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23rd out of 448 books
—
135 voters
The Wet Nurse's Tale
by
Erica Eisdorfer (Goodreads Author)
Bright and clever with a sharp-tongued, adventurous heroine who offers a candid and often funny look at the business of nursing babies in Victorian England, this is a debut novel that will have everyone talking.
Susan Rose isn't the average protagonist: she's scheming, promiscuous, plump, and she is also smart, funny, tender, and entirely lovable. Like many lower-class wome...more
Susan Rose isn't the average protagonist: she's scheming, promiscuous, plump, and she is also smart, funny, tender, and entirely lovable. Like many lower-class wome...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
August 6th 2009
by Putnam Adult
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Breasts.
Approximately half the population's got 'em.
And throughout the centuries, women have used them to earn money. Baring them on film and in magazines. Shaking them while twirling aroung poles. Using 'em to feed babies.
Wait! What?
That's right. Their main purpose is for feedin' the young'uns. And not that long ago, a woman with few other options could make a living by breast feeding.
After an accidental pregnancy leaves her lactating, Susan Rose earns her keep by going from house to house, fe...more
Approximately half the population's got 'em.
And throughout the centuries, women have used them to earn money. Baring them on film and in magazines. Shaking them while twirling aroung poles. Using 'em to feed babies.
Wait! What?
That's right. Their main purpose is for feedin' the young'uns. And not that long ago, a woman with few other options could make a living by breast feeding.
After an accidental pregnancy leaves her lactating, Susan Rose earns her keep by going from house to house, fe...more
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Susan Rose has been brought up by an abusive drunk of a father and a mother forced into wet-nursing to keep hearth and home together. When Susan, in service at the manor house, finds herself pregnant by the master's son, she is forced by her father into following in her mother's footsteps, only a few weeks after the birth of her son.
Erica Eisendorfer, in a remarkable first novel, has produced a work of originality, interest, and intelligence. No "English rose", Susan is a spirited, strapping yo...more
Erica Eisendorfer, in a remarkable first novel, has produced a work of originality, interest, and intelligence. No "English rose", Susan is a spirited, strapping yo...more
The Wet Nurse's Tale is the story of young Susan Rose, who must find work as a wet nurse when her baby is taken from her. I t was very interesting and didn't take long to read the whole book. I liked how the story showed us how hard being a wet nurse could actually be , as well as all the joys each woman experienced holding and loving these precious babies. Back in the Victorian era there were so very many mothers who just didn't want to breast feed the child on their own but who insisted that i...more
Erica Eisdorfer introduces readers to Susan Rose, an unconventionally engaging heroine who is anything but perfect: she's plump, promiscuous, cunning and most of all -unwilling to accept the simple Victorian life given to her. When Susan ends up in the home of a madwoman, she is forced to find a way to keep her child while finding the means to survive.
After Susan is forced to leave her position as a maid at the nearby "Great House" due to her pregnancy (and the fact that she wasn't married), she...more
After Susan is forced to leave her position as a maid at the nearby "Great House" due to her pregnancy (and the fact that she wasn't married), she...more
"Mammy how I love, how I love you my dear old mammy." Sorry I could not stop humming that while I was reading The Wet Nurse. Not since Jayne Mansfield have breasts done so much for a career.
I did pick this book up on purpose. Am I expecting? No. Am I contemplating a career change? Yes, but nothing in the diary field. I had made a note of The Wet Nurse when the hardcover came out that I wanted to take a look when the paperback was released. It was, I did and I purchased. Why? Historical interest....more
I did pick this book up on purpose. Am I expecting? No. Am I contemplating a career change? Yes, but nothing in the diary field. I had made a note of The Wet Nurse when the hardcover came out that I wanted to take a look when the paperback was released. It was, I did and I purchased. Why? Historical interest....more
Different from your usual reads, Erica Eisdorfer's "The Wet Nurse's Tale" is a story you won't soon forget. Set in Victorian England, this story spins a tale of Susan Rose as she transitions from working as a maid to a career as a wet nurse.
