The Forty Elephants

#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Thank you soooo much for going on these book journeys with me! This one was fun!

I love how there is much on Alice out there but it‘s all different and some is just legend repeated. I think she would like that.

Happy Sunday! See you in September 🤣 I couldn‘t help myself!!!

Thank you for Sundays!

Librarybelle Yay!! 3w

AmyG Thank you! I‘m excited for the Sept book! 3w

IndoorDame Hahaha, I bet she would like legends about her floating around. I‘m excited for our September book too! 3w

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kspenmoll Sorry I missed today‘s discussion- my last day before work starts so I slept in late then did stuff… l loved the book! 3w

DebinHawaii Another fantastic book & discussions-this one will be another favorite for the year! Thanks again for making Sundays so great! 🤗 3w

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii ♥️💕♥️💍🐘 3w

TheBookHippie @kspenmoll Soak your day in!! Hope tomorrow goes well!! 3w

vlwelser She is definitely legend worthy. 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Odds & Ends

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Nancy-Astor/
Use reader view https://www.mylondon.news/news/nostalgia/london-history-women-only-crime-2561711...

https://londondarktourist.com/female-gangsters-forty-elephants/
Case you missed earlier post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QZEnyZyYo4

Librarybelle I had no clue about this history, so thank you for picking this book! Fascinating! 3w

IndoorDame All the history connected to this is amazing! Thank you for compiling links! As usual, your research skills are unmatched, and I had so much fun digging into some of it once I finished the book! 3w

vonnie862 Great book! 3w

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mollyrotondo Wow so Alice became pretty out of control at some point. Kind of like Mary Carr. She didn‘t want anyone marrying outside the community. Mary was all about no marriage in the gang but still Alice sort of adopted the same extreme rules. Thank you for all this info. This was a great book! 3w

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame ♥️♥️♥️♥️ 3w

TheBookHippie @Librarybelle me either it‘s so much fun to learn new history. 3w

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo 😵‍💫😬 probably it kept them all safe would be my bet. 3w

dabbe Thank you for introducing me to a London I never knew existed. And your research is impeccable! 🩶🧡🩶 3w

Deblovestoread Loved this! And your pictures and research always add so much….makes going down the rabbit hole so easy 😀 3w

DebinHawaii Such an amazing story & I still keep going back to the real Alice taking over the gang at age 20! 🤯 Great research & I‘m happy to finish the book & dig deeper into the real story. 🤗 3w

CatLass007 So much more to learn about Alice and her gang. I have the book by Brian McDonald on my wish list. I‘ll be interested to read a man‘s perspective on these powerful women. This book reminded me a bit of The Bandit Queens. Oppressed women gaining power the only way they can - by taking it. It‘s hard not to cheer for Alice and her gang. It‘s also hard to remind myself that these were not the good gals. They killed and terrorized. But (cont)⬇️ 3w

CatLass007 they are sheroes in so many ways. 3w

CatLass007 Thanks for picking this excellent book for our August #SundayBuddyRead. I really need to watch my finances but it‘s really tough when there are sooo many good books out there. 3w

TheBookHippie @dabbe @Deblovestoread ♥️🐘♥️💍♥️ this one was a gift! 3w

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii I know !!! 20!!!! 3w

TheBookHippie @CatLass007 it‘s all very fascinating!!! I‘m so fortunate to have a good used bookstore by me that can find books for me! 3w

CatLass007 I listen to audiobooks almost exclusively. We have a great used bookstore in my town also, but they don‘t carry audiobooks anymore. Thank God for LIBBY and HOOPLA. My print purchases are limited to craft books and graphic novels. 3w

CatLass007 Thank you so much for all your hard work! You make our reading and our discussions joyful experiences! 3w

TheBookHippie @CatLass007 I use HOOPLA a ton!! 3w

CatLass007 I didn‘t even know that HOOPLA existed until two or three months ago. It‘s added to my ability to find new authors and listen to more audiobooks that I don‘t have to buy. 3w

