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A Woman's Choice

Annie Thomas (Goodreads Author)

3.91 · Rating details · 23 ratings · 15 reviews

It is 1901. Queen Victoria is dead; a new era has begun. And on a cold April morning a young girl stands uncertainly on Liverpool Docks ready to board an emigrant ship that will take her to America and an unknown future. Michael, Luke, and Meg are amongst her fellow travellers, with the common bond that only determination and self-belief will sustain them in their new live ...more

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Kindle Edition, 353 pages

Published July 6th 2013 by Amazon Digital Services

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Nov 16, 2014 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it really liked it

From Gloucestershire, England, to New York City.

Making her way with her mother, Jenny, to a new life in America after her father died, Clara realized she was able to take care of her mother and still make choices. The boat ride across the Atlantic wasn't pleasant, but Clara And her mother met folks to share the worries and hopefully folks that they would see again some day.

Clara also found out that New Yorkers were not a pleasant lot. The early days of their arrival were spent in adapting to liv ...more

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Feb 07, 2014 Karen rated it really liked it

We first meet Clara Foley in 1901, when she is 12 years old and boarding a ship at Liverpool, with her mother Jenny to start a new life in America. Her mother has become very fragile following the death of her husband and Clara finds herself increasingly having to make decisions for both of them. Clara has a very old head on young shoulders and it is this strength of character that will sustain her for the future, where, unbeknown to her at the time, some of her fellow passengers will have a hug We first meet Clara Foley in 1901, when she is 12 years old and boarding a ship at Liverpool, with her mother Jenny to start a new life in America. Her mother has become very fragile following the death of her husband and Clara finds herself increasingly having to make decisions for both of them. Clara has a very old head on young shoulders and it is this strength of character that will sustain her for the future, where, unbeknown to her at the time, some of her fellow passengers will have a huge impact on her future life in America.

Even at a very young age Clara is determined to make something of her life and give herself and her mother a better standard of living. She may have to start off in the sweatshops of early twentieth century New York but has no intention of staying there. Using every ounce of determination and talent, she attempts to forge a career for herself in musical theatre and make a better life.

Aside from the character of Clara, what I loved about this book was the depth and detail of description - from the clothing sweatshops where workers were at the mercy of ruthless bosses and the poorest parts of the city where people struggled to survive to the glamorous parties of the rich and famous and the prejudices and tragedy arising from America’s involvement in WW1. We follow Clara through good times and bad – and all the time I was rooting for her to find happiness and have the life that she dreamt of.

There are some great characters that come into Clara’s life throughout the book – most I loved and one or two I didn’t quite take to; from the brash but kind Bertha Ramsey on the ship to America, cheeky young Irishman Michael O’Halloran and the ambitious Luke Rutherford and, later on, her devoted friend Noreen and the loud but loyal Margo. Whether likeable or not, the characters are all so well written and believable. Clara, of course, is the star of the story. She may have had a rough start in life but her father taught her well and she remains true to those important values of basic goodness and integrity. There were times when I felt she may have been a little too perfect, but then we see her weaknesses and vulnerabilities and her sadness at the choices she has to make.

This is a beautifully written historical saga that you can immerse yourself in and I was hooked from the first page. It is an excellent debut novel and I can highly recommend it. I certainly look forward to reading more by Annie Thomas.
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Jul 25, 2014 Lauralee rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, america, world-wars-i-and-ii

A Woman’s Choice follows a young English immigrant, named Clara Foley, into the U.S. The story tells of the friends she made on the immigrant ship, her ups and downs in America, her dreams and the choices she made. Most of all, it is about Clara trying to find happiness and identity in a world that is hostile to other races. Clara must choose what is right and stick to her conscience, even if she has to forsake those she loves.

The first thing to describe Clara Foley is that she is beautiful. At A Woman’s Choice follows a young English immigrant, named Clara Foley, into the U.S. The story tells of the friends she made on the immigrant ship, her ups and downs in America, her dreams and the choices she made. Most of all, it is about Clara trying to find happiness and identity in a world that is hostile to other races. Clara must choose what is right and stick to her conscience, even if she has to forsake those she loves.

The first thing to describe Clara Foley is that she is beautiful. At twelve, her beauty attracts many men who fall in love with her. It goes on from there. Everywhere she goes, her beauty fascinate and attracts many people that it is easy for her to get what she wants. Even though she is vain, she is hard and persistent. She is courageous and not afraid to stand up to others, including those she loves, for what is right.

