Joy Bounds strips away the cobwebs of the past to bring history to life. At last one can celebrate the achievements of an almost forgotten daughter of Victorian England, Ethel Smyth, in a pitch-perfect composition.
The story of Ethel's fight for recognition in a male dominated world is poignant and littered with heartache and tragedy but she comes through it all with many triumphant moments. Anyone who has listened to The Wreckers will be aware of her extraordinary talent and this novel compliments recent revivals of some of her best known compositions.
This is a beautifully written novel. Ethel is centre stage but there are many other splendidly realised real-life characters both in the world of music and her private life.

An interesting and thoughtful take on the life of Ethel Smyth, which brings to life her world, relationships and struggles to achieve equality and recognition for her music.

This is a meticulously researched insight into the life of Victorian composer Ethel Smyth. It captures both her creative musical process and her intense, complex sexual relationships.

I was most engaged by the insights the story provided into the reality of being part of the Suffragette movement,

I’ve given four rather than five stars only because the novel’s narrative voice didn’t quite connect with me. The perspective veered between omniscient distance (like a Victorian novel) and a more modern third person limited point of view. I found this stylistic shift rather unsettling.

The Victorian period is my favorite to read about, and there's nothing I like better than women defying typical gender roles and expectations and becoming trailblazing pioneers. I had never heard of Ethel Smyth so was intrigued by the premise. While there's no denying that the historical research here is sound, this just doesn't read well - it lack fluidity, pacing, and presents more as history than historical fiction (i.e. a novel).