Exit the Actress

Summary (from the publisher): While selling oranges in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, sweet and sprightly Ellen "Nell" Gwyn impresses the theater’s proprietors with a wit and sparkle that belie her youth and poverty. She quickly earns a place in the company, narrowly avoiding the life of prostitution to which her sister has already succumbed. As her roles evolve from supporting to starring, the scope of her life broadens as well. Soon Ellen is dressed in the finest fashions, charming the theatrical, literary, and royal luminaries of Restoration England. Ellen grows up on the stage, experiencing first love and heartbreak and eventually becoming the mistress of Charles II. Despite his reputation as a libertine, Ellen wholly captures his heart—and he hers—but even the most powerful love isn’t enough to stave off the gossip and bitter court politics that accompany a royal romance. Telling the story through a collection of vibrant seventeenth-century voices ranging from Ellen’s diary to playbills, letters, gossip columns, and home remedies, Priya Parmar brings to life the story of an endearing and delightful heroine.

Review: My favorite genre is historical fiction but so much of it is same old, same old - not so this novel! It's always refreshing to read a debut novel that truly shows promise. Parmar's novel focuses on Ellen "Nell" Gwyn, the famous orange seller who became one of the most famous actresses in seventeenth century London and the mistress of King Charles II. The story is told through a collection of voices including Ellen's diary, playbills, letters, a gossip column, letters, and home remedies. I enjoyed the various voices because it let you hear other voices and opinions rather than Ellen's alone. My only criticism would be that Ellen and some of her actor friends' voices seemed a tad too modern for the 1600s.

Stars: 4