Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Mira (2001), Mass Market Paperback, 408 pages
Description
Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:Book 1 of the Calhoun Chronicles by #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs. Boston and Rio de Janeiro, 1851 An awkward misfit in an accomplished Boston family, Isadora Peabody yearns to escape her social isolation and sneaks aboard the Silver Swan, bound for Rio, leaving it all behind. Ryan Calhoun, too, had a good family name. But he'd purposely walked away from everything it afforded him. Driven by his quest to right an old wrong, the fiery, temperamental sea captain barely registers the meek young woman who comes aboard his ship. To the Swan's motley crew, the tides of attraction clearly flow between the two. Teaching her the charms of a lady, they hope to build the confidence she needs to attract not only their lonely captain's attention, but his heart, as well. For everyone knows the greatest charms are not those of the formal lady, but rather the possibilities of a new world built on love. A historical romance.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member magawa
I always get so easily dragged into Susan Wiggs' novels. She makes it easy to get caught up and care about the characters she depicts.
In this specific novel, Isadora Peabody is an on-the-shelf, awkward young lady in the very upscale social setting of Boston. She is infatuated with a young man who
It was a little bit difficult for me to get past the first few chapters since Isadora was so socially awkward. I was personally embarassed for her and wasn't sure if I could continue to read. Once you make it past those first few awkward moments however it just continues to get better. Isadora is a better character for all her awkward behavior ad it is really endearing to see how she grows and changes from the ship's own "ugly duckling" into The Swan...
There are subplots of abolition and freedom for all (race and gender in particular here) and the forward-thinking aspects of the characters endear themselves to the reader even more.
In this specific novel, Isadora Peabody is an on-the-shelf, awkward young lady in the very upscale social setting of Boston. She is infatuated with a young man who
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won't consider her and has little to look forward to in life until she meets Ryan, a merchant seaman. When Isadora manages to snag herself a position of translator on his ship (bound for Brazil) against Ryan's will things begin to get interesting.It was a little bit difficult for me to get past the first few chapters since Isadora was so socially awkward. I was personally embarassed for her and wasn't sure if I could continue to read. Once you make it past those first few awkward moments however it just continues to get better. Isadora is a better character for all her awkward behavior ad it is really endearing to see how she grows and changes from the ship's own "ugly duckling" into The Swan...
There are subplots of abolition and freedom for all (race and gender in particular here) and the forward-thinking aspects of the characters endear themselves to the reader even more.
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LibraryThing member jjmachshev
This is a reissue of a 1999 release.
What a wonderful story about love and transformation Susan Wiggs has penned in “The Charm School”. It combines the lure of “Pygmalion” with the fairy tale of “The Ugly Duckling” and even throws in a dash of anti-slavery activism. And it all comes
Isadora is the ugly duckling. In her family of slim, pale blondes, she’s a full-figured, tall brunette; and in 1850s Boston high-society she was the fish out of water. Too well-educated, unwilling to merely smile and keep silent, Dora spent her teen years folding in on herself like an old accordion. Humiliation and embarrassment finally drive her to escape the only way she can…she decides to hire herself out as a linguist on a family friend’s trading ship.
Ryan, on the other hand, is beautiful, sexy, and full of charm. He grew up the privileged son of a southern plantation owner. It wasn’t until his childhood friend, Journey, was forced to live apart from his wife and children that Ryan came face-to-face with the true ugliness of slavery. In that moment, his life changed. His purpose became to free Journey and his family, whatever the cost. Now he’s only one voyage away from his goal.
Although not a fan of American pre-Civil War novels, I did enjoy this well-written novel. Ms Wiggs’ skillfully included many sailing and historical facts that I found very interesting. She balanced the seriousness of her subjects with bouts of humor; the hero and heroine first make love while under the influence of marijuana!! I’m pretty sure I can honestly say it’s the first time I’ve seen pot used as a plot device!
The author’s writing is vivid and descriptive. I easily imagined myself caged with the heroine in Boston and learning freedom onboard the ship and exploring Rio de Janeiro. The passion between the lead characters was believable and paced realistically. While I may never become a rabid fan of novels from this era, Susan Wiggs “The Charm School” has certainly made me a fan of this author.
What a wonderful story about love and transformation Susan Wiggs has penned in “The Charm School”. It combines the lure of “Pygmalion” with the fairy tale of “The Ugly Duckling” and even throws in a dash of anti-slavery activism. And it all comes
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together beautifully in a story that validates hopes and dreams of love and freedom.Isadora is the ugly duckling. In her family of slim, pale blondes, she’s a full-figured, tall brunette; and in 1850s Boston high-society she was the fish out of water. Too well-educated, unwilling to merely smile and keep silent, Dora spent her teen years folding in on herself like an old accordion. Humiliation and embarrassment finally drive her to escape the only way she can…she decides to hire herself out as a linguist on a family friend’s trading ship.
Ryan, on the other hand, is beautiful, sexy, and full of charm. He grew up the privileged son of a southern plantation owner. It wasn’t until his childhood friend, Journey, was forced to live apart from his wife and children that Ryan came face-to-face with the true ugliness of slavery. In that moment, his life changed. His purpose became to free Journey and his family, whatever the cost. Now he’s only one voyage away from his goal.
Although not a fan of American pre-Civil War novels, I did enjoy this well-written novel. Ms Wiggs’ skillfully included many sailing and historical facts that I found very interesting. She balanced the seriousness of her subjects with bouts of humor; the hero and heroine first make love while under the influence of marijuana!! I’m pretty sure I can honestly say it’s the first time I’ve seen pot used as a plot device!
The author’s writing is vivid and descriptive. I easily imagined myself caged with the heroine in Boston and learning freedom onboard the ship and exploring Rio de Janeiro. The passion between the lead characters was believable and paced realistically. While I may never become a rabid fan of novels from this era, Susan Wiggs “The Charm School” has certainly made me a fan of this author.
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LibraryThing member lina_em
ugly duckling. though the main guy wasn't that hot. i mean, he's a ginger and he wear garish outfits. but i love the story.
LibraryThing member roxiereads
I really enjoyed this book. I reminds me of an old Bette Davis movie classic - young unattractive woman blossoms while out from under her family's thumb (including the time in South America!). I enjoyed the character development. I hated the ending. It seemed like the deadline loomed for finishing
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the book and I found the ending to be silly, implausible, etc. I hate to give things away. By all means, read this book, and I hope you find the ending more satisfying than I did. (This is a romance, so our hero and heroine do find a way...) Show Less
LibraryThing member AuthorMarion
An engaging tale of a proper Boston young miss who becomes transformed while on a sea journey to find herself. I found this approach to the historical romance genre refreshing. However, I would caution against letting impressionable young ladies reading this.
While the sensuality falls short of
When Isadora finally finds the courage to explore her own attraction to Captain Ryan it is under the influence of smoking hemp. Again, not the way a young woman would want to have her first sexual encounter.
The remainder of the story, however, is a quick read and is sure to please the reader who likes stories of the high seas. Captain Ryan's redeeming qualities lie in his efforts to free the slave family of his journeyman, his devotion to his mother, and ultimately his love for Isadora.
While the sensuality falls short of
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page after page of explicit details, there is enough to give one pause. First is the fact that our heroine becomes 'one of the guys' aboard ship after she is hired as translator. One would need to be pretty naive to believe that a band of rough and tumble sailors along with their captain could work side by side with a young woman and not make any advances (or pounces). When Isadora finally finds the courage to explore her own attraction to Captain Ryan it is under the influence of smoking hemp. Again, not the way a young woman would want to have her first sexual encounter.
The remainder of the story, however, is a quick read and is sure to please the reader who likes stories of the high seas. Captain Ryan's redeeming qualities lie in his efforts to free the slave family of his journeyman, his devotion to his mother, and ultimately his love for Isadora.
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LibraryThing member Jaguar897
I seem to be on a romance kick. This one was about an "ugly duckling" who was born into the perfect socialite family, which of course she doesn't fit in too. As she tries to find her way in the world she decides to board a ship headed to Rio as a translator. Here she meets Captain Calhoun and his
The story dripped of cheese, but it did seem to charm the pants out of me. Overall it was a nice story with a good message, however, I felt that the message was beat over the reader's head over and over again.I did like that the two love birds didn't start out liking each other and it wasn't until towards the end where they really came together. This element added to the tension between the two, which was a nice change of pace from typical romance novels.
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rowdy crew, along with his mom and aunt Rose who they visit while in Rio. Together the other characters along with the freedom of ship life help Isadora Peabody come out of her shell and turn into the beautiful swan that she really is. The story dripped of cheese, but it did seem to charm the pants out of me. Overall it was a nice story with a good message, however, I felt that the message was beat over the reader's head over and over again.I did like that the two love birds didn't start out liking each other and it wasn't until towards the end where they really came together. This element added to the tension between the two, which was a nice change of pace from typical romance novels.
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LibraryThing member MoriahJovan
If there were any flaws in this story, I was too caught up in the characters (particularly the heroine) to notice what they were.
LibraryThing member wareagle78
A period romance set in the Boston of 1851. An ugly duckling young woman, a swashbuckling sea captain, almost formula but still an entertaining read.
LibraryThing member ladypembroke
This book takes places in 1850s Boston which is not a place or time period I usually choose for my historical romances. I was intrigued by the "ugly duckling" story line, and it paid off. It was really a joy to watch Isadora go from mousy, bumbling and invisible (but smart and funny) to confident,
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bold and comfortable in her own skin. I loved the voyage to Rio, and I am glad the voyage back to Boston was glossed over. I also liked the fact that the two main characters not only hated each other (mostly) on sight, but didn't immediately fall into one another's arms. Sure, it's all fairly predictable, but it's a romance novel. And great fun to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member nancynova
Ugly duckling Isadora signs on as a translator on skipper Ryan's voyage from Boston to Rio. Ryan is convinced that Isadora won't last the voyage, but she charms the crew and is a formidable companion even for him.
LibraryThing member nautilus
A read this on a depressing day when I really needed some optimism and escape. It was great to lose myself in a well written and entertaining historical. I like Susan Wigg's writing and look forward to seeing her at the RWAustralia conference in August 2011.
LibraryThing member PNRList
Yessss. Plain, chubby, super insecure spinster heroine. Lots of angst and self-discovery. Sweet.
LibraryThing member CandyH
While this was an interesting read I didn’t feel it was the best I’ve read by this author.
LibraryThing member Lauren2013
The Charm School
2 Stars
Socially inept and isolated, Isadora Peabody is an ugly duckling in a family of peacocks. Deciding to make a change, Isadora finagles her way on to The Silver Swan bound for Rio and ends up charming the pants off the surly captain, Ryan Calhoun, and his eccentric crew.
To
***Spoilers Ahead***
The basic premise of the story has potential, yet there are several elements that grate on the nerves. To begin with, the "hero" has sex with several prostitutes throughout his acquaintance with the heroine. Technically, they aren't together yet, but it is annoying.
In addition, Ryan and Isadora's first time together occurs when she is stoned out of her mind. Can we say "dubious consent"?
Isadora is supposedly an intelligent and well-read young woman, yet she believes herself in love with a superficial and vapid moron simply because he is handsome and popular? She has several TSTL moments that risk her life and constantly accuses Ryan of abusing her when it is obvious that he is trying to ensure her safety on board.
Ryan is supposedly a charming rogue but actually comes across as a self-indulgent, foppish playboy and womanizer who is determined to rescue the family of his childhood friend (whom Ryan owned and set free) from slavery. While this appears to be laudable, it is undermined by the fact that the focus is on how this quest is Ryan's responsibility, and the affect it has on his life. Journey has no agency of his own, which is paternalistic and condescending.
Overall, a disappointing read and I'm not interested enough in Ryan's down on his luck half-brother to continue with the series.
2 Stars
Socially inept and isolated, Isadora Peabody is an ugly duckling in a family of peacocks. Deciding to make a change, Isadora finagles her way on to The Silver Swan bound for Rio and ends up charming the pants off the surly captain, Ryan Calhoun, and his eccentric crew.
To
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begin with, the book synopsis bears very little resemblance to the actual storyline. Isadora doesn't "sneak aboard"; she is hired as a translator. Ryan doesn't "barely register" Isadora; he is smitten virtually from the start. The crew doesn't "teach her the charms of a lady"; she befriends them and they treat her as an equal. ***Spoilers Ahead***
The basic premise of the story has potential, yet there are several elements that grate on the nerves. To begin with, the "hero" has sex with several prostitutes throughout his acquaintance with the heroine. Technically, they aren't together yet, but it is annoying.
In addition, Ryan and Isadora's first time together occurs when she is stoned out of her mind. Can we say "dubious consent"?
Isadora is supposedly an intelligent and well-read young woman, yet she believes herself in love with a superficial and vapid moron simply because he is handsome and popular? She has several TSTL moments that risk her life and constantly accuses Ryan of abusing her when it is obvious that he is trying to ensure her safety on board.
Ryan is supposedly a charming rogue but actually comes across as a self-indulgent, foppish playboy and womanizer who is determined to rescue the family of his childhood friend (whom Ryan owned and set free) from slavery. While this appears to be laudable, it is undermined by the fact that the focus is on how this quest is Ryan's responsibility, and the affect it has on his life. Journey has no agency of his own, which is paternalistic and condescending.
Overall, a disappointing read and I'm not interested enough in Ryan's down on his luck half-brother to continue with the series.
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Awards
AAR Top 100 Romances (93 — Most Recent Rank - 2004)
Language
Original publication date
1999-04-28
Physical description
408 p.; 6.7 inches
ISBN
1551668556 / 9781551668550