The Daguerreotype

With an unerring ear for Victorian language and a sense of authenticity, Patrick Gregory takes Elizabeth from unsure girl on unfamiliar soil to resilient matriarch. The poignancy of her story lies in its commonality, with its usual share of youthful hopes and soaring ambitions, followed by the disillusionment and unexpected turns of fate. If the heroine's life ends in obscurity, it nonetheless acquires a certain nobility through her persistent efforts to cling to the remnants of her youthful ideals.