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Book Review of Tipping the Velvet

Tipping the Velvet
Spuddie avatar reviewed on + 412 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3


Historical fiction and coming of age story about a young woman living in Whitstable, an 'oyster girl' in the 1880's with a love of dance hall songs. She falls in love with a dance hall singer who comes to town, a young lady who dresses in men's clothes for her act, and eventually moves to London with her, unaware that she is anything but unique, that there are such things as "toms" as lesbians were called in the day. The book is the story of Nancy's life, of love and betrayal and heartbreak and growing up and actually had a rather satisfying ending. I enjoyed it very much, though having read several of Waters' other books, the plot twists didn't surprise me as much as the first one I read.