Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue

Slammerkin: A loose gown; a loose woman.

Born to rough cloth in Hogarth's London, but longing for silk, Mary Saunders's eye for a shiny red ribbon leads her to prostitution at a young age. A dangerous misstep sends her fleeing to Monmouth, and the position of household seamstress, the ordinary life of an ordinary girl with no expectations. But Mary has known freedom, and having never known love, it is freedom that motivates her. Mary asks herself if the prostitute who hires out her body is more or less free than the "honest woman" locked into marriage, or the servant who runs a household not her own? And is either as free as a man? Ultimately, Mary remains true only to the three rules she learned on the streets: Never give up your liberty. Clothes make the woman. Clothes are the greatest lie ever told.
(Synopsis from the front inside jacket cover.)

I heard and read about Slammerkin from fellow historical fiction fans and all over historical fiction blogs, so I had to give it a go. I'm glad I did. I almost gave up in the middle of the book, but I'm glad that I didn't.

Slammerkin is the story of a girl named Mary Saunders and her short, hard life. As a girl, Mary is obsessed with fine clothes. Her lust for a single red ribbon compels her to approach the old ribbon seller in a dark alley one night. The filthy man takes advantage of her, raping her, and impregnating her. And Mary only ends up with a dull brown ribbon. Upon discovering that her daughter is pregnant, Mary's mother throws her out of the house. Nearly dying in the cold and being the toy of several soldiers, Mary hardly makes it through the night. But she does and she is taken in by Doll, a vibrant prostitute whom Mary has seen strolling. Mary herself goes into prostitution. And so her adventure begins.

From there forth, Mary's life is filled with her friendship to Doll, customers of all varieties, and eventually a dangerous knife-wielding enemy. Forced to give up the freedom and city she loves in exchange for her life, Mary runs from London. Her life undergoes a serious turnaround and Mary herself is surprised to like her mistress, like her new home, and like her new way of life. But she has not forgotten the old ways of making money. And her lust for silk, velvet, and fine fabrics has not simmered.

The writing style of Donoghue was an adjustment at first. I cannot recall another novel I read where the author jumped from character to character. Done badly, I suppose this is called mind-hopping or something like that. But this was done brilliantly. I thoroughly enjoyed getting into each character's brain, hearing their secret thoughts, and experiencing a certain event from their perspective. I also thought that the characters were all very well rounded. There were things to like and dislike about them all, which made them very human.

Mary Saunders is an interesting heroine. She's spunky, spiteful, deceitful, and at times very aggravating. And yet she's charming, warm, and likable. At times I wanted to slap her for the lies she wove and the stories she told. Other times, I wanted to embrace her and take care of her. She grew up so very fast in novel, but all along she was nothing but a young girl. She had made mistakes and taken missteps, but I could not help but consider her circumstances and the unfair consequences that had befallen her and shaped who she was. She was just a girl, after all. And because of that, my heart broke for her.

As the story progressed, it increased in speed and interest. And the last few chapters I must say were shocking! Overall Slammerkin was a good read and I would recommend it. :)

Amore.