Faith Readers Review: She Walks in Beauty

It all began at McAllister’s Deli to support our Haiti Missions Team! A fundraiser. Who doesn’t love to eat to help support missions? 

Afterwards we headed back to our Cornerstone Church cafe for assorted teas, scones, and chocolate cake bites! You can’t discuss a young woman’s debut into society without tea and scones. Uh, no…you can’t.

This book was an eye-opener to the times of a young lady trying to find a husband, learning all the rules of etiquette and socializing and fitting in.

Here are some of the comments made:

“Can you imagine having to sleep in a corset? I’d cut that thing off in a heartbeat!”

“I despised the aunt! How vain!”

“I don’t know that society today is less vain than the Victorian women, but I think we go about it in a different way. Both ways are equally sad.”

“I loved learning about the Victorian era and how the young women debuted.”

“I got tired of all the debut season. I skipped pages. I thought it went too slow.”

“I loved the romance and how it ended. I thought it was perfect.”

“I thought the ending was contrived.”

“The theme of God loving us the way we are needed to be said.”

“I’d have never made it in that day. Not if a 30 inch waist was considered overweight!”

Overall most everyone really enjoyed the book. The average rating from 1-5 was a 3.5!

After we discussed the book, we took a look at an online exhibition of  119 incredible works by two masters of the haute couture, Charles Frederick Worth 1825-1895 and Mainbocher 1891-1976. It was so much fun! We laughed, ooohed, aaahed, made fun of…made fun of some more…and laughed again. It was a fabulous book club! 
Here’s the link to the online exhibition! It’s worth a look just to see what they wore. Some dresses the women had to be sewn into! I know!
ONLINE EXHIBITION! CLICK HERE!

For a young society
woman seeking a favorable marriage in the late 1890s, so much depends on her
social season debut. Clara Carter has been given one goal: secure the
affections of the city’s most eligible bachelor. Debuting means plenty of
work–there are corsets to be fitted, dances to master, manners to perfect. Her
training soon pays off, however, as celebrity’s spotlight turns Clara into a
society-page darling. 
Yet Clara wonders if
this is the life she really wants, especially when she learns her best friend
has also set her sights on Franklin De Vries. When a man appears who seems to
love her simply for who she is, and gossip backlash turns ugly, Clara realizes
it’s not just her heart at stake–the future of her family depends on how she
plays the game. 

 I’m taking a blogging break this rest of this week and I’ll be back on Monday, May 14th with special guest, author Amy Clipston! I’ll be around facebook and twitter, not completely out of pocket! 

Today answer the question:

If you had $1000 to spend frivolously, what would you buy and why? 

20 thoughts on “Faith Readers Review: She Walks in Beauty

  1. Oooh, $1000 to spend frivously?
    I need clothes. My wardrobe is really pathetic, because I'm too cheap.
    And then I'd buy a few laptops and Ipads (for Christmas gifts) LOL

    I just love hearing about your book club and what you're reading! Keep it coming!

     
     
    1. Great ideas! I'd made sure I had one of those Ipads too!

       
       
  2. Coffee. Definitely coffee. Our a plane ticket and Weeks stay in Ireland. 🙂

     
     
    1. That sounds like heaven! (I sing-songed heaven)

       
       
  3. Okay – this is the coolest thing ever that you do! These book club reviews. Awesome-blossom.

    If I had a thousand dollars to spend frivolously, I'd probably buy photos on iStock. How lame is that??

     
     
    1. This made me LOL big time! Ok, I'm still laughing!

      We have fun and I love posting our opinions. Glad you came by on your busy EVE day!

       
       
  4. Ooh, I loved She Walks in Beauty!! 🙂

    With $1000, I'd buy an iPad…and clothes…and I WOULD find an amazing pair of purple boots or die trying. 🙂

     
     
  5. I'd buy a boat. Ohhhhh, $1000 huh. Guess that wouldn't cut it. Okay, then I'd splurge on a mini-vacation and a sail tour with excellent wine and cheese onboard.
    ~ Wendy

     
     
  6. Loved this book!! So glad you took my recommendation. 😉

    I can't believe you didn't say anything about prolapsed uteri!

    Hmmm, if I had $1,000, I'd probably just buy a ton of books. Ha.

    And waaaah that you're taking a break…but I hope you enjoy it.

     
     
  7. I loved "She Walks in Beauty" because I learned so much about the Victorian Era (which comes in handy when participating in Keli Gwyn's Friday Fun Victorian Style trivia questions!).

    If I had a $1,000 I'd buy a vacation – for sure!

     
     
  8. Sounds like you all had a great time discussing a great book, Jessica! I would spend my thousand dollars on attending a writers' conference! Take care ~

     
     
  9. Sounds like a fun read! I love the art of fine corsetry but some of those practices were quite extreme. Ouch!

    If I had $1,000, I'd go buy some costume books, more books, a steampunk corset (lol!), then treat myself to some really good food. Without wearing the corset, of course.

     
     
  10. I loved, loved, loved this book! Both the cover and the novel were simply gorgeous.

    And isn't that the signs of the times? All the readers except one have it as an ebook. 🙂

    I'm so excited to join the ranks of the book club with a group I'm starting with a couple other gals. We're reading Lorna Seilstad's The Ride of Her Life for our first book.

    You've inspired me, Jessica to start a club. I'm so excited!! 😀

     
     
  11. Have a great week, Jessica!

    Aloha! –Cheryl

     
     
  12. I was waiting for this review, hoping to find time to read this one. It's already on my Kindle.

    Hmmm…$1000…I honestly don't know. Is that sad or what! It's like going shopping with no money and finding a million-n-one things to buy, but have a wallet full of cash and you find nothing!

    Have a great week:) Hope you enjoy some R&R!

     
     
  13. I really liked this book, because I could kinda relate! lol I had to wear a back brace for two years in high school that was cinched up tight (made of metal, leather, and plastic) and I had to wear it 24/7 (except for baths). Yeah…loads of fun.

    $1000? I'd pay my conference fee to ACFW!!!! Annnd an iPad, because I have nothing "i". 🙂

     
     
  14. Oh yum, I LOVE McAlister's Deli! And tea and scones? Can I move near you just so I can join your book club? 🙂

     
     
  15. I LOVE She Walks In Beauty! I think I've read it like three times. I've met Siri Mitchell too and she is super sweet!

     
     
  16. I'm going to have to put this one on my list.

    Enjoy your break!

     
     
  17. $1000? It would go toward screening in the back porch. Yep.

     
     

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