Having discovered Ruth Hogan's work from her wonderful novel The Keeper of Lost Things I was excited to get to chance to read Madame Burova. In keeping with her famous cover art for The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes and Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel, as well as the aforementioned The Keeper of Lost Things, the cover shows a dress in the centre (this time a bold leopard print) surrounded by other abstract items depicting the characters' life in objects. In Madame Burova's case it includes a champagne bucket, bottle and glass, a leather jacket and the all-important crystal ball - a must for any clairvoyant.
The story explores the life of the protagist, and Billie, cutting across the 1970s and the present day and it is truly the heart-warming story that Hogan has become known for. Hogan has a knack of making her characters quirky yet relatable and completely real, clearly getting to know them inside out before committing them to paper and that is the true strength of her writing.
The story explores the life of the protagist, and Billie, cutting across the 1970s and the present day and it is truly the heart-warming story that Hogan has become known for. Hogan has a knack of making her characters quirky yet relatable and completely real, clearly getting to know them inside out before committing them to paper and that is the true strength of her writing.