The Wrong Side of Happiness

November 1, 2011
Crosse, a heavy hitter? No doubt. Her fourth historical-fiction title from Severn House starts out swinging, literally, when dairymaid Tresca delivers a stunning right hook to a would-be thief in the market at Tavistock, a stark, compellingly drawn place of hard times for her and Emmanual, her alcoholic father. Other farm workers jam the English West Country town, which is itself a major character, seeking railroad jobs and new beginnings, but Tresca's hopes founder in the face of poverty's harsh realities. Crosse's Devon dialectYou means it were comin', like?is vivid and easily understood within a story that takes daughter and father to rock bottom, approaching the dreaded workhouse sitting at the top of the hill like a great vulture on its nest, waiting for its prey. Can unexpected help be trusted when Tresca has lost all hope? A dramatically pleasurable read for Crosse's growing fan base, and a novel to recommend to new readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)