The setting seems historically accurate, giving a view of the tough life of people like Queenie – this is no Christmas card Victorian London. The author’s note at the end gives the fascinating truth behind the story. What is also unusual is that Queenie’s chapters are in the third person whereas Ellen’s are in the first person – it is strange that Queenie’s story is not told in her own voice. While some of the minor characters are less fleshed out, they are memorable (particularly the evil characters) and provide a striking image of Victorian London one which will stay with readers. While some of the twists were predictable, it was a compelling read, if much darker than I had expected. In several dark twists, Queenie and Ellen’s worlds collide.īoth Queenie and Ellen are strong characters, each with an interesting tale to tell. Queenie finds a job, looking after babies for two sisters running a sanctuary for ‘fallen women’ or unmarried women, giving them a place to have their babies.

These are Queenie – a young girl living on the streets, trying to escape the poverty and desperation of her family – and Ellen – another young girl with a wealthy but lonely life. It is told from two different female perspectives. The Quietness captures the darker side of Victorian London – the squalid slums, the desperate measures those on the streets must take to survive, the sinister secrets of the city.

The Quietness by Alison Rattle