TheBookHippie @CatLass007 oh dear!!! I‘m so glad you found it!! It‘s amazing. 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Alice
EVERYBODY -we are against men who beat women & who take advantage of other women…
She is SOMETHING!!!!
Bring their wives and daughters too✊🏼💕

I liked her. 🤣👀💍✊🏼

AmyG I liked her, too. A strong woman standing up for women. 3w

Librarybelle I liked her too. 3w

IndoorDame She was great! And I love her ending it on this rallying cry! 3w

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mollyrotondo @IndoorDame me too! No more bring the men to make decisions for the community. The women need to be there to make decisions that are going to affect them too. Such a great ending! 3w

vonnie862 She was awesome! And I love how she called the women as well at the end. 3w

dabbe She made me proud to be a woman! Stealing jewels and all! 🤩 3w

DebinHawaii Go Alice! I loved that last line so much! ❤️ 3w

CatLass007 Bringing women into the gang was a power move on Alice‘s part. 3w

vlwelser That's basically the theme of the entire book 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

The meeting to pay a debt and make a partnership

Mary man she is 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

The mom 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Eli…

So much going on this last section!!!!
A heart pumper!!!

AmyG Yes, this section was fast paced. 3w

Librarybelle Yes! Such a heart pumper! Ugh to Mary and Alice‘s mom. 3w

IndoorDame There really was so much going on in this section! I felt like I was watching the conclusion in fast forward. 3w

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Karisa Whew! It was a lot. Feels like she almost could have made a sequel out of that last section and just left this book ending right after the heist 3w

mollyrotondo Mary was all over everything even from jail. It was insane how much she was still getting in Alice‘s way and she wasn‘t even there. 3w

vonnie862 Definitely a heart pumper! 3w

DebinHawaii It could have definitely played out longer-I could have kept going! I was so tense reading it yesterday & last night! 😱 3w

vlwelser So much for the last quarter of a book. I sort of like that she basically ended up with this trajectory. Like why not basically climax at the end? 3w

TheBookHippie @vlwelser I like it too. 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Tommy
He did it!!!
Then 🥹😭

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_and_Castle

Librarybelle That was so sad! 3w

AmyG They kept saying he was great at safe cracking, so…..apparently he was! 3w

IndoorDame This was tragic! He was so close to getting out of the life. And he actually pulled it off for everyone else. 3w

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Karisa Yes, he finally redeemed himself to Alice and then died doing it. Tragic! Again left me wondering if that was all for real or author crafted 3w

TheBookHippie @Karisa her real brother was named Tommy and was in the elephant castle gang but I didnt find out how he died. 3w

mollyrotondo That one-last-job storyline often leads to tragedy. I figured he wouldn‘t make it unfortunately. He was another one who should have left The Mint a long time ago. I was sad he died even though I didn‘t like him for most of the book. 3w

vonnie862 So tragic!!! 😭😭😭 3w

dabbe @Karisa #redemptionindeed 😢 3w

Deblovestoread I felt so bad for Tommy. Got it together, wanted to be there for his new family, needed to prove himself to Annie and then …. 3w

DebinHawaii You could see it coming, that he wasn‘t going to get out, especially since he was trying so hard, but it was very sad. 😭 3w

CatLass007 It definitely was sad that Tommy died. It‘s even sadder that he never got to meet his child and his child grew up fatherless. 3w

vlwelser Poor Christina. But he made good in the end I suppose. 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Louisa
She didn‘t want the life
Then the twins
Then she wanted the life
This made me kinda sad..

