Tipping the Velvet

Tipping the Velvet, by Sarah Waters, is the journey of Nan King. A girl from Whistable, England, she was raised on the sea and developed a love for oysters and theater. When one of the acts at the theater catches her eye she starts going to every performance. Eventually, she meets Miss Kitty Butler, a cross-dressing singer on her way to London. Nan goes with her as her dresser and the excitement begins.

The book follows Nan, and to a lesser degree, Kitty through London's theater scene, through friendship, betrayal, and Nan's new life. One in which she goes through many trials and adventures that stunningly illustrate the London at the turn of the 19th century. Nan meets many interesting characters along the way.

Tipping the Velvet was Sarah Water's debut. An exceptional start to her writing career that won the New York Times Notable Book of the Year award. I read it at least once a year!

Waters, Sarah. (1998). Tipping the velvet. New York: Riverhead Books.