Becoming Belle

“O’Connor has brought to life the magnificent and headstrong Belle. The remarkable details of nineteenth-century London and Galway, Ireland, make the book a rich piece of historical fiction.” —Suzanne Desrochers, bestselling author of Bride of New France“A stunning historical reimagining.” —Library Journal (starred review)“It’s Belle’s determination to live her life on her own terms and in defiance of her times that makes her such a fascinating subject. . . You’ll cheer for the young heroine in this David versus Goliath tale.” —The Irish Voice"Nuala O'Connor has the thrilling ability to step back nimbly and enter the deep dance of time―this is a hidden history laid luminously before us of an exultant Anglo-Irish woman navigating the dark shoals and the bright fields of a life." ―Sebastian Barry, award-winning author of The Secret Scripture and Days Without End“The period setting comes alive thanks to O’Connor’s lively prose and dialogue.” —Kirkus Reviews “Becoming Belle is a glorious novel in which Belle Bilton and 19th century London are brought roaring to life with exquisite period detail. In her portrayal of Belle, Nuala O'Connor delivers a seductive study of a complex and fascinating woman, who deserves the stage provided for her in this wonderful book.” —Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of A Memory of Violets“Masterful storytelling!  I was putty in Nuala O’Connor’s hands.  She made the unsinkable Belle Bilton and her down-to-earth sister Flo real to me, and brought 1880's London to my living room.  Encore! Encore!” —Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe“O’Connor has a genius for finding the universal and unifying life essence of seemingly diverse women as they nurture their deepest sensibilities and draw upon their enduring strength. … O’Connor’s rendering of a now little-known nineteenth-century music hall dancer in Becoming Belle is thrillingly dramatic and achingly moving and profoundly resonant into this present era.” —Robert Olen Butler, author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain“Becoming Belle is luscious, addictive and as satisfyingly wise as it is huge of heart. Nuala O'Connor has gone in deep to imagine the life of a fascinating woman, and from the dance floor to the townhouse to the bedroom, she renders Belle Bilton's passion, determination and vulnerability bracingly real. A treat as well as a tribute; utterly absorbing.” —Belinda McKeon, author of Tender“Nuala O’Connor is a gifted writer who, with incandescent characters and mellifluous prose, captivates the reader with the same command as magnificent theatre. Becoming Belle is so mesmerizing you will be distraught when it ends and you remember that she lives no more. O’Connor has resurrected a fiery, inexorable woman who rewrites the script on a stage supposedly ruled by men. Sensual, witty, daring, and unapologetically forward, Belle Bilton and her cohorts will dance on in your mind long after the curtains fall.” —Lisa Carey, author of The Stolen Child“A thoroughly engrossing and entertaining read. O’Connor’s meticulous attention to period detail and scrutiny of the upper classes and their shallow lives [is] reminiscent of Edith Wharton at her very best. It also makes us question whether women have ever really escaped from the censorious judgement of Victorian times.” —Liz Nugent, author of Unraveling Oliver"[The] depiction of La Belle Epoque London is richly imagined, lusciously described and strikingly brought to life." —The Sunday Independent"Her novels, short stories and poetry explore the emotional life of contemporary Irish women, navigating the terrain between adolescence, emergent sexuality and motherhood. Her style is sensuous, lyrical and uncompromising in its attention to the hidden details of women's inner lives…Becoming Belle is a remarkable story, beautifully told — and another compelling addition to O'Connor's body of work." —The Sunday Business Post