Librarybelle I cannot imagine growing up in that environment, with violence and theft being your ticket for survival. I‘m blessed I never had to worry, and it breaks my heart so many do. 3w

IndoorDame It was heartbreaking that her family tried to help her get a life away from all that, and she still got pulled back in. It makes you realize how little has changed. The circumstances you‘re born into define your future so much more than they should. 3w

Karisa I wonder if that part was true to Alice‘s family story? Louisa‘s story did feel so very sad and real especially combined with Tommy… 3w

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TheBookHippie @Karisa she did join her sister IRL. I imagine there wasn‘t much choice. 3w

mollyrotondo @TheBookHippie oh geez. She did join her sister in real life huh? So sad. She was in a better situation working outside the Mint and creating her own life. And then she just changes her tune after Tommy dies. Uhh what a mess. We can let revenge screw up our chances of change and progress. 3w

vonnie862 She lost her innocence after the twins. So sad. 3w

Deblovestoread Reluctant or not it would be hard to leave that life back then. Women had so few options. 3w

DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread Yeah, given her few options, it‘s not surprising she chose how she did, although still very sad. 3w

vlwelser It was sort of a reality check for all of them when this happened. 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

The diamond rings
For her fingers
💍💎💍

Librarybelle I suppose everyone needs a trademark style. 😂 3w

IndoorDame I loved the line in the podcast you shared that said she used them as a kind of brass knuckles, and the cops avoided her a bit because they didn‘t want to get punched by her. Can you imagine punching a cop today and having them cower from you?!!!! I‘d consider myself lucky not to get shot! 3w

Karisa I love that in this photo so many of the women are holding back smiles. Perfect! 👩‍🍳💋 @IndoorDame Oh my gosh! You are so right. That would not fly today! 3w

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mollyrotondo These ladies were tough! Really amazing to gain that type of reputation lol 3w

vonnie862 Love it! 3w

DebinHawaii @Karisa Perfect is right! 😆 3w

vlwelser Diamonds are a girl's best friend? They are legit currency and I appreciate the overlap with her name. 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Rob….
An officer and a gentlemen too?
Pun intended….

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_and_Castle_Mob

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald_brothers_(gangsters)

Librarybelle Good to put a face to the real life man! I‘m still not sure what to think about his loving Alice since they were kids and he watched her watch her father violently attack a man and she didn‘t blink. 3w

AmyG Just so many criminals….trying to survive. Who knew who to trust? 3w

IndoorDame Not how I pictured him. I‘m enjoying the fact bleeding into the fiction, now that we‘re done reading and I‘m getting into the history. 3w

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Karisa Rob never felt like a full character to me somehow. He seemed to serve a purpose of adding to Alice‘s character but was just over there on the side. It is good to see what he‘d looked like. Being based on true life made this book so much better to me 3w

mollyrotondo Bert didn‘t seem as big of a name as his two brothers were in real life. I liked that Rob helped Alice and did seem to be a good guy but then he leaves and sort of becomes a sellout rjght? He‘s going to be an officer and a snitch right? Weird ending for him. It seems as if he died in the mafia wars in real life 3w

vonnie862 @Karisa I felt the same way 3w

Deblovestoread I agree that Rob was a side character to further propel Alice‘s story. Sounds like his real life was a bit different from how it is portrayed in the book. 3w

DebinHawaii Lots of differences between the real people & the way she wrote them but it really worked. Rib wasn‘t fully drawn in the book so I didn‘t care that much about him leaving but the articles said he was a short-time boyfriend for the real Alice anyway. 3w

vlwelser He does just seem like a side character. I wonder how much of his story is true and how much just speculation 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Kate..
Whew
Interesting part she played and I‘d love a whole book on her. 😅

Librarybelle Me too!! 3w

AmyG Agree. 3w

IndoorDame Definitely! 3w

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Karisa Yep! She‘s got a story to tell and is making complicated decisions too 3w

mollyrotondo I was surprised that she participated in this heist. I thought she wouldn‘t want to put herself out there like that. But really interesting that she aided Alice to help pull it off. 3w

vonnie862 Her story would definitely be fun to read. 3w

dabbe She would definitely be a hoot to read about! 🤩 3w

Deblovestoread Yes, I think she would have a fascinating story. 3w

DebinHawaii I was really thinking she would end up trying to betray Alice for her own gains/safety but was happy she didn‘t. I‘d definitely read a book about her! 3w

