It will come as no surprise that the inspiration for The
Mistress of Pennington’s was provoked by my love of the TV series The Paradise
and Mr Selfridge. Yet, as much as I adored these shows, something was missing
for me. I soon realised I wanted more focus on the female issues of the time.
Women in business, the suffrage movement, laws against
women’s freedom with regard to property and money…the taboo of divorce. As soon
as I had pinpointed the theme of what I wanted to write, ‘Female Empowerment’,
I knew that a single book wasn’t going to cut it and I’d found my next
historical series. I was so excited to get started!
And so, came the research…always a pleasure to a
history addict like me.
I started by re-watching the TV series I loved,
Titanic and A Room With A View – all fantastic fodder for a feel of the
Edwardian period and the frustrations of women at the time.
Then came the books - Good lord, did I read a LOT of
non-fiction books covering the era! In fact, I was so inspired by several
real-life stories that I made another file of facts and dates around another
theme set in the Edwardian period, but I won’t be sharing that scoop today in
case my idea never comes to fruition!
Suffice to say, when I came to plotting, and finally
writing the first draft of The Mistress of Pennington’s, I knew the heroine,
Elizabeth Pennington, would be a strong, forward-thinking woman determined to
be recognised by her father as the rightful heiress of Pennington’s Department
Store.
Not only is Elizabeth determined to inherit the mammoth store but also
run it as she fits, ensuring all classes, genders and backgrounds are welcome
in the store as customers or
employees.
This book was an absolute joy to write and the reviews
have been fantastic!
Welcome to Pennington’s - I hope you’ll join me on a
journey of watching some truly amazing women grow and make some changes in
their often-restrictive worlds…
Rachel x
1910 – A compelling tale of female empowerment in Bath's leading
department store. Perfect for the fans of the TV series Mr Selfridge and The
Paradise.
Elizabeth Pennington should be the rightful heir of Bath's
premier department store through her enterprising schemes and dogged hard work.
Her father, Edward Pennington, believes his daughter lacks the business acumen
to run his empire and is resolute a man will succeed him.
Determined to break from her father's iron-clad hold and prove
she is worthy of inheriting the store, Elizabeth forms an unlikely alliance
with ambitious and charismatic master glove-maker Joseph Carter. United they
forge forward to bring Pennington's into a new decade, embracing woman's
equality and progression whilst trying not to mix business and pleasure.
Can this
dream team thwart Edward Pennington's plans for the store? Or will Edward prove
himself an unshakeable force who will ultimately ruin both Elizabeth and
Joseph?
Buy Links:
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mistress-of-penningtons-rachel-brimble/1128920728?ean=9781788546508
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Brimble_The_Mistress_of_Pennington_s?id=dIFSDwAAQBAJ
No comments
Post a Comment