When Susan Rose gives birth to the grandson to the people she works for at the Great House, she is forced to leave her son behind to earn money for her family by working as a wet nurse for the Chandlers. Though Susan's mother lovingly tends to baby Joey, he...more
When Susan Rose gives birth to the grandson to the people she works for at the Great House, she is forced to leave her son behind to earn money for her family by working as a wet nurse for the Chandlers. Though Susan's mother lovingly tends to baby Joey, he...more
A mother's love knows no bounds - a mother will do anything for her child. She will risk death to give her child life, imprisonment to give her child freedom, and will give her child away if it means the child's survival and the mother's heartbreak.
I enjoyed this book very much. The author vanished inside the voice of this wonderful woman named Susan - a woman who is too giving with her favors, who loves her child with her whole heart, and who is a victim of the time and place she finds herself....more
I enjoyed this book very much. The author vanished inside the voice of this wonderful woman named Susan - a woman who is too giving with her favors, who loves her child with her whole heart, and who is a victim of the time and place she finds herself....more
Dec 30, 2009
Lisa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who enjoys Victorian adventure stories.
Shelves:
fiction-usa-21st-century
This is a fun & thoughtful Victorian adventure story, featuring a very original heroine. Susan Rose, the novel's protagonist wet nurse, is a real and nuanced character. I think that what makes her seem so real is her inner struggles between liberal and conservative (<-- for lack of better words, even if those concepts may not have existed in Susan Rose's time in the same way that they do today) tendencies that tug her in different directions--experimenting with sex but feeling shame for d...more
I had hoped to enjoy this book much more than I did; historical fiction, woman in a trade I know little about. But in the end, it's not a book I'd recommend. As far as plot goes, I felt like it had some real merit. The character was likeable and I sympathized with many of her plights.
The first half of the book seemed to spend too much time in the realm of romance novels -- not even love, just the talk of how women became pregnant. There were small sections interspersed called 'Mrs. ______'s rea...more
The first half of the book seemed to spend too much time in the realm of romance novels -- not even love, just the talk of how women became pregnant. There were small sections interspersed called 'Mrs. ______'s rea...more
This is the story of a professional wet nurse around the turn of the century, and it was REALLY interesting. Some of the women she nursed for didn't nurse their babies because they didn't want to lose their figure or have to be tied down to a baby. Others couldn't because they were too sick or physically unable.Some babies lost their mothers in childbirth. And some rich women would actually send their babies away to a nurse for the first year of their life and then get them back when they were w...more
Whereas I don't see this novel winning any major awards, it was a light, entertaining read. The heroine, Susan Rose, tells her story in a witty, honest, and often downright humorous way. I laughed out loud at a few of her comments and observations. Susan Rose is one of many children, her mother having been a wet nurse herself. Her father is an abusive drunk. While working at "the big house" for the rich, spoiled folks, Susan discovers "female empowerment" in the arms of the young "master." Their...more
Erica Eisdorfer nails the Victorian era. She is on top of the class divide, the race divide and the gender divide. Her main character, Susan Rose, speaks in a working-class dialect that is neither stilted nor affected. I value this highly as it is a nuance that something many authors cannot master. Eisdorfer also introduces some characters only for the brief spell of one or two pages, each one sharing his or her reasons for hiring a wet nurse. These people, too, come alive off the page and you g...more
I have to give Erica Eisdorfer props for creating such a memorable character in The Wet Nurse's Tale. Susan Rose is comfortable with herself and her sexuality, blunt and physically flawed. She reminded me of Jennifer Weiner's plus sized heroines if they happened to get lost in the Victorian age. It's a novel worth reading just for Susan Rose.
That being said, it's pretty obvious that The Wet Nurse is a first novel and at first it's hard to know what's happening with the letters spaced in between...more
That being said, it's pretty obvious that The Wet Nurse is a first novel and at first it's hard to know what's happening with the letters spaced in between...more
I found the main character and wet nurse, Susan Rose, to be quite amusing. I enjoyed that the story came from the perspective of someone of the lower classes who had to "do for herself." I loved much of the humor in her thoughts, basically along the lines that rich people worry about crazy things that poor people don't have time to think about and that the rich make the messses and the poor have to clean them up. Susan is practical and does what she needs to do to survive. Her values are based o...more
I very much enjoyed The Wet Nurse’s Tale; although it got a bit dark in the end its strongest point was a completely delightful and earthy protagonist, Susan Rose, the wet nurse of the title.