CatLass007 A book about Kate would be great! 3w

vlwelser Kate is also fierce. Good for her. 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Maggie

NO SECRETS she tells Alice…
Protector of Alice?
Their friendship was interesting

https://alchetron.com/Maggie-Hill

https://theministryofgentlemanlywarfare.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggie_Hill

Librarybelle It was an interesting friendship. Thanks for the articles! Reading through these quickly, they sound so much more violent than I gathered from the book! 3w

AmyG It was a very interesting friendship. They had each others backs. Sort of like sisters. 3w

IndoorDame I was glad they found their way back to each other, running the gang felt lonely, and Alice never let Rob or her family in the way she did with Maggie. 3w

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mollyrotondo @Librarybelle I thought the same thing! They seem even more violent from these article descriptions 😬 3w

mollyrotondo I am glad Alice and Maggie became friends again because they seemed to know each other so well and that‘s good for a partnership like this. But these women were probably super scary together 3w

vonnie862 Very interesting friendship, indeed. But I liked her. 3w

DebinHawaii They seemed to compliment each other well & as @mollyrotondo said, probably really scary together! 😱😆 3w

CatLass007 The Reaper! 3w

vlwelser So interesting. I liked this character 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

PEARL !!!!
Oh no!!!!
Harold what a POS
However just desserts are fed to him👀😬
What a time to be alive …
What did you think of this storyline?!

Librarybelle I think it added value to show Alice also had a good heart. It also showed another way that men controlled women. 3w

AmyG I agree again with @Librarybelle as it shined a good light on Alice….she cared about other women especially when it came to abusive men. 3w

IndoorDame Alice definitely had a good heart, and she cared that all the women under her protection were treated right. But I think this storyline was included to show her growing into a powerful crime boss. She didn‘t lose her compassion, but she became more and more ruthless as the story progressed. 3w

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Karisa This branch of the story added to the mob boss feel of Alice. It felt like what a strong woman out for vengeance and with goons at the ready would do 😅 Couldn‘t really feel sorry for Harold after what he‘d done to Pearl 3w

mollyrotondo I was so relieved that Harold finally got his due at the end of the book. And definitely agree with @IndoorDame that this shows that she is finally the powerful crime boss in the Mint. Really great ending 3w

vonnie862 I almost cried at the hospital scene, showing she was broken. I am so glad that he got his due. 3w

Deblovestoread Alice was tough but not heartless. And I was not sad about Harold‘s end. 3w

DebinHawaii I was happy to see Harold get what he deserved at the end & feel, even briefly that loss of his evil power & control. Alice was ruthless but she needed to be & still she cared about others & making sure women were safe. Such a great character! 3w

vlwelser He was such an arrogant asshole. He definitely got what he deserved. 3w

TheBookHippie @vlwelser I enjoyed it 🙃 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

So
The store detective..
(Alice, Turning on Charlotte 🫣)
Detective asking Alice to assist her
Showing all the secrets to her
THE NERVES I FELT
The plan
The tip
What did you think of the store detective?
She thought she knew everything.
Isn‘t that always the way?
Her blind ambition differ from Alice?
At the end a deal…. Thoughts ?

🕵🏻 https://www.michellesalter.com/blog/who-were-the-first-female-detectives-in-brit...

Librarybelle I think they were both ambitious, and Alice described their ambition very well. I‘m not surprised she went for Alice‘s deal. 3w

AmyG I agree with @Librarybelle …..they were both ambitious. Each had something for the other and they‘d be foolish not to accept. 3w

IndoorDame I‘m glad we got to see another smart ambitious woman from the other side of the law. And I was impressed with Alice‘s quick thinking to find a way of drawing her into the overall picture so that, like Kate and the various gang factions, under Alice‘s machinations everyone could be out to further their own goals, but not be in direct conflict with each other. 3w

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Karisa @AmyG Yes, they felt like two sides of the same coin. The detective was smart, strong, and ready to advance herself while helping others just like Alice 3w

mollyrotondo I thought it was really great to have another woman from the other side of the law in this book to show that women from all walks of life are trying to get ahead and be seen as more than a subservient wife (Pearl), a crime boss‘s daughter (Alice), or a low rank desk job mule female police officer or WPC (Detective Betts). It‘s incredible that the title WPC was still in use until 1999. And that women were not able to actually arrest anyone 🤨 3w

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo yes!!!! I loved it for that reason. 3w

mollyrotondo @TheBookHippie this author is an excellent storyteller! 3w

vonnie862 You have to admire her. She was trying to prove herself in a world of men. She was very similar to Alice, and I'm glad we got to see another strong female. 3w

Deblovestoread Like the others I was glad to see another woman trying to be seen in a role that was not for women at the time. 3w

DebinHawaii I also liked Betts & having another woman fighting to prove themselves in a world dominated by men. She & Alice are very similar, smart & brave but the difference is that Alice has that nurturing/care-taker instinct & wanted to bring others along with her (even if she made sacrifices along the way like Carolyn) while Betts seemed more about her own ambitions. (edited) 3w

vlwelser I don't love the Charlotte thing but it does show how hard choices were made. 3w

BarkingMadRead I liked Betts and I felt so bad for her. I think she and Alice are more alike than they realize! 3w

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vonnie862

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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This was such a great book! I've never heard of the Forty Elephants before so it was quite facings to learn about Alice Diamond and the all female gang. It was fast-paced with a badass MC. I loved how strong, determined, and loyal Alice was, and I really loved her best friend Mags. I'm not sure how much of the book was based on fact but I'm definitely interested in learning more about this gang. 4.5 ⭐️

#BookspinBingo #5 #sundaybuddyread

TheBookHippie ♥️💎💍🐘 3w

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DebinHawaii

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

My Saturday day vibe is quiet & restorative from a crazy week, so tonkotsu ramen, gyoza & lemon ice tea for lunch in the midst of running errands. It hit the spot as I finish up this excellent #SundayBuddyRead pick for tomorrow‘s discussion.

TheBookHippie

TheBookHippie Yum and ENJOY!!! 3w

ShelleyBooksie Yummy!!! 3w

BarbaraBB That food looks delicious 😋 3w

70 likes3 comments

IndoorDame

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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What a fun read! I see why there‘s a TV series and a stage musical based on this gang in the works. I‘m so glad we read this one together. Kick ass women in the 1920s is totally my jam, and now I know more about both! #sundaybuddyread

TheBookHippie

TheBookHippie I love it so!! 3w

IndoorDame #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks 3w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3w

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vlwelser

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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I love when someone finds something unusual and picks it for book club. I have no idea how this book was under everyone's radar but it was fantastic.

#SundayBuddyRead @TheBookHippie

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheBookHippie 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕✊🏼💕💕💕💕💕💕 3w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

🎥📽️🎞️🍿 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QZEnyZyYo4

Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpU3dQn0e0s&pp=ygUVQW5uaWUgZm9ydHkgZWxlcGhhbnRz

See you Sunday 👀🤐🤫🤐🤫💎💍♥️
#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

What‘s interesting to me is NO ONE reallllly knows it all and everyone has a different version of these women and their lives. I admire that so very much.
🐘

Talk more Sunday 🤐🤣🤫🤫👀✊🏼

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dabbe

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

pick

What a riveting ride through 1920s London as Alice Diamond and her all-girl gang of thieves, The Forty Elephants, tear through high-end stores and mansions, stealing furs, jewelry, and cash from the well-to-do. I knew nothing of The Mint or Elephant & Castle or these notorious women. I couldn't even wait to finish it with the #SundayBuddyRead ... I had to keep turning those pages. Dare I say I'm quite proud to be a woman? 🤩

@TheBookHippie

kspenmoll Great review! I loved this! 3w

dabbe @kspenmoll 🤩🤗😘 3w

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BarkingMadRead

Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

Reading at Panera while I eat breakfast, I think I‘ll be finishing this today!

