In The Mirror, A Peacock Danced by Justine Bothwick

I must start off by stating just how utterly beautiful this cover is and it truly depicts the story underneath. In the Mirror, A Peacock Danced was even better than I expected it to be and I already thought it was going to be good! Read on for why I fell in love with this book.

REVIEW

This book was simply stunning. Set against the exotic backdrop of 20th century India, In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced, tells the story of Florence growing up in Agra in 1938. Florence is fascinated with the railway and regularly wants to go with her Father to help him. Although her Father indulges her, he regularly comments on how she should do more ladylike activities and what a disappointment she is to him, as she appears to hold no talents in the arts. However when a engineer walks into her life, her life suddenly becomes more exciting. Fast forward 15 years to 1953, Florence is divorced, pregnant and in Portsmouth, England. Life feels bleak again and she is again struggling to find her purpose in a male-dominated world. But when someone from her past makes a reappearance, Florence feels like she has the chance to start over.
This book really was exquisite, the writing was beautifully descriptive and evocative and I was truly transported to 20th Century India. I found Florence's story deeply absorbing and a character I felt so invested in. I could have been there with Florence with her struggles, wanting more from life and the difficulties the men in and out of her life presented her with. 
With the timeline going back and forth between India and England, the author peppers in snippets of information as to how Florence ended up alone and pregnant in Portsmouth. I found this so intriguing and it kept me reading on into the early hours. I don't want to give anymore away, but this is definitely a book for all historical fiction fans.
Beautiful, dazzling and wonderfully atmospheric, I can't wait to read more from Justine Bothwick.
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