The author brilliantly paints a gorgeous setting of life on the immigrant ship and in New York City before World War I. We get to learn of how women worked in sweatshops, and what the musical theatre was like. But the setting I found to be really interesting was what New York was like in World War I. She explained the prejudices of German immigrants, who went to America to pursue their dreams. We also learn that some corporations survived World War I by enlisting in a black market. It helped give the reader a good portrait for the problems that America faced during the war.

Overall, the story is about love, family, friendship, loss, sacrifice, choices, and finding one’s identity. It is about a young woman who is in pursuit of the American dream. The message of the book is to follow your heart and do what you think is right. There are a lot of interesting subplots and secondary characters that are fun and likeable. The story is slow-paced and there is a love triangle that seems forced and tends to drag. I also found the constant mentioning of Clara’s beauty to be somewhat off-putting. Nevertheless, the story is interesting and you care about what happens to Clara and the friends she’s made. I recommend this to anyone interested in city-life in 20th century America, World War I, broadway, and those who face obstacles and hardships but are determined to make their dreams and goals come true.
(Note: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.) ...more

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Feb 09, 2014 Anne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle

This book was a really lovely read - I wouldn't have missed it for the world, and would highly recommend to all who enjoy a good story, well told, set against a vivid historical backdrop.

On the first page we’re introduced to twelve year old Clara Foley as she embarks a ship at Liverpool docks together with her ailing mother Jenny, facing a long journey as steerage passengers bound for a new life in America. Once on board, her mother is taken under the wing of the wonderful Bertha Ramsay, allowin This book was a really lovely read - I wouldn't have missed it for the world, and would highly recommend to all who enjoy a good story, well told, set against a vivid historical backdrop.

On the first page we’re introduced to twelve year old Clara Foley as she embarks a ship at Liverpool docks together with her ailing mother Jenny, facing a long journey as steerage passengers bound for a new life in America. Once on board, her mother is taken under the wing of the wonderful Bertha Ramsay, allowing Clara to find a corner of the deck that she can call her own, and where she first meets Luke Rutherford and Michael O’Halloran, both of whom will be major figures in her future life. Luke has dreams of working for the Detroit Automobile Company, if he’s ever able to escape the clutches of his father. Michael – a vibrant character in both childhood and adulthood – is travelling with his large family, and you just know that his skills in ducking and diving will see him making a success of his new life.

Once ashore, the story really takes off. We see Clara... but no, I mustn’t tell you the story, other than that the story moves through the sweatshops in New York’s Jewish quarter, through Tin Pan Alley, the birth of the car industry through the trials, tribulations, injustices and prejudices of World War One. And through it all, we have the wonderful character driven story of Clara, who makes a series of engrossing choices that shape her life.

I loved this book: I read the last two-thirds on a rainy afternoon in front of the fire and escaped totally into early 20th century New York, replete with all its sounds, tastes and smells. The book has a wonderful filmic quality – you can almost hear the director shouting “action”, as the camera pans round the current scene, and the characters appear and catch your eye. It’s a story that sweeps you along, caring deeply for Clara and the myriad characters that pass through her life. There are moments of immense joy and great sadness, and the backdrop is vividly drawn and meticulously detailed. It’s a long time since I read any of the sagas of my youth, but this book really brought to mind the early books of Barbara Taylor Bradford and Lesley Pearse. Yes, it's that good! The author says that she reads to escape – if you enjoy reading for the same reason, then you’re going to just love this one.
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Jul 02, 2014 ReaderSP rated it liked it

Although I love historical fiction, I would never have picked this book up as I tend to prefer history surrounding the English kings and queens of past, particularly Philippa Gregory’s books. I came across this book as the author was offering free copies in exchange for an honest review, so I thought I’d try it out.

The story follows Clara Foley from 1901, when she is 12 years old and boarding a ship at Liverpool, with her mother Jenny to start a new life in America. Clara’s father has recently Although I love historical fiction, I would never have picked this book up as I tend to prefer history surrounding the English kings and queens of past, particularly Philippa Gregory’s books. I came across this book as the author was offering free copies in exchange for an honest review, so I thought I’d try it out.

The story follows Clara Foley from 1901, when she is 12 years old and boarding a ship at Liverpool, with her mother Jenny to start a new life in America. Clara’s father has recently died and due to the increasing fragile state of her mother, the pair decide to strive for a new life in America. Although only 12 years old, Clara has a wise head and taking control of the situation and showing her strength of character means that she encounters some memorable people on board the ship that will have a huge impact on her future life in America. Clara is determined to make something of her life and give herself and her mother a better standard of living. She loves to sing and the story follows her as she strives to make a living doing what she loves.

