Valentine Grey

Valentine Grey has spent her early years in the warm, far-off landscapes of India, so when she arrives in London in 1897 the damp chill and the stiff corsets and skirts of English life feel almost unbearable. Her one consolation is her cousin Reggie, whose daring spirit matches her own. Reggie and his lover, Frank, slip away to the hidden bars and streets of the city, and they welcome Valentine into their confidence. Together they go to the theatre, wander through gardens, and she even learns to ride a bicycle.

The mood shifts when the Boer War breaks out. Reggie's father insists that his son answer the call to defend the empire. Instead of Reggie, it is Valentine who pulls on the uniform of the Volunteer Regiment, leaving her cousin behind as she sets off for the front. For a time, the adventure feels thrilling and freeing for them both.

The novel explores what it costs to live outside the rules of the age. War turns out to be anything but glamorous, and in Victorian London, being gay offers no safety or liberty.