This compulsively readable feminist drama offers a glimpse in the life of a madam of a legal brothel in the 1950s. The plot is neither dark nor explicit- the normalized independence and empowerment of the women is the focus of the book, rather than the details of their work. Full of fascinating side characters and plenty of unexpected twists, Mrs. Gulliver is for readers who enjoy stories of female friendship and women who defy expectations. 5⭐️!

Thank you netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

“𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒕à 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆,” 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅.
“𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚,” 𝑴𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑨𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅. “𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔.”

1954, Lila Gulliver runs a high-end brothel on the island of Verona, a place where professionals from politicians to doctors and bankers can secretly satisfy their sexual appetites while the prostitutes themselves are kept safe. With bad weather and blight ruining the local economy, the people are facing hard times, but Lila is a shrewd businesswoman, taking in only the best girls with certain qualities. Lila is no stranger to hard work, born in a poor village, losing her parents, living under the rule of a cold aunt and a womanizer uncle, it is no surprise when she finally strikes out on her own working as a waitress that she discovers more money can be made by sleeping with customers, mostly sailors. Crude, rough men nothing like the clients her women entertain when she runs her own house. It didn’t come easy, saving up her earnings to buy the place, but she established herself as a fair, and discreet Madam in an upscale area.

One day a pair of country girls (Bessie and Carità), the sort she usually refuses employment, have gained entrance with the coveted password only clients know. Bessie has secured a job shucking oysters, but it is Carità who needs to become a working girl. Beautiful and with a voice of velvet, Lila is shocked to learn Carità has been blind since birth. She is intelligent, their uncle had her educated, raised mostly by a teacher, she even plays the piano and reads braille. In fact, she is witty, strong and doesn’t seem to be made fragile by the state of her blindness. She is a force of nature, evident in her responses and forthright manner. Lila recognizes immediately her allure and knows there are clients who would fall for her, but never did she imagine just who would get trapped in Carità’s net, nor how she herself would become entangled in scandal and danger.

Ian Drohan, the son of the wealthiest family on the island, comes into the establishment with his friend, Ben “BB” Betone (hotheaded, arrogant son of a gangster). It isn’t long before inexperienced, shy Ian becomes besotted with Carità and disgusted by Lila, who he assumes is taking advantage of the fragile, disabled beauty. He hovers around her, like a bee to honey and Lila knows he will be back. Soon the pair are lovers, but Lila isn’t convinced of his feelings. When it comes to the young, they tend to run away with many fancies and desires of the flesh often makes fools of us all. Carità knows what she wants and so does Ian, but are they on the same path? Is she in need of saving? It seems every person she encounters knows what is best for her, but Carità may have even more ambition, in the end, then even Lila herself. In trying to protect Carità’s future, Lila will learn more about love and madness than she imagined, and life just might have a few surprises left for her when she meets with Ian’s father Mike. When Ian gets mixed up in violence, and breaks down, Carità finds herself in a bind. Will the lovers be spared?

This is a tale of love, ambition and the spirit of a woman who won’t be managed by anyone. Carità refuses to be a victim. The world is rich, and there is so much she longs to do and learn. It’s not my usual read, but I enjoyed it. I can see this made into a film.

Publication Date: February 20, 2024 Available Now

Doubleday Books

I read, and loved, Martin's book <I>I Give it to You</I> last year, so, when I saw she had a new book coming out, I requested it on NetGalley. I saw that it was set in Verona, and, because her previous book was set in Italy, I assumed the same here. (Note: I am terrible with Geography, so I didn't look at a map to see that Verona, Italy, is basically landlocked, and this Verona is clearly described in the summary as a tropical island...) No matter, the author would just like you to keep those star-crossed lovers in mind while you read the story.

I do disagree with this book being tagged as Historical Fiction—as far as I could tell, there is nothing here tied to any events in history. Of course I know there are plenty of books billed as historical fiction that reflect only a slight sliver of history, but for some reason I felt a bit duped by this. I would have classified the novel as Romance; just a heads up for the more hardcore historical fiction fans.

Regardless of classifications, Martin tells a fast-paced, compelling story with a terrific bunch of characters, flaws and all. Setting a novel in a (legal) brothel can require some challenging conversations, and I think that Martin addressed this fairly, without devolving into any kind of moralistic rant. Sure, it was idealistic, but I am reading for a break from politics right now, so this is a welcome change. Martin offers up a few salient points on the "oldest institution", but she also offers up a terrific story that, unlike my news feed, won't keep me from getting a good night's sleep.

Mrs. Gulliver runs a legal brothel on Verona Island. She has just lost one of her girls when Bessie and Carita shows up at her door. Bessie has a job shucking oysters but Carita is blind and this is the only job she seems qualified for. After a few nights Ian Drohan comes in with his friend and falls in love with Carita. On her day off they run to a priest and get married. I was expecting a take off on Romeo and Juliet but the only ones opposed to the marriage were his parents who were wealthy. The first part of the book explains how Mrs. G came to own a brothel but at about the half way point she starts an affair with Ian's father and things slowed way down.