As I said, this wasn’t a book that I would ordinarily considered reading. There was a high level of detail in the book particularly regarding the sweatshop conditions and some of the different people and characters found in New York, which I enjoyed. I feel that the book was very well written but I did find it a bit slow in some places. I usually whiz through my books quite quickly and this one took me a bit longer than normal, I was more reluctant to read it as it didn’t ‘grab’ me as much as other books and the pace seemed to lose speed half-way through. Notwithstanding that, I did like the book and I enjoyed the story and characters. I love books that span a big chunk of time and this story follows Clara for 18 years, so we really feel that we get to know her and her friends. Overall, I did enjoy this book, even though it was out of my normal reading genre and I wouldn’t ordinarily have considered it. It’s a good debut story and well worth a read if you like this genre. ...more

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May 16, 2014 Rosie Amber rated it it was amazing

A Woman's Choice spans approximately 18 years of Clara Foley's life. It begins just after the turn of the 20th Century, with young Clara. At nearly 12 years old she and her mother are about to embark on a steamer bound for America where they intend to start a new life. Turned out of their home after Clara's father died, their only hope came in the offer of assistance from Clara's Aunt in New York.

This book is about the strength of women. Clara must be strong where her mother is weak from grief. ...more

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Apr 02, 2014 Bodicia rated it it was amazing

This novel is a powerfully emotive read. It starts with 12 year old Clara Foley emigrating to America to start a new life with her mother after her father is killed in an accidental shooting. We follow Clara’s determination to make something more or herself and her life through childhood to stardom to motherhood. On that first journey across the sea she makes solid friendships with children around her own age which will shape her life and decision making for decades to come. Clara’s friendship w ...more

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Mar 21, 2014 Jaffareadstoo rated it really liked it

When we first meet Clara Foley, she is a stalwart twelve year old, with an old head on young shoulders, her compassion belies her tender years. As she boards an emigrant ship at Liverpool to start a new life in America with her delicate mother, her energy and zest for life is palpable. What then follows is a beautifully written account of Clara’s time in the land of opportunity, of the people she meets and of the friendships she makes along the way.

I really enjoyed this lovely historical saga wh ...more

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Jun 07, 2014 Maria rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction

I was completely immersed into this book from practically the first page and stayed that way until the last. A Woman's Choice follows the life of Clara Foley as she immigrates from England to New York in the early 1900s.

Her journey begins on the steam boat transporting her and her mother to Ellis Island. From that point, the reader follows her through life in the tenement and upward. The author did an excellent job of intertwining history into the overriding story and into specific characters.

C ...more

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Oct 19, 2013 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013, fiction, historical-fiction

"A Woman's Choice" is the story of Clara, a young Irish immigrant who comes to New York City with her ailing mother to start a new life like so many other European families during the early 1900s. I've always been drawn to stories of immigrants. My own family came over to the States in the early 1900s for the most part and I have a lot of respect for those that made the choice to leave it all behind and create something new.

I really enjoyed the setting of the book. I love reading about New York ...more

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Oct 19, 2013 Barbara rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this well written, historical novel by Annie Thomas. A great sense of time and place is created as the reader is transported back into the early part of the 20th century. From the opening scenes at Liverpool docks the story really drew me in. From Liverpool the author transports us to New York with a gently rolling story aboard ship. Clara, aged 12, is in charge of her mother, her father has died, and together they board the emigrant ship for New York. It is a story of friendshi ...more

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Jun 20, 2014 Lynn rated it it was amazing

I received A Woman's choice from the Author Annie Thomas for review.

I really enjoyed this book once started, I didn't want to put it down. Following the life of Clara through her fight from poverty to privilege, she follows her dreams never giving up up in a new country during times of suffrage and war. ...more

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Jun 14, 2014 Lorrie rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, fiction, kindle

Very enjoyable book. I especially liked the ending and thought it nearly perfect! Thank you, Annie Thomas, for providing me with this free kindle copy to read and offer feedback on. Yay, Clara Foley!!

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Apr 01, 2014 May rated it really liked it

A young Irish girl immigrates to NYC in the early 1900's. This story of her dreams and challenges, her choices, is nicely written. It was a delightful story & I enjoyed it immensely. Perfect for a day spent traveling!! ...more

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Jul 20, 2013 L. rated it did not like it

Shelves: did-not-finish, historical

PROS: That's nice artwork on the cover.

CONS: The only good thing I can say about this book is it has nice artwork on the cover. ...more

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About Annie Thomas

Annie Thomas

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Annie Thomas lives in rural England, in a 19thc converted pub with her husband and son.

She studied English and History at University, combining her love of reading with the broad canvas of public events and the human stories of the people who lived through them.