly of, and it's soon clear why, when we see how easily a working-class girl can come to harm. Her naivety leads her to trust where perhaps she shouldn't and there are several points where we can see she's about to come a cropper, but it doesn't occur to her.
Although the title and blurb give us cues that bad things are in store for Kitty, it's not always clear exactly what those are going to be, and there were certainly several twists that I couldn't have predicted, although often there was a generally ominous feeling, thanks to Mary Hooper's skilful ratcheting-up of the tension.
This is definitely a book to savour, and there were points where it was possible just to luxuriate in the period detail, while at other times, I was reading furiously to see what poor Kitty was going to face next or how she would ever get out of the mess she was in. It would definitely serve as a real eye opener for many readers on the period. I found it interesting that the main themes were around contrasts: rich and poor, country and city, good and evil.
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable read with emotional depth and plenty of historical interest. There is a fabulous section giving historical context and information at the end, which will be much more meaningful to teen readers after they've enjoyed the story and seen this history brought to life.
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