Susan Rose is a poor, uneducated and illiterate young woman; she lives with her parents and siblings in a mean little house, her father a drunk and her mother the sole support of the family by bringing babies into the home and being a wet nurse to them. Most of the family eventually goes to work in the Great...more
Susan Rose is a poor, uneducated and illiterate young woman; she lives with her parents and siblings in a mean little house, her father a drunk and her mother the sole support of the family by bringing babies into the home and being a wet nurse to them. Most of the family eventually goes to work in the Great...more
The Wet Nurse's Tale is a marvelous story, replete with atmosphere and rich characters. Susan Rose is a wet nurse, as her mother was, who in Susan's youth supports the family (and an alcoholic father) through this profession. Susan's life isn't simple or always pleasant, yet she is strangely wise and optimistic. A charming young woman, aware of her lack of physical beauty but always cheerful, Susan takes advantage of life. Her despair when her first child dies, and her greater despair when her s...more
Jan 12, 2011
Sheri S.
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011-reads,
adult-fiction
Well, I loved this book! Normally I reserve my 5-star ratings to books that I consider an all-time favorite and would read again, but this book is not one of them!!! However, I think I've read too many books lately that have just been OK or had endings that I did not like! But, woo hoo, this fantastic tale did have a great ending and I was just SO happy that I felt compelled to give it my highest rating (normally would have given this book 4 stars, no, probably 4.5!!!)! This was a superbly writt...more
Nice to have another view of the Victorian era, especially told from the other side of the tracks. Susan Rose is a survivor. Her life hasn't exactly been a bed of roses, but she comes through as a rose should, soft and pink in the right places but with a steely thorn for protection. She's pragmatic, loving, and caring. When life bypassed her in the physical beauty department, it gave her a heart that could fill with love.
I've often wondered about the whole Wet Nurse profession. It made sense in...more
I've often wondered about the whole Wet Nurse profession. It made sense in...more
I saw this title on a review of some new books, and decided that it looked interesting. It was extremely entertaining and I could not put it down. It would be classified as historical fiction, taking place in Victorian England. Susan Rose is the main character who is first employed as a maid in a large mansion of the day. She finds herself pregnant, and this leads her to the occupation of a wetnurse. I surely did not know that this was a very profitable vocation of that time. It was because ther...more
This is a beautifully written novel about a wet nurse in Victorian London. Susan Rose is young woman from a poor family who knows her own mind and is tough as nails. Sent to work in the great house near their village, Susan and her sisters toil away for the wealthy family, ever mindful of the customs and cultural restraints of the day, until Susan is approached by the awkward young Master of the house, and her life is forever changed in many ways.
This is really a novel about nursing. Interesting...more
This is really a novel about nursing. Interesting...more
1 like · like · see review
This book was fabulous. It's not my usual genre, but I've always been interested in the Victorian era and bought it on a whim. I'm glad I did.
This is probably the best book I've read in a long time. At the very least, it's the only one where I wasn't just trying to get through the last fifty pages and on to the next book. I loved this book to the last, and when it ended I was left wanting more.
I'm so impressed that every last one of the dozens of characters in this book felt like a real, fleshed...more
This is probably the best book I've read in a long time. At the very least, it's the only one where I wasn't just trying to get through the last fifty pages and on to the next book. I loved this book to the last, and when it ended I was left wanting more.
I'm so impressed that every last one of the dozens of characters in this book felt like a real, fleshed...more
A fun, while disturbing, adventure of a Wet Nurse, Susan Rose, living Victorian London. She is a strong and lively character – who, for the first couple pages, I had a little trouble sympathizing with. Her story was repeatedly interrupted with little story snippets (back stories, I finally figured out) tying together some of her childhood history. . . Reasons why families brought babies to Susan’s mother for wet nursing. (As opposed to dry nursing which is taking care of someone without giving t...more
While it was an interesting story, the main character failed to really gain my sympathy. The narrative seemed kind of detached somehow, even though the narrator was clearly going through emotional upheaval during much of the plot. Susan, the wet nurse and narrator of the story, describes sobbing for her lost baby, but I'd just think, "Huh. I guess she must be sad." It was like I knew logically that the author was showing how Susan was unhappy, but it was still kind of unconvincing.
