The Winter Rose

Finished May 8
The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
Several years ago I read and loved Donnelly's first novel, The Tea Rose. Just recently I discovered that it was the first in a series and immediately put a hold on the library copy of the second one, The Winter Rose. The first novel featured a young woman from the East End of London, Fiona, who defied the circumstances of her birth and the social power at the time to found a tea company.
This novel follows a young woman, born to wealth, but possessed of a powerful need to do good in the world. Defying her family, she becomes a doctor and tries to better the health and lives of the poor in London. Her name is India, and in the course of her work she encounters both the high and low of London society. She gets support from Fiona in her endeavors and also encounters the man known as the head of the worst criminal gang in the East End. But Sid Malone is more than he seems and India finds that many of the men in her life are different than their public personas.
I took this out on Saturday, and finished it Sunday evening. I could barely put it down. Donnelly writes gripping stories, where you find yourself wanting to know what happens next. A great read.