num_pages: 410
description: Mary Saunders, a lower-class London schoolgirl, was born into rough cloth but hungered for lace and the trappings of a higher station than her family would ever know. In 18th-century England, Mary's shrewd instincts will get her only so far, and she despairs of the plans made for her to carve out a trade as a seamstress or a maid. Unwilling to bend to such a destiny, Mary strikes out on a painful, fateful journey all her own. Inspired by the obscure historical figure Mary Saunders, Slammerkin is a provocative, graphic tale and a rich feast of an historical novel. Author Emma Donoghue probes the gap between a young girl's quest for freedom and a better life and the shackles that society imposes on her. "Never give up your liberty."
language: English
title: Slammerkin
titlecomplete: Slammerkin
characters: Mary Saunders
genres: Canada, Historical, Historical Fiction, Prostitution, Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction, 18th Century, Adult, British Literature, Fiction
ratings_count: 16271
places: London, England, Monmouth, Wales
awards: awardedAt: 1009872000000
name: Ferro-Grumley Award
category: Lesbian Fiction
publisher: Harcourt