A well-written novel, Bloomsbury's Late Rose was captivating and had me hooked until the very end.

Synopsis:
In 1894, sisters Charlotte and Anne Mew take a solemn vow never to marry, and never to pass on the family curse: insanity. The spinster Mew sisters descend into genteel poverty, their mother on an invalid's sofa, Anne, the painter, in a menial job.

I can only describe this as hauntingly beautiful. A step back in time, we get to watch events unfold for two sisters, who find themselves in less-than-ideal circumstances after agreeing to never marry or have children. Getting a peek inside Charlotte’s mind as she writes her poetry, strives for fame, and rides the unexpected waves of life was absolutely captivating.

Trigger warning: suicide

This is a strange, surreal little book that by all rights should not work at all. And yet it does, it exerts a power over the reader that draws the attention with its deceptively mundane details.

Using flashbacks, fabulism, and time lapses - all things that are very hard to do well and are definitely not the style right now - the writing is so heartbreakingly beautiful that the book totally gets away with it.

My only real concern with the book is the ending, and as that's based on historical fact, there's not much I can say about it.

I actually had never heard of Charlotte Mew before and had no idea that the book was based so closely on real people, so it made me appreciate all the more the subtle way Mew's poetry was woven throughout the book. I requested this arc because it was tagged as LGBTQIA, and while I think it's so important that real historical queer people are represented, I just add the word of warning that a happy story this is not.

This was a long book, or it seemed to be. It's a good story and kept me turning the pages. I felt it was a little repetitive at times and that would have made for a better book. The characters are well developed and I enjoyed Charlotte and Anne's mother (comic relief). I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.

This compelling and affecting fictionalisation of the life of poet Charlotte Mew (1869-1928) is a real delight. Gentle, slow-paced and well-crafted, it’s an insightful character study of Mew and an insight into her world. We accompany her through the years, we get to know her family and friends and gain a real understanding of what life was like in those turbulent years at the turn of the 20th century. Her interactions with others – including her beloved sister Anne, Thomas Hardy, May Sinclair and many others – are vivid and feel authentic. We learn about her daily life and all the issues coming to the fore at the time – feminism, suffrage – and the eternal conflict between a woman’s right to her own freedom and her duty towards family. We see all these societal changes through Charlotte’s eyes and we get a glimpse into her own creative process. Some of her poems are included at the end of the book and it was an added pleasure to be able to read them. All in all, an interesting, empathetic and informative portrait of a remarkable woman.

I have loved the poetry of Charlotte Mew Sincerely I was a teenager, it is stunning and the woman herself fascinating. So you could say I came to this with very high hopes....and in general I was not disappointed. The beginning is somewhat fragmented with the chapter set jumping about all over the place but once the author settle down into their writing I was drawn in.
This story can only end one way....and that in itself makes reading and writing it hard going at times. But I loved the authors evocative language and brilliant drawing of the society in which Charlotte Mew lives.
All in all a excellent effort and one I thought last enjoyed.

I found this book slightly hard to get into on account of the denseness of the prose, but once I was in it, I was in it. The Edwardian era is beautifully realised. The historical period really does come to life along with the characters. I'm usually a very quick reader, but this one forced me to take my time, which I admit I found frustrating but was ultimately pleased by. The story itself is engrossing and I have a real urge to research it now. Will definitely be getting copies of this for fellow fans of queer historical fiction.

Vividly painted Edwardian era.

Strong women who make difficult decisions on how to live their lives in a Male dominated, convention ridden society.

Charlotte is unconventional, artistic by nature and ill fitted to be restricted to a mere woman's role in her home.

I loved the history, the romance of this book.

it took me a while to get into the story, but by the last half of the book i was enthralled by this slow and careful character study of charlotte mew written in pen pearson's gorgeous prose. all things considered it's quite a beautiful if unfailingly tragic portrait of a lesbian poet's life from the turn of the century to her death in 1928. i had gone in not knowing about charlotte mew so it was nice to be introduced to her poetry by way of her richly imagined life, and i imagine it would be a rewarding read for someone already familiar with her work!

Bloomsbury's Late Rose has some great characters and writing. The storyline is interesting and entertaining. I would read more from this author.

London, 1894: Two sisters, Anne and Charlotte Mew, both in their early twenties make a pact to never marry in order to avoid possibility of passing insanity to their children, which runs in their family. They will have each other, Anne her paintings and Charlotte her writing.

Both sisters live with their mother in a house where they have tenants to help their dire financial situation.

Their Aunt Mary Kendall, who passed away a few months earlier, leaves Charlotte and Anne two investment properties in Brighton.

Anne rents a studio in hope of furthering her career, which later leads her only to a menial job.

Mrs. Dawson Scott, hostess of the salon, encourages “Charlotte to read her poems to a small gathering of women at her home in Southall.”

Through Mrs. Scott, Charlotte meets May Sinclair, a writer and an active suffragist. And thanks to May’s help, Charlotte’s poem gets published.

A few years later, Charlotte joins The Poetry Bookshop. The owner of the shop offers to publish a book of Charlotte’s poems.

Charlotte’s hopes of fame come in short waves, but she also has another big hope, which she keeps in secret.

The author skillfully paints a portrait of a poetess who craves for fame and it keeps eluding her, and her raw reflections of life’s ups and downs. When she is considered an older spinster with graying hair, she comes to a realization that maybe fame was the wrong thing to focus on; there are some other more important things in life.

The intricate characters are involved in lively discussions, for example, suffragette movement. The time period is skillfully presented through many layers of history, for example fashion and WWI effects on civilians.

The chapters are short and as the story begins, the first few chapters jump from one scene to another, not making much cohesion. But the original descriptions and artful language, sometimes sharp and funny, carries a reader through to an engaging story with pages turning fast, making it a quick read. I devoured this book over the weekend.

The eloquent writing and original descriptions reveal a very talented writer.