THE WINTER ROSE

Author: Jennifer Donnelly ISBN: 1401301037 1/2008 HISTORICAL FICTION Publisher: HYPERION
Time Period: 1900-1907

When India Selwyn Jones, a young woman from a noble family, graduates from the London School of Medicine for Women in 1900, her professors advise her to set up her practice in London's esteemed Harley Street. Driven and idealistic, India chooses to work in the city's East End instead, serving the desperately poor. In these grim streets, India meets—and saves the life of—London's most notorious gangster, Sid Malone. A hard, wounded man, Malone is the opposite of India's aristocratic fiancé, Freddie Lytton, a rising star in the House of Commons. Though Malone represents all she despises, India finds herself unwillingly drawn ever closer to him, intrigued by his hidden, mysterious past. Though they fight hard against their feelings, India and Sid fall in love, and their unpredictable, passionate and bittersweet affair causes destruction they could never have imagined.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS: ^PLUS!

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've reread the last few chapters of THE WINTER ROSE since finishing it for review. It's a phenomenal book, written by an author with a phenomenal talent and, in my opinion, will be THE book to beat for best historical read of 2008. Yes, I know the year is young yet, but in every sense of the word, THE WINTER ROSE is sheer perfection. It is a book that blends the genres of historical romance and historical fiction flawlessly and seamlessly into one unforgettable read. Now, how can you top that?

This is a turn-of-the-century love story about a courageous and naive female doctor and an infamous crime lord operating in London's poor Whitechapel district. Idealistic and independent, India's biggest dream is to establish a free clinic for women and children in the district's poverty-stricken slums. But, with no money, no moneyed contacts and because she's female, achieving her dream seems an impossibility. Then India meets Sid.

Sid is willing to help her with her clinic, but India won't take the blood money that he offers her. And even though she refuses his money and irritates him to no end, Sid respects India for her determination to make her dream into a reality and all that she's given up to accomplish it. The more their paths cross and they talk, the more Sid opens himself up to India, allowing her to see the good inside the man he's tried so hard to bury. They inevitably fall in love, giving Sid an impossible dream of his own—a fairytale of someday living a good, honest life with India at his side. But for them, the fairytale can never be, for India is forbidden fruit Sid knows he dare not touch, and dying is the only way he can escape the life that he now leads. Or is it?

THE WINTER ROSE also is a continuation of events and characters previously appearing in Donnelly's THE TEA ROSE, which I haven't read yet, but have on my "must read" list since finishing this book. (Don't worry, this book stands just fine on its own.) Besides the love story of India and Sid, Donnelly gives us the ongoing trials and tribulations of Sid's sister, Fiona, and her husband Joe. Fiona's personal mission is to reunite and heal the family that was lost to her a long time ago—even if it plays havoc within her marriage. There's also Sid's younger brother, Seamus, an adventurous spirit whose passion for exploring is matched only by Willa, the tomboy sister of one of his childhood friends. Finally, there's Ella Moskowitz and her family, whose chaotic Jewish household and boisterous children add comic relief to this dramatic and mesmerizing read. Each share their own stories throughout various parts of this book, as well as touch upon each other's lives as the storyline progresses.

I could just go on and on for days about this book. But what really makes it great—not good, but great—is simply the writing. When an author can create a page of words that transports you into another time and place so vividly, totally disconnecting you from the present by submersing you into the sights, sounds and smells of a time long gone, you have the makings of something unforgettable. Weave within it the stories of intriguing and realistic characters involved in events that sometimes leave you on the edge of your seat, and you have an author who's talent is one in a million.

Yes, as India tells Sid, fairytales really do come true sometimes. And while not every couple's story in this book has a happily-ever-after ending, THE WINTER ROSE is a fairytale that came true for this reader. It is a powerful story filled with hope, forgiveness, redemption and the overall power of unconditional love.

Nancy Davis