My favorite part of historical fiction is learning about a part of history I was unfamiliar with, and that is what we have here. Eleanor’s story is presented not as the one she wanted, but making the best of her circumstances.

This was everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed in a historical fiction novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed in this type of book. The overall journey worked with the time-period and enjoyed learning about Eleanor Coade, as I never had heard of her before and glad I was able to research it. Theresa Shiban does a great job in writing this and making the characters believable.

Wonderfully written and brilliantly researched, it was a joy to read this debut novel. Following the life of Eleanor Coade through the years was very interesting. I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys reading about an inspiring woman overcoming hardship, life in England in the late 18th century and learning a bit more about artificial stone!

Thanks to Troubador and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

The Firing: Eleanor Coade and her Remarkable Stone by Theresa Shiban is a beautifully written biographical novel telling the life story of the eighteenth-to-early-nineteenth century British businesswoman, Eleanor Coade.

Eleanor’s first passion was not business, but sculpture. A skilled sculptress in her own right, it took her father’s bankruptcy, and her desire to support herself and her beloved consumptive younger sister, to inspire her remarkable talent for business. Her success was unusual for a woman of the time. Infuriatingly, the law of the land entitled the men in women’s lives to claim all their earnings for themselves. This law, and Eleanor’s father’s willingness to exploit it for his own benefit, provides much of the conflict in the story.

Eleanor made her first fortune as a linen draper, and this allowed her to return to sculpture. She eventually bought a failing factory that made “artificial stone.” The product was of poor quality, but Eleanor saw its potential. With her workers, she perfected the formula for a mixture of clay and stone that could be molded into statuary and architectural adornments, and it is largely for this that she became famous and very wealthy.

The blending of Eleanor’s personal life and professional achievements drive this novel along. It’s an engrossing story of a woman who deserves to be better remembered. Biographical fiction at its finest!

I thoroughly enjoyed this exemplary piece of historical fiction. I was captivated by Eleanor as she rose to meet every challenge and exceed all expectations of a woman in a male-dominated field and society. The novel reminded me of Austen at times and was a pleasant glimpse into the life of an extraordinary woman.

Thanks to NetGalley and Troubador Publishing for the advance copy. I love reading historical fiction, and this one never disappointed me. Eleanor’s story kept me glued to the book. She went into detail about the artificial stone she found, and I loved the role women play in this book. Especially when it comes to owning and running several businesses. This book was researched well and is a tribute to a wonderful woman.

What a wonderful tribute to a remarkable woman!

It was a joy to read this well researched piece of little known history and it was particularly interesting in that it was based on a true story. At a time when women were restricted in opportunities available to them, and frowned upon taking on businesses even when from necessity, for Eleanor Coade not only to succeed in one business, but two, was incredible. Providing for herself and her family after her father’s bankruptcy is admirable, and this despite his continued profligacy. After his death Eleanor and her Coade stone went from strength to strength due to her business acumen and her love of sculpture.

But this is also a story of family life, of love and emotion and strength of overcoming adversity, and there is a great sense of place and way of life in Exeter and in London at the time, describing the streets exactly as they were.

It seems a great loss that after Eleanor died and the business was continued by William Croggon, Coade stone went out of business due to non-payment of an order of thousands of pounds supplied to the spendthrift Duke of York. I am sure we would have many uses for it today.

Many thanks to Theresa Shiban, Troubadour and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Firstly, kudos to the cover designer - it's a stunning looking book 💚💗

This is an effervescent historical fiction novel about a real-life British businesswoman and sculptor, Eleanor Coade (1733-1821) who developed a kind of artificial stone. The author's enthusiasm for this history shines, and there is a touch of Jane Austen about the way she imagines the characters. I think "The Firing" would appeal to fans of Jennifer Donnelly's 'The Tea Rose'.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

It was lovely learning about Coade and her artificial stone. Especially for a woman in the 18th century it is a miracle that she was allowed to own and run several businesses.
I loved her relationship with her sister, Eliza. It felt very special.
Her family are “Dissenters”. I wish the author had explained that early in the book. I would really have appreciated more dates / years in the book. Some moments happen within the same year, but sometimes there are big leaps.
I felt some of the heavier moments lacked the emotional gravitas they deserved.
Overall a well-written and easy-to-read historical fiction novel. I hope to see Coade stone in the future.

