Didn't quite meet my expectations

This novella had a unique, intriguing premise and a beautiful title. The writing offered some powerful, image-evoking descriptions, BUT there were some other, exaggerated descriptions that took me out of the story... as did the large chunks of backstory, including Margaret's history which seemed irrelevant to this (Helen's) tale. I think this work could have benefited from a more limited point of view. Life starts out rather tragically for Helen and doesn't get much better. Her hopeful nature and relationships with Margaret and Peter offer some reprieve to her suffering. I think all the gory details work well to remind the reader that a happy ending would be unrealistic, given the character's plight, trapped in plague-infested London. I thought the author offered the most satisfying ending to be had with the idea that Helen got her revenge from beyond the grave. I enjoyed Margaret's depiction of the fire. "Will Helen continue chasing her dreams of wealth, or will she find the value of simply being alive?" Was this question answered either way? Helen often seemed a victim of her situation, which made her motivations hard to track.

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