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1802: A tale of Thomas de Quincy, the prostitute who rescued him, and the slave who needs rescuing herself
The Alphabet of Heart’s Desire
What you need to know before your trail
Thomas de Quincy was an English essayist, best known for his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. When he was a young boy, he felt trapped by his family and wanted to escape them. He wants to go go Oxford but his family feel differently so Thomas revolts. He ends up banished to the streets of London with barely a penny to his name.
Anne, a young girl, rescues him and nurses him back to health. Anne is a prostitute but still, they fall in love. However this is not a relationship which will be tolerated by anyone at all.
Meanwhile, also on the streets is Tuah, a former slave saved and bought by a captain of a ship returning to London.
London is not safe for anyone it would seem…
Travel Guide
London
A London full of fog and not just that in the skies. Opium fog surrounds and suffocates everyone in this book to varying degrees. Oh the sights and sounds and the smells! Spit and excrement on the streets. The taste and smell of opium is what links all characters in the book to varying degrees.
Thomas De Quincey
A real life English essayist who lived through England’s Regency and Victorian Eras.
When he was extremely poor during that time in London , this deprived period left a profound mark upon his mind and it marks his writing later on.
He became an acquaintance of Coleridge and Wordsworth, and ended up living in Grasmere, in the Lake District. He lived for ten years in Dove Cottage, which Wordsworth had occupied and which is now a popular tourist attraction. He took up writing when the money ran out.
He was the writer of The Confessions of an English Opium-Eater which is an autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his laudanum addiction and its effect on his life.
He died in Edinburgh and is buried in St Cuthbert’s Churchyard at the west end of Princes Street. His stone, in the southwest section of the churchyard on a west facing wall is not that of a writer. It’s plain and says nothing of his work.
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
What a read! A historical fiction feast this one. Three interweaving stories but with the strong central character of the real life Thomas de Quincy who was known for taking opium. So much so, he even wrote a book on it in real life.
Novels which interweave fact and fiction are really fascinating and this was no exemption. A strong story, strong characters and an insight into a very troubled man. London, comes through in all its stinking glory with the opium fog killing you if the stench and the dirt on the ground doesn’t get you first.
It’s very immersive and I loved Annie in particular. Victorian life was hard and this gives a really good insight into the trials and problems of the day. Why people took opium and the different classes in life and how often money does not make you as happy as you think it will. Who is the most trapped person – a prostitute, a slave or someone who has wealth but has to live in a gilded cage?
A real historical feast for the senses.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Alphabet of Heart’s Desire
Destination: London Author/Guide: Brian Keaney Departure Time: 1802
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