I didn't feel like the characters were really fleshed out and sometime the dialog seemed forced. There was no passion. One other thing that I tried to pin down was the place. It is described as an island but big enough that some towns were three hours away and it was large enough to have a university. I felt like the author was trying out different things like it was close to Spain, or maybe France? Mexican and then at times it felt American. The writing was okay, kept me reading to the end but it just lacked depth.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Doubleday for providing me with a digital copy.

Lila Gulliver, who was raised in poverty and spent her adolescence in a seedy brothel, owns and operates a discrete bordello whose clients are professionals and, because her city is wrapped around a port, seagoing men, but “officers only.” Mrs. Gulliver is a generous boss who treats her employees with respect and dignity. The bad weather and blight have ravaged the economy of fictional Verona Island and several of the prettier daughters of rice farmers have shown up at Mrs. Gulliver’s door. One such girl is Carità Bercy, a young, destitute, and beautiful blind woman who was raised with her sister in comfort by a bachelor uncle who committed suicide when his rice crops failed and the bank foreclosed on his property. Mrs. Gulliver decides to give the proud and determined Carita a chance.

Carita proves to be an asset to the house. She quickly attracts the attention of Ian Drohan, a handsome young man and the son of the most powerful family on the island. Ian is determined to “save” Carita and they impulsively elope. But, Ian has become mixed up with some local gangsters, and the star-crossed lovers are on the run. On their trail is Mrs. Gulliver and Ian’s father, Mike Drohan, who end up having a passionate affair.

The novel was initially charming — the descriptions of the tropical paradise with its fragile economy and the backstories of the woman who worked for Mrs. Gulliver — are engaging. Carita, too, is difficult to resist, and we learn that she has ambitions that exceed marriage to the scion of a wealthy man. But, the book loses steam when the focus is on Mrs. Gulliver and her affair with Drohan. Martin does not address issues like agency or victimization but, rather, writes of passion in phrases more befitting a romance novel. Thank you Doubleday and Net Galley for providing me with an advance copy of this playful novel.

Mrs. Gulliver takes inspiration from Romeo and Juliet, though it’s not a straight retelling. Valerie Martin’s newest book may be set in a place called Verona, but, here, Verona is a poverty-stricken tropical island that has legalized prostitution and “Juliet” ( aka Carità) is a blind prostitute in the 1950s.

To me, this felt like the story of Mrs. Gulliver, the madam of Carità’s upscale bordello and the narrator of this tale. I just meant to read a chapter or two on my flight yesterday, but I was so riveted by the strong women of Mrs. Gulliver’s bordello and the lush setting, that I ended up reading this in one sitting.

Mrs. Gulliver’s observations on life are dark, ironic, and often droll. And unsurprisingly, given the narrator’s profession, Martin’s novel features themes of misogyny, the patriarchy, and men’s miswielded power. I did feel underwhelmed by the novel’s ending but enjoyed the overall reading experience.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for the gifted copy! Mrs. Gulliver is out 2/20

A beautifully written book. You were never in a hurry because the description of the places were amazing. Carita was born blind but that never stopped her. She has this canny ability to see more accurately just by listening. She was looking for a means to an end. Ian Drohan comes from a wealthy family. They want him to attend college but he is going through the motions. When the two of them meet, there is a connection. Ian typically believes that women should be happy with what she has been given. Little did he realize that Carita was a strong independent person. She is college bound with the help of a mentor and Ian has found his passion due to art therapy. Family is what you make and with Carita leading the way, Ian and his father are mending fences.

I received this advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This novel was a fun, curious, and delightful adventure! I was very surprised by the author's excellent characters, her plot twists and the exceptional dialogue. I was swiftly drawn into the story and finished the book in about 3 days. I can't recommend this novel highly enough!!

Valeria Martin has taken female agency and turned it into a rather interesting story.

Mrs Gulliver and Carità are two of the more interesting female characters I've read in some time. In a fictional island, where English is the primary language, prostitution is legal and gang violence is normal, the bordello run by Mrs Gulliver is a higher-end establishment. The lounge is full of music, snacks and beautiful girls. On occasion, men just stop by to enjoy the lounge area.

Carità arrives with her sister, looking for a job. She's beautiful in an other-worldly way and has an intelligence that surprises everyone. Mrs Gulliver is intrigued by this young woman. Soon, a handsome young man, who is the son of a high-powered judge, become infatuated with Carità and thus the Romeo & Juliet ness of this plot proceeds.

I found the frank writing about sex and prostitution interesting. There's no hemming and hawing about it. This is a poor country, there are few ways to make money, especially for woman. Mrs Gulliver did what she needed to do earn her way. She wants to do the same for Carità, regardless of what it takes.

