Valentine Grey by Sandi Toksvig
London 1897 and a young girl, Valentine Grey, arrives in England. She's been brought up in the remote and sunny climes of India and finds being forced into corsets and skirts in damp and cold country insufferable. The only bright spot: her exciting cousin, Reggie. Reggie, and his lover Frank seek out the adventure the clandestine bars and streets of London offer and are happy to include Valentine in their secret, showing her theatre, gardens - even teaching her how to ride a bicycle. And then comes the Boer War and Reggie's father volunteers him; the empire must be defended. But it won't be Reggie who dons the Volunteer Regiment's garb. Valentine takes her chance, puts on her cousin's uniform, leaving Reggie behind and heads off to war. And for a long while it's glorious and liberating for both of the cousins, but war is not glorious and in Victorian London homosexuality is not liberating ...
Teasing out untold stories of the battlefield and of gay history, Toksvig's historical revisionism follows in the footsteps of the likes of Sarah Waters and Pat Barker.. Toksvig's seemingly effortless ability to entertain shines through -- Lucy Scholes Independent Toksvig's warm characterisation drives the narrative, especially when set against her droll yet richly details evocation of an unedifying period of modern history ... It's a novel not just about the Boer War, but about a more subtle war against people who used to think it acceptableto treat women and blacks and gays abysmally. Fighting on both fronts is Toksvig's shining creation, Valentine Grey, a courageous and captivating character just begging for a sequel -- Lucy Beresford Sunday Telegraph
After graduating from Cambridge Sandi Toksvig went into theatre as a writer and performer. Well known for her television and radio work as a presenter, writer and actor, she has written more than twenty books for children and adults. She also writes for theatre and television: her film The Man starring Stephen Fry and Zoe Wanamaker was broadcast on Sky Arts in June 2012 and her play Bully Boy starring Anthony Andrews opened the St James Theatre, London, autumn 2012. She is the new Chancellor of Portsmouth University. Sandi Toksvig lives in London and Kent.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781844088317 |
| ISBN 10 | 1844088316 |
| Title | Valentine Grey |
| Author | Sandi Toksvig |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Little, Brown Book Group |
| Year published | 2012-09-06 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Prizes | Long-listed for Green Carnation Prize 2012 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |