Precious Things 9781460750971 Books
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Precious Things 9781460750971 Books
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical mystery with a difference.In present day London, Maggie - an antiques valuer and auctioneer with a specialisation in textiles - discovers an intricately beaded vintage item, which she thinks could be either a collar or a coronet/crown of sorts. She carefully cleans it and becomes so smitten with the piece that she takes it along with her as part of her show-and-tell on a daytime TV interview. Later she is approached by Francesca, who saw the interview and thinks she recalls the coronet from her dim and distant childhood. Maggie agrees to find out more about the provenance of the coronet to help Francesca find the answers she is looking for.
From there, the book alternates between Maggie's story and little vignettes about the previous owners of the coronet, including Aimee who made it by hand for her wedding in 1890. It journeys from France to Shanghai, to Malaysia, to Italy and finally to England.
The only thing that bothered me about this book was that despite repeated descriptions of the item, I just couldn't really picture it in my mind. It was made as a collar to be attached to a wedding dress, then used by a few owners as a head-dress, and then at one point Maggie considered wearing it as a choker. I just struggled to imagine what such a versatile item would look like. But this is so minor... I liked the writing, loved the story, and looked forward to picking it up every time I had a few minutes to read.
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Precious Things 9781460750971 Books Reviews
Kelly Doust has an obvious talent as a writer. From the first page she draws you into another world, in fact several worlds and carries you along on a beautiful journey of love, betrayal, intrigue, history and acceptance. One of those books you don't want to walk away from, Precious Things is an absolute joy to read, I can't wait for her next book.
In the contemporary storyline we meet Maggie, an auctioneer trying to find balance between motherhood, marriage and her career. When she buys a box of old items for herself from an auction, she thinks nothing further of its contents until one day when she is scrabbling around in it and comes across a beautifully crafted coronet.
It is when someone sees a picture in the newspaper of the coronet and approaches Maggie about helping her with some research into the item’s origins that the story begins to unfurl and Maggie’s life begins to veer seductively off course as she is drawn into the history, mystery and seduction of the object as it casts its shadow over the already lacklustre clarity of her own life, leading her to question exactly what it is that is precious to her.
Much like Kelly, I have always been captivated by vintage items (especially furniture) and the stories they have to tell, often finding myself dreaming about where these precious pieces come from and what paths they have trodden on their passage through the generations.
Although I was initially confused with the structure, jumping between the various people who have owned the collar through the decades, that confusion soon lifted once I figured out what Kelly was trying to convey through her story and I began to just enjoy the stories for what they were - of the journey of a “precious thing” through love, heartbreak, grief, blood, sweat and tears, as it transformed from part of a wedding dress in 1890’s Normandy to a circus performer’s coronet in 1920’s Shanghai, coming into the possession of an artist’s muse in 1950’s Rome, until it found its way into Maggie’s life.
These shorter historical storylines are vibrantly rich, both in character and setting, contrasting strongly against the chilly air of the current day England and the life in which Maggie lives and I can only imagine how much research went into this book because the historical details feel so authentic.
There is no doubt that Kelly is passionate about vintage items, after all she has already published a number of non-fiction books on the subject, because this passion for beautiful objects bleeds through into the story with sumptuous detail as she brings her own vintage expertise and knowledge to this beguiling novel.
Beautifully detailed and intricately layered, Kelly’s writing has such a gentle cadence to it that it’s not a book to be picked up lightly and read in one sitting … it’s one to read slowly and savour as she transports you back and forth in time to exotic destinations which are evocatively described and vividly painted.
So, because it’s getting to that time of year when the chilly, shorter days of winter are slowly creeping up on you, why don’t you pour a glass of wine, curl up on your favourite armchair, drape a lovingly cherished vintage blanket over your feet and enjoy this escapist tale of duty, despair, desire, family, love and fashion.
Have you ever gone vintage shopping and wondered about the history of the precious things you find? That's the main idea behind Precious Things by Kelly Doust.
The story is centred in the present day around Maggie who loves her job at an auction house. She gets to spend her days finding precious things. The only problem is she is finding it difficult to keep up with her job and her family life at the same time.
When she finds a gorgeous hand-made beaded piece she winds up playing detective to try and trace the origins of her latest acquisition for a lady, Francesca, who is certain that it holds the key to finding the truth about her birth parents.
Maggie manages to trace the origins of the piece from its origins in Normandy, France, where it was made by Aimee to wear as a collar for her wedding dress. The collar becomes a head-piece when it finds its way to Lexi the trapeze artist in Paris, 1926. Zephyr the dancer takes ownership of it in Shanghai, 1926 only to have it stolen from her and taken to the family of artist, Christian Hunt where it falls into the hands of his ill-treated muse, Isabella. The final destination of the piece is with Ulrika the supermodel who wears it as an adornment on her dress in Istanbul, 1974.
While the majority of the novel focuses on Maggie, her family and work life, and her quest to find out the mystery surrounding Francesca's heritage, each of the owners of the piece have their own chapters to tell their stories. I really love a good time slip novel and this one had such a wide range of times and places included.
Originally posted at [...]
A fascinating story linked with a 'precious thing' a coronet, reinforcing the importance of valuing items from the past rather than 'throwing away'. Protagonist, Maggie revealed the complexities and reality of a young mother balancing work and family. Many precious things besides artifacts were revealed throughout the story, such as, relationships. Historical characters convincing bringing to life the era and values in which they lived.
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical mystery with a difference.
In present day London, Maggie - an antiques valuer and auctioneer with a specialisation in textiles - discovers an intricately beaded vintage item, which she thinks could be either a collar or a coronet/crown of sorts. She carefully cleans it and becomes so smitten with the piece that she takes it along with her as part of her show-and-tell on a daytime TV interview. Later she is approached by Francesca, who saw the interview and thinks she recalls the coronet from her dim and distant childhood. Maggie agrees to find out more about the provenance of the coronet to help Francesca find the answers she is looking for.
From there, the book alternates between Maggie's story and little vignettes about the previous owners of the coronet, including Aimee who made it by hand for her wedding in 1890. It journeys from France to Shanghai, to Malaysia, to Italy and finally to England.
The only thing that bothered me about this book was that despite repeated descriptions of the item, I just couldn't really picture it in my mind. It was made as a collar to be attached to a wedding dress, then used by a few owners as a head-dress, and then at one point Maggie considered wearing it as a choker. I just struggled to imagine what such a versatile item would look like. But this is so minor... I liked the writing, loved the story, and looked forward to picking it up every time I had a few minutes to read.
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