An Almond for a Parrot
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
‘shades of Sarah Waters…irresistible’ – The Guardian
‘I would like to make myself the heroine of this story – an innocent victim led astray. But alas sir, I would be lying…’
London, 1756: In Newgate prison, Tully Truegood awaits trial. Her fate hanging in the balance, she tells her life-story. It’s a tale that takes her from skivvy in the back streets of London, to conjuror’s assistant, to celebrated courtesan at her stepmother’s Fairy House, the notorious house of ill-repute where decadent excess is a must…
Tully was once the talk of the town. Now, with the best seats at Newgate already sold in anticipation of her execution, her only chance of survival is to get her story to the one person who can help her avoid the gallows.
She is Tully Truegood.
Orphan, whore, magician’s apprentice.
Murderer?
A compelling mix of bawdy romp and magical realism.’
-Sarra Manning, Red magazine
Reviews
“A bawdy, romping affair … Delaney mixes up genres — historical fiction, erotica, magic realism — to create something original’
- Book of the Month in The Times, November 2016
‘“An irresistible erotic fairytale for adults”
– The Guardian
“With elements of magical realism, plenty of sexy scenes, and a good dollop of drama, this is one hell of a read”
- The Sun
“A saucy bodice-ripper that combines magical realist flights of fancy with a smattering of punchy feminist politics”
– The Metro
"A compelling mix of bawdy romp and magical realism."
- Red
“A fun, explicit romp with real stakes that will have you trying to finish this book in one sitting”
- Stylist
“An Almond for a Parrot romps and twists like the Fairy House girls in their bed chambers. It’s full of lust and magic, but not without heart. It’s an irresistible world to drop into.”
- Emerald Street
Selected as a Buzzfeed Brilliant Book You Must Read This Autumn
About the author
Wray Delaney is the pen name of Sally Gardner, the award-winning children’s novelist who has sold over 2 million books worldwide and been translated into 22 languages. She lives in London and this is her first adult novel.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this page-turning tale of one woman's quest for happiness, Delaney takes readers to 18th-century London, opening with a framing scene in which Tully Truegood, a courtesan with magical powers, awaits trial for a murdering her husband. In the first person, Tully details her difficult upbringing with her dreadful father, who treats Tully as more of a servant than a daughter as she is forced to clean up after her father's drunken friends. Mr. Truegood further proves his evil nature when he forces her to marry when she is only 12. As Tully grows older and her absent husband leaves her without money, she meets Mr. Crease, who recognizes her powers, and Queenie, who runs a brothel and grooms Tully to become her latest courtesan. Tully has the misfortune to fall in love with Avery Fitzjohn, who makes love to her and then leaves her to marry a French heiress in order to save his destitute family. When Tully finds a new protector in Lord Barbeau, she learns about her power as a woman and her fortitude to make her way in the world. Despite being charged with the murder of her husband, Tully continues to hope that she will avoid being hanged. Delaney's novel is rich with historical detail, eroticism, and magic.
