The Bottom Line
Tracy Chevalier, bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring, has written another historical novel, this time turning her attention to late 18th-century London and the writer William Blake. Burning Bright tells the story behind Blake’s writing of his masterpiece, Songs of Innocence and Experience, through the eyes of a teenage boy and girl who are neighbors to Blake in London. Chevalier skillfully depicts the era, but Burning Bright doesn’t ultimately satisfy.
Pros
- Burning Bright is fully immersed in its historical world of late 18th-century London.
Cons
- The book lacks a certain intangible spark, making it hard for the reader to care about the story.
Description
- The Kellaway family moves from the countryside to London, so their father can work for the circus.
- Teenager Jem meets Maggie, a worldly London native who helps him adjust to city life.
- Jem and Maggie are intrigued by their neighbor, writer and publisher William Blake.
- The French revolution means things are tense in London, and Blake is swept up in the politics.
Guide Review - Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier - Book Review
Thomas Kellaway makes a nice living in a small English village crafting chairs. After one of his sons dies in an accident, though, the family moves to London to escape their grief, and Thomas begins working as a carpenter for the circus. The spectacle and glamour of the circus are only one of the ways London life overwhelms the country bumpkin family. Neighbors help them adjust, though, including William Blake, the mysterious but goodhearted writer and publisher who lives next door.
Burning Bright is a thoroughly-researched historical tale, and the scenery and customs of 18th-century London are vividly brought to life. The narrative focuses on both William Blake and on the relationship between young Jem and his neighbor Maggie, who admire their neighbor and are fascinated by his writings. Well-written though it is, the passion Chevalier portrays in Blake seems absent from Burning Bright. Perhaps a reader with more knowledge of Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience would find more to savor in Burning Bright.
