An Almond for a Parrot by Wray Delaney

…I was not brought up in a Christian way and wasn’t much impressed by all I heard. If God was the head of the family, I thought he was a dull man indeed and, like my father, appeared to have a morose sense of justice ruling under the reign of chaos. It seemed unfair that we are all born in sin for how on earth were we to get out of it? And was there really much point? For according to the parson, and the one who had married me, life was but a flickering flame blown out by no more than a draught. If that was so, I was determined to enjoy all such a fragile existence had to offer….

Tully Truegood- a witch, a whore, a murderer! Awaiting trial in Newgate Prison, reciting recipes to the prison walls, not because they remind her of food, but because each recipe is a bookmark in the story of her life, she decides to narrate her tale. Wray Delaney is Sally Gardner’s nom de plume. An award-winning British author, she is well known for her children’s books, and  An Almond for a Parrot is her debut novel in the adult fiction category.

The narrative is tight and flows effortlessly. Wray’s characters have their strong individuality and connect deftly with each other and the story line.  With historical references and detailed descriptions, many of which are erotic, given the nature of Tully’s “profession”, the novel is fast-paced. At times the explicitness can be shocking (I did find myself marveling at how effortlessly, a children’s books author can venture into eroticism), but the intriguing plot and the impressive characterization make it an entertaining read.

About artikaaurorabakshi

Artika Aurora Bakshi Artika Aurora Bakshi is the author of five well-acclaimed children’s books,My Little Sikh Handbook, My Little Sikh Handbook 2: Ardas, My Little Sikh Handbook: Travel Journal, My Little Sikh Handbook: The Mighty Sikh Empire, My Little Handbook of Feelings, and an anthology of stories, Hold On To Me. Her first story, set in Amritsar, during the pre-Partition period, All She Had Left, was published on Story Mirror. Her short stories have been published on Kitaab. She co-manages thegoodbookcorner.com, a manuscript help and book review site. Her passion for reading has led her to helping other writers with their manuscripts. She is a Contributing Editor for Nishaan, and the Associate Editor for SLIM Marketer. She comes from a family of lawyers and has a master’s degree in International Banking & Finance. A regular at the Galle Literary Festival and The Ceylon Literary and Art Festival, Artika’s articles and book reviews have featured in the Daily Mirror, Daily News, The Ceylon Chronicle, and various blogs, such as, talkingcranes.com, sikhchic.com, sikhnet.com. An avid reader, Artika runs an online book club with a membership base of over 600 members. Her quotes are featured under soul_nightingale_artika on Instagram and on Soul Nightingale by Artika Aurora Bakshi on Facebook. You can reach Artika at bakshiartika@gmail.com .

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