Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Pip Williams - 4.5 stars for a wonderful look into the history of words and the dictionary!
Esme is a motherless girl being raised by her father who is a lexicographer working with a group of men to create the first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme spends much of her younger days in the Scriptorium where the men work. One day when she is sitting under the table, a slip of paper with the word "bondmaid" floats underneath the sorting table unnoticed. Esme takes it and so begins her collection of words - she keeps them in a trunk belonging to her friend, Libby, who is a servant of the boss. As she grows older, she sees that some words won't make it into the dictionary because they are words that women use or words that describe women's feelings. Her collection grows. As Esme grows older, the world changes and she becomes involved in the Suffragette Movement as well as WWI efforts.
Meticulously researched and written, this is a fascinating look into how words made it into the dictionary and how the books were printed. It's also a wonderful look into the power of words and their meanings. It's certainly a look into the role of women in this time period but it's also a book full of wonderful characters and their friendships, love, grief. Don't miss it!
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