Also, there wa...more
Also, there wa...more
The Wet Nurse's Tale is a plot driven historical fiction novel about Susan Rose, the witty, illiterate daughter of a wet nurse who works as a maid in the "Great House" in her village. Susan follows in her mother's footsteps and becomes a wet nurse herself after several pantry dalliances with the young son of her employers. The first part of the novel describes how Susan became a nurse and follows her from home to home as she nurses the babies of others at the expense of her own son Joey. The sec...more
This was a quick, easy read. I thought the “reason” chapters which were interspersed throughout the story were interesting, though the placement of the first one confused me until I figured out it was meant to be an interruption. I don’t personally care for the writing style of constantly addressing the reader (“imagine dear reader!”, “and oh, dear reader!”, “you know what it’s like, don’t you, dear reader?”) but some may feel it helps make a connection with the main character. I was also a litt...more
Wonderful Read to Pass BF-ing hours...
BF-ing = breastfeeding, by the way.
As a mother to a newborn, I've been spending a lot of time in the rocker with my baby.
As per the sentiment of the book's protagonist, Susan Rose, when one's nursing one has a lot of time to think...well one has a lot of time, period :)
This book was an immensely satisfying read for me. The character of Susan Rose was very vital and her voice was a pleasure to listen to as I followed her tale.
Ms. Eisdorfer does a masterful jo...more
BF-ing = breastfeeding, by the way.
As a mother to a newborn, I've been spending a lot of time in the rocker with my baby.
As per the sentiment of the book's protagonist, Susan Rose, when one's nursing one has a lot of time to think...well one has a lot of time, period :)
This book was an immensely satisfying read for me. The character of Susan Rose was very vital and her voice was a pleasure to listen to as I followed her tale.
Ms. Eisdorfer does a masterful jo...more
3 likes · like · see review
The idea behind this book was new and interesting so for that I should have liked to have given it 5 stars. But there was way too much irreverent talk about how the women got pregnant (if you now what I mean). There was never anything sexy...just matter of fact statements. But too much for me to want to recommend to anyone.
The second half of the book was done with all the women getting pregnant and how...and the plot thickened and became very engrossing. I liked learning about how life may have...more
The second half of the book was done with all the women getting pregnant and how...and the plot thickened and became very engrossing. I liked learning about how life may have...more
I found this book on the "new" shelf at the Library; the cover pulled me in. I read the first page and I was hooked. An interesting story about a woman named Susan Rose who lived in Victorian England. I did not know that at this time, it was common for 'women of a certain station' in life would hire a wet nurse for their babies. It was considered beneath them to nurse their own babies. The oddest thing was that sometimes they would let their babies LIVE in the very humble abodes of the wet nurse...more
From my blog: tvbooksandfilm.blogspot.com
Erica Eisdorfer has written a lovely novel about the life of a wet nurse in Victorian England. Susan Rose is a bawdy scullery maid who ends up becoming a wet nurse after an unexpected pregnancy. Susan faces many heart-breaking challenges, but faces them all dead-on with vigor, spunk, and a tremendous amount of cunning. She acknowledges when she's acting immorally, but always provides a sympathetic excuse. As a Gypsy once told her, "you'll see to yourself,...more
Erica Eisdorfer has written a lovely novel about the life of a wet nurse in Victorian England. Susan Rose is a bawdy scullery maid who ends up becoming a wet nurse after an unexpected pregnancy. Susan faces many heart-breaking challenges, but faces them all dead-on with vigor, spunk, and a tremendous amount of cunning. She acknowledges when she's acting immorally, but always provides a sympathetic excuse. As a Gypsy once told her, "you'll see to yourself,...more
Susan Rose's mother is a wet nurse, whose profession is to feed and care for other women's babies until they can be weaned and returned home. Susan's father is a drunk who is always looking for ways to earn an extra shilling. When Susan gives birth to a baby and a desperate mother calls for a wet nurse, Susan finds herself sold to the highest bidder. This is the story of a smart, plucky, adventurous lower-class woman in Victorian England, and it is everything a reader wants in a historical novel...more
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“...For having a baby's sweet face so close to your own, for so long a time as it takes to nurse 'em, is a great tonic for a sad soul.”
—
9 people liked it
“Losing a baby is not a thing that you could ever get used to, I don't believe.”
—
2 people liked it
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