Based on the true story of the life of Eleanor Coade, an influential businesswoman of the Georgian period involved in the artificial stone industry, The Firing is a fascinating work of historical fiction, tracing much of Eleanor's life.

Taking us from Exeter to London when their business begins to fail, this novel is a beautifully told account of the Eleanor and her family. This is not, however, a 'rags to riches' story - Shiban's Eleanor acknowledges the role played by her own luck in her success.

While her family had long been focused on the cloth trade, Eleanor yearns for stonework and clay and architecture. This is something I appreciated about this read - the deep love of art (something that can sometimes feel almost entirely buried in our world of AI-generated crap) is so prevalent throughout the novel.

In many ways it's a story of opposites. Of sickness and health. Age and youth. The boundaries of social class. But it is also a story of intersectionality. Of the expectations placed on women of Eleanor's social standing to engage only in certain hobbies and to marry well. Of the challenges Eleanor faces because she is a woman. In this sense it reminded me of books such as Tracy Chevalier's 'The Glassmaker' and Pip Williams' 'The Dictionary of Lost Words' - books that centre the role of women in history, and follow female characters in their quest to create.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and, as a history lover, this book has given me plenty of things to go away and research!

I really enjoyed this book! I was excited to dive into the world of historical fiction again, and 18th century England was definitely exciting! I was so interested in this book, because it combines two of my favorite things, art and history! I really liked Eleanor's story, and that she was portrayed as such a cool, badass boss lady in Georgian England. I don't know much about her real life biography, but her portrayal in this book was awesome! I also really loved how there were recommendations of places to visit and things to see at the end!

Outstanding historical fiction detailing the journey of manufacturer Eleonor Coade in 18th century Britain, where she was valued no more than man's property.
Circumstance gave her little choice, but an inventive idea made her a force to be reckoned with.
The Firing is a pleasantly paced, well written story that spans decades and inspired many.
I enjoyed learning about artificial stone and its uses.
The book concludes with a long list of historical facts and places to visit.

Thank you Netgalley and Troubadour for this wonderful ARC.

One thing I love is a good historical fiction book, and this one just grabs you right in, and you have to pay attention because it is a thought-provoking book, so to keep up you gotta pay attention, but I love a good historical fiction, and I’m gonna recommend to anybody who’s looking for this type of genre. Thank you

This book is so good. I really regret putting it off for as long as I did. It has everything I feel a book could need: an interesting plot, well thought out characters and a relatable protagonist.

This book covers most of the incredible life of Eleanor Coade a businesswoman and sculptor. I must say that the beginning is a little hard to get into, but as soon as they go to London it starts to pick up. You get to see so much of her life it feels nearly as if you are reading her diary (even though it is not necessarily written that way) With that the book covers a lot of time over sixty years. It doesn’t feel that way though the book is perfectly paced and you feel like you grow and develop together with all of the characters.

I think the characters are this novel’s strong point. There is quite a large cast including her family and different customers and colleagues. I feel like all of them did have a place in the novel. The way they are portrayed makes you feel for them in their losses and happy for them in their happiness. My favourite was definitely Eleanor she is such a strong character. She has a very deep personality, she is layered. I also felt that the characters are really historical, they feel like people who actually lived in that time and wrote down their experiences.

I am so grateful I received this book for my honest review. It was something I might not have found otherwise and I am happy I can bring other people to this book. Hopefully they will like it as much as I did. So if you love historical fiction, women’s history, strong characters and a story that might make you cry this is the perfect book for you.