We Shall See the Sky Sparkling
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the 2019 American Fiction Award for Best Historical Fiction
Set in London and Russia at the turn of the century, Susana Aikin’s debut introduces a vibrant young woman determined to defy convention and shape an extraordinary future.
Like other well-bred young women in Edwardian England, Lily Throop is expected to think of little beyond marriage and motherhood. Passionate about the stage, Lily has very different ambitions. To her father’s dismay, she secures an apprenticeship at London’s famous Imperial Theatre. Soon, her talent and beauty bring coveted roles and devoted admirers. Yet to most of society, the line between actress and harlot is whisper-thin. With her reputation threatened by her mentor’s vicious betrayal, Lily flees to St. Petersburg with an acting troupe—leaving her first love behind.
Life in Russia is as exhilarating as it is difficult. The streets rumble with talk of revolution, and Lily is drawn into an affair with Sergei, a Count with fervent revolutionary ideals. Following Sergei when he is banished to Vladivostok, Lily struggles to find her role in an increasingly dangerous world. And as Russian tensions with Japan erupt into war, only fortitude and single-mindedness can steer her to freedom and safety at last.
With its sweeping backdrop and evocative details, We Shall See the Sky Sparkling explores a fascinating period in history through the eyes of a strong-willed, singular heroine, in a moving story of love and resilience.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Aikin's satisfying debut follows the life of a young woman who defies her father and leaves home to become an actress. In 1897 Manchester, England, 17-year-old Lily Throop travels to London, where she finds work as an actress at the Imperial Theater. Lily is eventually cast in a leading role, though she must also endure the erratic and abusive behavior of her fellow actor and mentor, Herbert Wade. Though Lily enjoys the freedom to make her own life and career decisions, her success is threatened when scandal surrounding her relationship with stagehand Chut leads her to flee England and join a theater group in St. Petersburg in prerevolutionary Russia. While in St. Petersburg, Lily falls under the spell of aristocrat and revolutionary Sergei Nikolayevich. Their passionate relationship is complicated by the fact that he is married and by his belief that his revolutionary plans are more important than his relationship with Lily. Ultimately, Lily must decide whether to stay with him and continue their relationship despite the danger he faces. Aikin's novel is expertly plotted and rife with historical details in both its English and Russian settings, making for a rich story of the prejudices women faced at the turn of the 20th century and how the class disparity in Russia ignited the flame of revolution.
