Queenie of Norwich: A compelling tale based on the true story of one woman's quest to beat the odds.

Product Information

If you would like to know more about this period in history, I would strongly recommend two books by Frances and Michael Holmes: The Old Courts and Yards of Norwich by Frances and Michael Holmes He put a hand on my thigh and moved it higher, digging his nails into my skin. That'll be a pair of tights gone.

Because, mercifully and to my neverending gratitude, this story wasn’t as much “laugh at this ridiculous and inept protagonist.” It took itself seriously. And since I have not yet read Americanah, I’d say another fair comparison might be a little Eleanor Oliphant . . . . Once I had all that information at my fingertips it was time to start writing! I didn’t make a conscious decision to write in Queenie’s own voice, I just started writing and it came out in the first person. Writing as Queenie was an emotional process, and I shed more than a few tears before the book was completed.

Abstract

I wouldn't want you to open this book and expect a lighthearted dating comedy with a ditzy heroine who finds love in the end. What you will find is a woman dealing with her past trauma and her recent breakup by engaging in terrible sex with terrible men, which eventually leads her to a mental breakdown. Does this sound like a Bridget Jones type of fun? I didn't think so. Queenie Read– the research for this part of the book was largely based on family recollections of Queenie and the stories she had told. I found numerous newspaper articles reporting raids on betting shops, and these provided a window into the world Queenie was living in! This book really gave me perspective. There are a lot of situations that Queenie experiences in the book that I will never experience. I think it's important to put myself in someone else's shoes and have a better understanding of the types of things they go through and situations they are put through. At the same time though, there were a few situations I felt that I could relate to Queenie just as a woman in the modern world as well as someone with anxiety/depression. The last time you came in here, you had vaginal bruising, some anal tearing, and bruises on your bottom and thighs.”

She was treated well despite the work being hard, so she would not have wanted to return to her life in Norwich where she had been treated so badly.” Laura, who goes by LK Wilde as an author, said: “I used to visit her when I was a little girl and I loved listening to her stories.

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But the breakup is the first wake up call which pushes her make so many wrong decisions about meaningless one night stands.

Every sentence seems to denigrate her. Writing in her notebook is soiling it, throwing some glitter on her face instead of taking care of herself. She is off for a long holiday and she just binges and cleans up after other people.

Footnotes

Queenie did grow on me though and I enjoyed her character progression. I liked her friend, Kyazike, as well as her grandparents — While they were definitely old-fashioned, you could tell they cared about her and I found their dialogue together comical. So when I saw this was billed as similar to Bridget Jones’s Diary, I reacted as if to the news that a beloved friend was moving, if I were feeling particularly dramatic at the time: by dropping to the ground and shouting NOOOOO to the sky. Everyone in her life cares about her so much. Even, like, her boss. And whose boss cares about them?! This is capitalism we’re talking about.

I think for me there are two complicating factors about Queenie which boil down to 1) how it was marketed and 2) who it is for. With the first draft finished, I gave it to a few family members to read… the general consensus was that it was far too grim! I needed to present the harshness of Queenie’s early life in a way that didn’t make people feel queasy. I’m aware that the initial chapters of the book are still a bit bleak at times, but trust me, you need to thank my mum because it could have been far worse! ?Spanning the first half of the 20th century, Queenie's story is one of heartbreak and triumph, love and loss and the power of family. The whatsapp group chat with the friends I found worked really well in how it moved the plot along and got us to know more about Queenie and her friends. I think this was my favorite part of the book if I am being honest. I love how real those chat felt, how hilarious they were at times and as a millennial, that part of the book really resonated with me. The old Norwich Yards CREDIT: Norfolk Library and Information Service. (Image: Norfolk Library and Information Service.) From the author of Silver Darlings comes LK Wilde's captivating portrayal of the life of Queenie Read. Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, Queenie of Norwich is perfect for fans of The Foundling, Where the Crawdads Sing, and The Smallest Man.