My review of A Pair of Sharp Eyes by Kat Armstrong

A Pair of Sharp Eyes is very much a character driven narrative which I thoroughly enjoyed. Kat Armstrong has created a smorgasbord of Dickensian characters with wonderfully evocative names such as Mr Roach, a bullying coachman, or Mr Cheatley. a businessman who places profit before honour. The central protagonist is the unique character of Corrie (Coronation) Amesbury, the first person narrative allows the reader to experience her transition from Wiltshire girl to Bristolean woman as she navigates poverty, hunger and possible destitution. 

Corrie is a mere fourteen years old but has already suffered much loss in her short life, Armstrong describes her in a way that evokes both pathos and respect. She refuses to be a victim or abandon her moral backbone. Corrie's 'sharp eyes' see everything and her keen intellect connects disparate events as the gruesome murders of young boys strike close to home. 

A real stroke of genius with Armstrong is the depiction of the lot of the other in early eighteenth century England. Armstrong shows that if you're Jewish, female, poor indeed anything other than a rich white Christian man then you will be at the mercy of him. This is never achieved at the expense of the story but does make for a more nuanced telling of it. 

A Pair of Sharp Eyes is a historically immersive and minutely researched allowing the reader to feel as if they are actually living it. 

I look forward to Corrie Amesbury's next adventure.

Thanks to Kelly @LoveBookGroups for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.