The real history behind the novel is fascinating enough that it has the potential to distract from Thelma’s personal trials and tribulations, but Turnbull, in her debut, skillfully balances the drama with an intimate portrayal of Thelma’s search for love and happiness both within her marriage and beyond it. Fans of Netflix’s The Crown will delight in this well-researched tale of high society scandal involving a little-known woman whose story is begging to be heard.
...vividly transports readers to 1930s British upper-crust society, focusing on societal conventions, Prince Edward and his lifestyle, the parties and the clubs, and so much more ... This sweeping, stellar tale will delight all kinds of readers, but especially those who enjoy learning about people lost to the passage of time.
Sex scandals, dynasties and the custody of one immensely rich little girl lie at the heart of Bryn Turnbull’s dazzling fictional debut ... This thoroughly researched tale zigzags between the wild 1920s and the Depression-era 1930s, from a whirl of parties, cocktails, splendid hotels and palatial estates — where a woman’s choice of evening clothing mimics a warrior preparing for battle — before descending into a hell of lurid headlines, overpowering courtrooms and gleeful character assassination.
The world doesn’t need another book about Simpson and how her engagement to Edward led to his abdication of the British throne, but there’s been a sore lack of storytelling around Furness’s fascinating life and her role in two of the biggest scandals of the 1930s ... marks a promising new voice in historical fiction. Turnbull has clearly done her research and does a fine job capturing the attitudes of the era without letting her knowledge bloat the story or become too expository. While royal junkies and those who miss the socialite reporting from the old Vanity Fair will be attracted to this fictional retelling, Turnbull’s debut is also an ideal read for those simply in need of a little escape and distraction.
