One of Stylist's must-read books of 2018 'Original and charming, joyous and funny.
' Tessa Hadley '.
[this] debut novel sweeps us away to the world of Ursula Flight, wannabe actress and playwright in 17th-century Britain.
Ursula is a spirited and funny protagonist.
' Sarah Shaffi, Stylist 'ON THE 15TH DAY OF DECEMBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1664, A GREAT LIGHT BLOOMED IN THE DARK SKY.
' Born on the night of a bad-luck comet, Ursula Flight has a difficult destiny written in the stars.
Growing up with her family in the country, she is educated by a forward-thinking father who enables her to discover a love of reading, writing and astrology.
Ursula dreams of becoming a famous playwright, but is devastated to learn she must instead fulfil her family's expectations and marry.
Trapped and lost, Ursula plots her escape - but her freedom will come at a price.
As Ursula's dangerous desires play out, both on and off the stage, she's flung into a giddy world of actors, aristocrats and artistic endeavours which will change her life irrevocably.
A gutsy coming-of-age story about a spirited young woman struggling to lead a creative life, this uplifting tale vividly evokes the glittering world of Restoration-era theatre.
For anyone who has ever tried to succeed against the odds, The Illumination of Ursula Flight is an inspiring journey of love and loss, heartbreak and all-consuming passion.
This is a debut pulsating with life for readers of Jessie Burton, Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry.