First published 2020
England shivers through the brutal winter of 1689-1690. The Thames freezes solid, coaches roll across the ice, and the poor die in the streets of London. Against this backdrop lives a man whose childhood disfigurement carved his face into a permanent laughing mask. He navigates a world where the privileged aristocracy alternately mocks and depends on him. A blind girl offers him her devotion, seeing past the grotesque smile that defines him to others. The aristocrats who make him their entertainment also turn to him as their unlikely savior. Surface appearances deceive everyone in this tale where beauty and monstrosity blur together. The man must find his place between the cruelty of the upper classes and the loyalty of those who truly know him.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: beauty-and-the-beast, found-family, unlikely-hero
Setting: England, London, Thames
Period: 1689-1690
548 pages · Paperback · Independently published
Content warnings: body-horror, physical-abuse