One could look at this as a feminist novel. I'm in the middle with that - mainly because of the ending, but I still enjoyed the brief time that I spent with these characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a well written novel that takes place in the 1950s on the fictitious island seemingly in the Caribbean. The main character, Mrs. Gulliver, owns and runs brothel. Two young sisters show up one day. They are orphans from the villages of the island. One sister, Betsy, secured a job in a restaurant. The other sister, Carita, is blind from birth and her uncle who was their caregiver at one point recommended she see Mrs. Gulliver who would treat her fairly. Carita is smart, intuitive, and ambitious. She meets a young man who is the heir to a fortune.

The book is captivating. I could not put it down. I didn’t know where this book would go but I was absolutely along for the ride. I’m not sure if I liked it but I was invested. It is a feminist story that can be quite harsh yet accurate. The previous novel I read by Valerie Martin was Property. This book is in a similar vein.

Many thanks to penguin and netgalley for this advanced readers copy.

Mrs. Gulliver (2024)
By Valerie Martin
Doubleday, 304 pages.
★★★

Mrs. Gulliver is the newnovel from Valerie Martin, a writer I enjoy. I'm not sure how this one will be received, though strict Freudians could have a field day with it. More on that momentarily, but it should be noted that this is a fun read though its literary merits might be considered suspect.

It takes place in 1954 on the fictional island of Verona. Contextual clues suggest a Caribbean location but pinpointing which one requires finding a place that, in 1954, had a sizeable English-speaking population, lawful prostitution, and legal or tacitly accepted bordellos. In the unusual morality of the day, many Caribbean islands allowed prostitution but outlawed brothels. The reasoning was that the employer/employee sex for hire industry exploited sex workers.

Martin developed some intriguing characters, though whether you find them noble, exploited, or self-deceived depends upon your personal moral code. Lila Gulliver is an assumed name, though few know that or realize that her assumed surname is packed with metaphorical significance. Lila runs a high-class establishment where much of Verona's (semi-) respectable citizens gather to drink and enjoy the world's oldest profession. Layla takes care of her “girls,” pays them well, and employs Brutus to protect the women who work there. One of the ladies of the evening is married and another is a college student. Each holds strong views about the lives they wish to live. Layla’s clientele is on an invitation and referral basis only. If someone gets out of hand, he and the person who referring are barred.

One day, two sisters show up, Bessie and Carità Bercy. They have fallen upon hard times because their uncle squandered the family money and then killed himself. Bessie has secured a job shucking oysters, but that won't work for Carità, who is blind. If you were Lila, would you send a 19 year-old blind woman to the boudoir? Carità presents as a person of poise and breeding, but insists she relishes the idea of sex with strangers. She soon takes her place among the others in the house and each of them adore her, including Lila. Carità is remarkably self-sufficient.

Lila sees herself as a businesswoman. Among her daily tasks is staying on the good side of both respectable society like Judge Mike Drohan and gentlemen gangsters such as Marcus Betone. The latter isn’t easy because Marcus’ son Ben is a bit of a lout. One night he shows up with his college buddy Ian in tow. Ian continues to come though he doesn’t partake of fleshly delights–until he meets Carità. Then things get interesting, but not in comfortable ways.

Ian is pampered, idealistic, and moralistic, though we might also say he thinks with his penis. He expressed interest in “rescuing” Carità by marrying her and taking her away from what he sees as an immoral lifestyle. Carità is pretty sure she doesn’t need a rescue, but she does marry Ian. This brings Lila and Mike together and when the young couple depart for parts unknown, Mike wants to find them. This venture will lead Lila to abandon her self-imposed celibate life. Never mind that Mike is married! Lia knows she should walk away, but the sex!!!

This is where the ground of Martin's novel grows boggy. On one level all the female characters are strong in ways that seem too feminist for 1954. Yet on another level, sex seems to drive motives to the point where it feels as though the novel should be subtitled Sigmund Freud Unbound. I hasten to say that I am not shocked by the topic, but like the novel's feminist ideals, Martin's views of free love seem anachronistic. I wonder, however, if the very mix of feminism and love-the-one-you’re-with will displease some readers. At the very least, it causes a few structural problems. Mrs. Gulliver is often neither fish nor fowl–not sexy enough to be a bodice ripper, but not assertive enough to be fully feminist.

For me, Carità is a fascinating character. Martin leaves the bedroom doors cracked just enough that we're never sure if she's weighing her options, madly in love with Ian, grifting, or simply coming into full adulthood. She's a keystone for a novel in which almost everyone is playing a role that is less than the sum of who they are.

Rob Weir

Valerie Martin writes a great historical novel with greatly written female characters as a lead. This had everything that I enjoyed about other books. I was invested in what was going on and thought it had a strong storyline going on. I’m glad I was able to read this and look forward to more.

The journey was more rewarding than the destination: That's how I feel about "Mrs. Gulliver." The writing, the scenarios, and the sense of place more than held my interest, but the denouement was a letdown, a bit of a "so what." Maybe there's some resonance, some deeper theme I'm missing. I'll probably revisit it some time in the future to see if I change my mind.

Thank you, Penguin Random House and NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.