The Whispering Women by Trish MacEnulty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
You are pulled into the world of 1913 NYC, glimpsing through the doors and windows at the less-than-stellar lives of the upper class. MacEnulty gives a compelling vision of what it was like to be female and poor or lower middle class in New York in that period of time. The main characters, Louisa and Ellen, were well drawn, and you found yourself rooting for them as they navigate male chauvinism, crime, and sham morals of the rich. There was enough left hanging with Ellen to stimulate curiosity about the next book in the series. It reminded me of Anne Perry’s Victorian detective novels, in a good way. The issues of abortion and lesbianism were handled tastefully and honestly.
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