This book is a retelling of Oliver Twist but from Nancy's POV. I loved how all the side characters in the original novel came to life even more in this one. This is a very unique and very well written story that also stayed true to Charles Dickens.

What a wonderful retelling of Oliver Twist from Nancy's point of view! I really enjoyed this book. Nancy is raw and so realistically portrayed. I really fell in love with Nancy all over again and my heart broke once again. If you enjoy Oliver Twist this is a must read.

I really loved this retelling of Oliver Twist! Nancy was a very relatable and sympathetic character! I thought that the characters were true to their Dickens’s counterparts. The story was very well-written! I like the setting of the Victorian era! I recommend this for fans of Barbara Havelocke! Full review to come!

The Scent of Oranges
4.25 ⭐️

If you’re a fan of Oliver Twist then this is a must read!

Much like what Jean Rhys did with “Wide Sargasso Sea”, or what Percival Everette did with “James”, Kathy George gives voice to one of classic literatures most important yet least understood characters.

Written in Nancy’s POV and dialect, “The Scent of Oranges” paints a picture of what Nancy’s life was like both before and during the events of “Oliver Twist”. Whether it’s her traumatic upbringing, early life as a pickpocket and eventual prostitute, and relationship with Bill Sykes…Nancy pulls no punches.

What could have been a drab retelling is turned on its head and given life by letting Nancy’s voice shine. The prose are written as if Nancy is having a drink with you at the pub and relaying her life story, each “carnt” and “meself” drawing you into her confidence. While this might be a turn off for some readers, I found it very intimate and engaging.

Another interesting component is the addition of a love interest, Mr Rufus, for Nancy that is absent from the original Dickens novel. Mr. Rufus gives Nancy a safe place to simply exist without fear and I think it was a nice way to give us insight into Nancy’s character without her anxieties and outside influences demanding her attention. We are able to learn about her affinity for oranges because of the respite she receives in his presence.

I will say that I suggest having read “Oliver Twist” (or at the very least seen the film or musical) prior to diving into The Scent of Oranges. While I think the book can hold its own, the added context of the original story is very helpful to prevent any early confusion.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper360 for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion! I really loved this book!

The Scent of Oranges retells Oliver Twist from Nancy’s point of view, transforming her from a background tragedy into the emotional center of the story. Set in Victorian London, the novel explores poverty, abuse, and survival through Nancy’s lived experience, showing how she navigates life under Fagin’s control and in the shadow of Bill Sikes’s violence. The writing emphasizes her internal struggle between self preservation and her instinct to protect the vulnerable, especially a young orphan who reminds her of what innocence looks like.
Small moments of beauty, symbolized by the scent of oranges, offer contrast to the harshness of her world and reflect her longing for kindness and dignity. The story remains grounded in historical reality while giving Nancy depth, intelligence, and emotional clarity. By focusing on her choices and resilience, the novel delivers a moving and respectful portrayal of a character who has long deserved to be seen.

What a wonderfully written story told from the perspective of Nancy, the sweet and tender young woman in Dickens’s Oliver Twist. I had listened to Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein earlier this year and became interested in Oliver Twist, one of the few Dickens’ book I haven’t read. So for this reason, this book spoke to me.

And in reading, Nancy became alive. The author’s creation of the dismal life of someone living in poverty at the start of the Victorian Age is brilliant - but discordantly sad. Orphans were treated badly at that time. Imagine having no one to love and cherish you, having to fend for yourself and never knowing where you’d spend the night, a prey for the unsavory and criminals. In this book, Nancy, gets to tell her story of how she came to be first and how she really didn’t enjoy the life of crime but was pragmatic about it. Being the first of Fagin’s pickpockets, she tells the story of how the others in his brood came to be also, especially Oliver.

Oliver is Nancy’s primary concern. She sees him as angelic and innocent and makes it her mission to keep him safe. Nancy herself has her own innocence and she cares deeply for others. She just wants a good and simple life, one which she prays for. Her caring is also her weakness as she seems to care only for weak and vile men who take advantage of her. Your heart goes out to this girl who wants but doesn’t believe she deserves what she wants. I think the title points to this - so intriguing. You witness Nancy salivating for the sweetness of the oranges in several scenes. It’s almost like these express her deepest wants and cruelest cannot haves. And, of course, they only happen with the one man who did care for her.

The author keeps to Dickens’s theme of showing how the haves and have nots are cruel opposites with a deep divide that seems insurmountable- shades alive still today. This is a marvelous and authentic retelling of Olive Twist. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for allowing me to read this ARC.

The Scent of Oranges is a retelling of Oliver Twist from the point of view of Nancy – the most tragic of Dicken’s characters.

Nancy doesn’t remember how she landed up being a street child, but it was easier to pretend to be boy until she couldn’t any longer. Once she started wearing dresses, it attracted a whole new way of life she could earn money from. She didn’t like it but thought beggars couldn’t be choosers.

There is some memory of a woman; she thinks might have been her mother, but she needs to focus on the things that matter – Bill, the Dodger, and Oliver. And now Mr. Rufus, a new character, who dresses her up, tells her to pretend to be mute so the language she uses wouldn’t reveal her status. He presents her to his aunt while becoming very inventive with his lies about Nancy. All this is to serve his purpose, to be betrothed in order to get the inheritance.

With this new character, Nancy awakens to a new experience, exploring new dimensions to her.

It is a sad story, yet the character of Nancy still draws some warmth. She is honest and doesn’t think she could ask for much because of her background. She does what she thinks she is capable of with the circumstances she is in and nothing more, but at the end, she does show the growth. At first, she is very practical, not allowing any emotion to permeate her, but then with different encounters waking something inside her, she starts changing.

This retelling beautifully captures the light trying to get through the darkness. It takes one person or situation to change another human being’s perspective, to see the world in a different light. Even in grim times you can find compassion, and that’s what she displays when she takes Oliver under her wing.

The story starts slowly. Once Nancy begins introducing other characters, giving them dimensions, the pace picks up and becomes more engaging. The language that Nancy uses, at times, makes the reading choppy.

Overall, the retelling is interestingly imagined and this time giving voice to a female character.