The Other Side of Mrs Wood
Paperback Published on: 15/02/2024
Price: £9.99
Bookseller Reviews
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An amusing and immersive read that is rich with exaggeration and illusion.
The Other Side Of Mrs Wood is a sharply witty and riotous novel about Victorian spiritualism, professional rivalry, secrets and most importantly: illusion.... READ MORE
A funny, observant romp of a novel!
The year is 1873, England.
Mrs Wood is one of London’s most celebrated, revered, respected, and untouchable mediums this fine land has ever, or will ever s... READ MORE
Gas lit and very satisfying
Set in the dimly lit drawing rooms of Victorian London, as I was reading this I was reminded of an old film. I cold see this being played out on the set of... READ MORE
An absolute treat!
Blow out the tapers on your best silver candelabra and prepare to enter the shadowy world of the best Medium in Victorian London, the mysterious Mrs Wood a... READ MORE
A quick and funny light-hearted read!
Enjoyable quick, fun read - perfect for travel or when you want an easy read and let the brain just try something light and funny. I loved the attention to... READ MORE
I loved reading this book...
This one kind of surprised me. I expected a fairly entertaining historical novel that I would like but probably forget in time.
I loved reading this book... READ MORE
Synopsis
‘I want your reputation’, the girl said to Mrs Wood. ‘I want everything you have…’
Mrs Wood is the London’s most celebrated medium, having survived decades in the competitive world of contacting the Other Side hosting packed-out séances for Victorian high society.
But, with rival young mediums dazzling audiences across the city, the allure of London’s most established star might be starting to wane. And then, at one of her routine gatherings, she hears something truly terrifying: a yawn.
So, Mrs Wood takes on a young protégé to spice up her show. But does her new pupil pose more of a threat to Mrs Wood’s reputation than she could imagined?
Publisher information
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
- ISBN: 9780008597245
- Number of pages: 368
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 30 mm
- Weight: 280g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allDull & lacking in research
As someone who works professionally in the backstage theatre industry, I have always been intrigued by the idea of Victorian mediums. Not only is there a s... READ MORE
Cutthroat world of spiritualists.
Mrs wood is a spiritualist medium who is top of her game. It's a risky occupation, with fraudsters being outed and shamed and shunned from society.
She ta... READ MORE
A fascinating insight in the work of a Victorian medium
Mrs Wood is a first-class medium in Victorian London. She has her pick of clientele and is lauded by high-society. But when she decides to take on an ‘appr... READ MORE
Mrs Wood is a medium, but not a good fit for me
I read this with the Pigeonhole. Lucy Barker is a talented writer and evokes the time and place of this story really well. I'm not sure if it is the rather... READ MORE
19th century spiritualist shenanigans
I read this as part of our Isle of Wight College reading group. I was most drawn to the character of Miss Newman, an intriguing foil to the comic Mrs Wood.... READ MORE
An enjoyable read
I thought this was a little slow to start with, but then I really got invested in the main character Mrs Wood, and I just had to find out how she was going... READ MORE
Slow start
I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this novel, but, unfortunately, it took me more than half of the book before I really got into it. First of all, ... READ MORE
Warring mediums in this entertaining historical novel
Violet Woods is London’s most celebrated medium. Along with her companion/assistant, Miss Newman, she offers comfort for her wealthy patrons as she makes c... READ MORE
An entertaining novel set in the competitive world of Victorian Spiritualism
“Illusion is everything”
My thanks to William Collins Fourth Estate for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Other Side of Mrs. Wood’ by Lucy Barker.
London, 18... READ MORE
For fans of historical fiction
I read this as part of our Isle of Wight College reading group. I was most drawn to the character of Miss Newman, an intriguing foil to the comic Mrs Wood.... READ MORE
Intriguing and witty tale of 2 rivals in the spiritualism world
It’s 1873 and in Notting Hill, London, Mrs. Wood is preparing for one of her famed seances. She is one of the best mediums in town and the wealthy and wel... READ MORE
The Other Side of Mrs Wood by Lucy Barker
The Other Side of Mrs Wood by Lucy Barker is a story of two female mediums in Victorian England and their rivalry. Mrs Violet Wood is a very hardworking am... READ MORE
A must read of 2023
I totally fell in love with this book. Its characters are well developed and you end up being totally drawn into their world. I am not sure why ii is being... READ MORE
Well worth the read
It is 1870, Victorian London. Mrs Wood is one of the most prestigious and sought after mediums in London but recently her popularity seems to be waning. So... READ MORE
Full of Victorian séance shenanigans
I'm torn between giving "The Other Side of Mrs Wood" by Lucy Barker 4 stars or 5 stars. The book is set in the middle of the Victorian era when séances we... READ MORE
Brilliant!
A most enjoyable read! I am a fan of historical novels, and I love the whole spiritualism era, I find it so fascinating, so I was looking forward to pickin... READ MORE
“In our world, illusion is everything.”
“In our world, illusion is everything.”
This book is an interesting, sober take on the world of mediums – entertainment so popular back in the 19th centur... READ MORE
Seances in Victorian London! Fabulous
A well written and atmospheric read set in Victorian London and their obsession with seances and the afterlife. I absolutely adored Mrs Wood as a character... READ MORE
Uninspired rivalry between two mediums
I loved the premise – a Medium in Victorian London – definitely something a little different! However, the novel unfortunately just didn’t do it for me. It... READ MORE
Very Funny!
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy. At first I wasn't sure I was interested in funny historical, I just couldn't really decide if this ... READ MORE
Victorian mediums
The synopsis of the book drew me in. I was interested in the characters and how they lived in Victorian Britain and the detail of the trials and tribulatio... READ MORE
A Well Written and Entertaining Read.
Mrs. Violet Wood is London's premier medium. Her ambition and work ethic are relentless, her unique abilities have earned her quite the reputation among Lo... READ MORE
The Other Side of Mrs Wood
Mrs Wood is a medium. One of London's finest. Her "abilities" have rendered her most popular amongst London's elite. Basically she knows what they want and... READ MORE
A highly entertaining and intriguing read set in the world of mediums in Victorian London
Mrs Wood is one of the most famous and respected medium in Victorian London. She's been around for decades and her devoted patrons ensure that her seances ... READ MORE
Atmospheric Storyline, Fascinating Read!
Spiritualism saturates Victorian literary culture, and not just through its most famous converts, such as Arthur Conan Doyle. It is the background for the ... READ MORE
Well executed
This started off nicely but a little slow, but then I hit an event and I couldn’t put the book down. I stayed up late to finish it. The author lulled me in... READ MORE
fun period piece
Despite being a little too drawn out in the middle, this was a fun book to read. The cental character of Mrs Wood was well drawn and her struggles with bei... READ MORE
Enjoyable read
An enjoyable read, interesting setting, and at times thought provoking plot. There are things that frustrated me about this novel, but I wonder if some of ... READ MORE
Spiritualist Victorian London
I began this book with no expectations but was immediately drawn into the world of 19th century London and the spiritualist societies that operated there. ... READ MORE
Fun
Mrs Wood is London’s most famous medium. She has avoided the mistakes that have revealed others as frauds and remains in high demand. However, younger, fre... READ MORE
Highly recommended
This is was a pleasant and intriguing read. Not the first I read about the world of spiritualism and mediums in this timeframe but a new and fresh take on ... READ MORE
Delight in the battle of the mediums in Victorian London
Victorian London brings to mind the age of spiritualism, mediums and seances. A fascinating time when communing with the dearly departed was all the rage, ... READ MORE
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