Yours from the Tower by Sally Nicholls: Review

Set in 1896, Yours from the Tower follows three 18-year-old girls who have left boarding school and returned to very different lives. In a series of letters full of dreams and drama, the girls search for happiness and love in Victorian society. Calling all fans of Bridgerton! This story will leave you feeling like you have read a dozen love letters with swoon-worthy moments and gossip to leave you giggling. Nicholls perfectly captures the reality of teenage girl drama through this epistolary format, especially when two girls write to one another and leave the third out.

Yours From The Tower is very readable, despite the old-fashioned language, and you can hear the unique voice of each girl through the pages. Each letter tends to be quite short which allows for a quick pace. This novel handles fascinating themes relevant to the Victorian period such as the conflict of marrying for wealth, but has universal experiences like the beauty of female friendship.

Tirzah’s heart-breaking story leaves a true impact, Polly’s mystery will not let you put down these pages and Sophia’s relationship with Sebastian was a beautiful story. They were definitely my favourite pair! That said, I was a little disappointed that the girls seemed to solely focus on marriage towards the end after the story was full of feminist strength, but I understand that this ending does fit the time period. Overall, this story is a lovely depiction of the timeless sweetness of female friendship and becoming a young woman.

Kaila Patterson, 16