REVIEW: The Laudanum Ladies’ Society by Elisabeth J Hobbes
In a London that insists women remain quiet, dutiful, and dull, two unlikely conspirators discover a secret that awakens everything society tells them to suppress…
Jenny Rosewood – single, clever and nearly thirty, heaven forbid – has long disguised herself as a man to attend nighttime lectures and chase knowledge forbidden to her. But when an accidental alteration of her uncle’s sleeping draught unleashes a dizzying rush of freedom, Jenny sees an opportunity.
Together with Gwen Walters, a pharmacist’s wife hidden in her husband’s shadow, they form a covert sisterhood where London’s ladies gather to indulge in their secret tincture under the guise of afternoon tea.
Soon, society’s most proper ladies are sipping their way toward inspiration, rebellion and risk.
Because once women taste freedom, no amount of decorum can force it back in the bottle.
CW/TW – drug use, sex trafficking, prostitution, domestic violence, misogyny
Dear Ms. Hobbes,
When I read the blurb I had thought this would mainly be a more light hearted examination of Victorian women standing up for themselves and claiming their due. The actual situations that our FMCs are up against are far darker. See my CWs above. Since I quickly waved my preconceptions away, it didn’t take long to realize that the dark issues are very period centered and make a lot of sense for that time frame.
There are many misogynistic and women’s rights issues that the book delves into. Wives were still subject to their husbands and fists could and were used to enforce this, women were discouraged or prevented from handling their own money, being openly queer wasn’t a good idea.
Most all of the men in the book, major or minor, are shits. There’s just one goodun and he takes a while to appear on page. Most of the women are different in social standing. Some are working class, one is upper working class, one is bourgeoisie, and one is an Hon. At first there is friction, envy, and misunderstandings between and among them. A few remain at odds for the entirety of the story while several others develop admiration and a degree of friendship for each other.
Based on enjoying your past books, I dove into requesting this one. Somehow, despite the title, the impact of the fact that what Jenny and Gwen are doing – mixing and distributing a substance that has highly addictive properties – took a while to hit my discomfort meter. After I started to squirm about it, I stopped and muttered to myself about this and how uncomfortable it was making me. Thankfully the book brings this upfront and center. Continuing on, the plot’s condemnation of this only increased.
Gwen and Jenny have to face what they’ve got themselves into. They both have valid reasons to want to make money and at first had no idea beyond selling the product by the dose to willing women to induce those women to have slight and momentary euphoria. Then the chance to drastically increase sales is dangled before them and they’re headed down the path to hell which is paved with good intentions.
So how could our characters initially be so blasé about handing out a tincture made from opium and cocaine? Remember the time period. This is the late Victorian era when these ingredients were easily available and commonly used not only in quack, snake-oil nostrums but also in pharmacy made medicines. Many people were unaware of the danger of addiction they were putting themselves in by consuming them. However it is something much darker which finally smacks Jenny and Gwen in the face with the facts.
Brava that they both stop and examine what they wanted and what they’ve become a part of, however unknowingly. They don’t like what they see and take action not only to end what they’re a part of but to make changes in their lives. The book ends with the women facing new paths in life but without wrapping everything neatly in a bow. I like the places they’ve reached and the possibilities for the future. B
~Jayne
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