What I’m Reading: The Crimson Petal and the White

TITLE | The Crimson Petal and the White

AUTHOR | Michel Faber

STAR RATING | 5

ABOUT | Sugar, s 19-year-old prostitute in Victorian London who years for a better life.

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT IT | Its glorious sweep and subtlety. I fell for Sugar on page 28 and was in love by page 894. (Yes, it’s 894 pages long, and not one page is extraneous.)

WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE ABOUT IT | That it ended.

WHO I’D RECOMMEND IT TO | Anyone who enjoys Victoriana or a cocky heroine with big ideas and a heart to match them.