Within the Old Streets of London
The Great Fire of London Ignites This Fascinating Tale
An unwed pregnant maid escapes to an apothecary beneath the watchful eye of St. Paul's Cathedral
The narrative begins with the Great Fire of London in 1666. A pregnant woman runs stunned from her house clutching her stomach. Months later, the baby is born with a red birthmark along his body and face, testament to the legend that if a pregnant woman sees a shocking sight, she will birth a monster for a child.
Clare Clark’s new novel, The Nature of Monsters, is told when the baby grows into an eccentric apothecary. Beneath the watchful eyes of St. Paul’s Cathedral, a young woman enters the old streets of London in hopes of a better life.
A Small Village in England
Eliza Tally had followed her heart to the man she loved. A rich merchant, he had courted her without care for the low status of her and her mother. Or so Eliza thought. A wedding was performed, a ring accepted and a girl’s dreams fulfilled, until she became pregnant and the young man revoked his vows.
Charging the wedding as false and without a proper ceremony, the wealthy family bought Eliza’s mother out in order to have her daughter. Within days, she was on a buggy to the big city of London, alone and with a faint hope for something new.
With delicate care reminiscent of famed female writers of the classic London literati, the author re-creates the seedy streets of London with impeccable authenticity. Her background as a historian lends accurate detail to every finely crafted sentence.
18th Century London
Once Eliza is safely delivered to her new home, she realizes she has been sold as a servant to an apothecary. His wife runs the household, an “idiot” helps with chores and an assistant flutters between the master’s room and the annoyance of Eliza.
Days are long and hard, becoming more difficult as she begins to show. She stays inside all day and is made to sleep with Mary, the other servant who can’t put together a sentence and has perpetual snot hanging from her nose.
Extraordinary Tales
Over the years, Mary becomes Eliza’s greatest ally, and they bond deeply despite their hardships. They find out why the apothecary has agreed to take Eliza in and what his hidden study is really about.
Respite from the dark house is found in the local bookseller, who takes a fancy to Eliza, as well as a street entertainer, whose monkey takes a liking to Mary. But as dark secrets are unveiled and horrors come to light, Eliza knows she must protect them both from their ghastly fate.
To Order
The Nature of Monsters is published by Harcourt and can be found at AMAZON.
