5/31/2023 0 Comments The darling strumpet![]() Charles was not one to let his marriage interfere with a quick tryst, and he took on Nell as one of his lovers, ultimately rewarding her with titles and wealth.Ī storyline like that has a natural momentum, and Bagwell takes full advantage of it, skillfully injecting the necessary exposition along the way. Born into poverty, she escaped the rough life of her mother’s tavern and joined her sister in prostitution before rising to fame as a stage actress, from where she caught the eye of various nobles, including, ultimately, the King of England himself, Charles II. For those of us (ahem) who might be a little foggy in the Restoration courtesan department, Gwynne is a real historical figure whose life reads like a variation on Cinderella. ![]() ![]() ![]() This hasn’t stopped Gillian Bagwell from taking Nell Gwynne as the subject of her debut novel, The Darling Strumpet. Add to this the near-absolute ignorance of many readers about prior historical eras, thus necessitating a fair bit of exposition, and the task becomes daunting, indeed. Finding the right balance of period detail while still creating memorable characters and maintaining forward momentum is a lot to pile onto any writer’s plate. ![]()
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