Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

Riverhead Books, 1999

Overview: When Nancy Astley, an oyster-seller’s daughter, falls in love with male impersonator Kitty Butler, she is swept away from her dull ocean side life into the excitement and bustle of the late 19^th Century London music hall circuit. After her growing romance with Kitty goes south, Nancy finds her way through numerous London subcultures, from the wealthy ladies of the Sapphic underground to working-class socialists and suffragettes. Waters’ depictions of late Victorian era London provide the richly detailed historical backdrop for Nancy’s story of self-discovery and redemption.

My reaction: If you have heard of any of the books we've reviewed so far, it’s probably this one, since it seems to be on just about every “Best of Lesbian Fiction” list compiled in the last ten years. That said, there is a reason for all the hype: it’s a damn good book. The period detail is gorgeous, the writing polished, the story compelling and sexy and the characters real and complex. Nancy herself goes through numerous transformations and I found myself reading obsessively to drink up every last detail. Her story is not all smooth sailing, but the ups and downs made me want to read more, just to find out if she ends up happy. As The Bookwhisperer can attest, I kept exclaiming over various plot points and had to exert an excruciating amount of effort not to give anything important away. To stop myself from giving up any number of delicious and intriguing details, I will keep this review short. Suffice to say, if you like Victorian lesbians in snazzy suits, this is the book for you. And even if you don’t think that’s your thing (I certainly didn’t), it just might be after reading this book.