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Librarybelle

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

pick

The writing style for this book slowly grew on me, and I knew I had to finish it this morning…based on a true story, Alice Diamond is a strong woman made tough by her background and her takeover of her father‘s gang. I like that the narrative balances the darkness with light, how Alice constantly struggles between duty, honor, justice, and a desire for a normal life. Parts are graphic, and parts made me tear up. Good choice for #SundayBuddyRead !

TheBookHippie

TheBookHippie ♥️🐘♥️ 4w

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Deblovestoread

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SundayBuddyRead

I love a story of what is often called “women behaving badly”, or as described by the author in her acknowledgment “obscure, dangerous women of history”. Looking forward to our final discussion!

@TheBookHippie

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Loving it! 🐘💎🥂

Happy Sunday! So glad you‘re here!

Cannot wait to finish this!!!!

IndoorDame We get to see what happens!!!! 4w

Librarybelle I have butterflies in my stomach for this! 4w

AmyG Off to read it now. 4w

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vlwelser I'm definitely ready to finish. 4w

vonnie862 I can't wait to finish it! 4w

kspenmoll Plan to read for #hyggehour Pouring rain here today! 4w

dabbe It was so good that I had to finish it! 🤩🤩🤩 4w

DebinHawaii Still going to wait to finish it, but the anticipation, oh my! Loving this pick! 💜 4w

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii Me too I wait til everyone‘s answered this week. 🙃 4w

mollyrotondo Can‘t wait to see how this one ends! I‘ve been loving this book. Does this author have another book out or coming out? 4w

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo YOU BEST BELIEVE I‘m watching out!!! I love this! 4w

mollyrotondo @TheBookHippie excellent! I‘d love to read whatever she comes out with next! 4w

julieclair This book is so good! Glad I can finish it now! 4w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Alice goes to get the girls!
Oy the dealing
Mary‘s debt
They hatch their plans
And solidarity
Pearl too
Let‘s GO!

BarkingMadRead I love their hats! That debt, holy heck! 4w

IndoorDame Sure a cool picture!!!! 4w

Librarybelle That‘s an insanely high debt! Geez! 4w

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AmyG This section will be so exciting! 4w

vlwelser Mary is giving me Anna vibes. That debt is a lot and she has all these girls paying it off for her. Slowly. So she can keep up the game. 4w

vlwelser But also those hats. 4w

vonnie862 I had a feeling that Mary owed money. Why would she take 50 percent? 4w

Karisa Oh no! These look like mug shots. 🫣 Hopefully all goes well 🤞 4w

Deblovestoread Love the pic! 4w

kspenmoll Mug shots?! Huge debt insane - I am so enjoying this book! 4w

DebinHawaii Awesome hats! I‘m getting worried about this plan & all the ways for it to go wrong! 😑 🫣😱 4w

mollyrotondo I mean I understand they want the debt paid off so they can run on their own but this is a rough job and I don‘t think they are going to pull it off. But I‘m excited to read how it‘s going to shake out. 4w

julieclair Those mug shots are making me nervous. 4w

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Alice's mug shot here looks like a mix of Aubrey Plaza and Natalie Tena. I guess we're at the point where we just wonder if they pull it off and become famous in time or if they get caught and become infamous. 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Selfridges
Got the job
Store lady detective - YIKES

Also she must be demure 🫣

BarkingMadRead #whatcouldgowrong 4w

IndoorDame Yeah… I would‘ve sent Maggie to apply for this job instead 4w

Librarybelle I get that Alice wanted an unknown face for the job, and she felt she was the one for it given she only recently joined the Forty Elephants, but Alice better be a really good actress! 😂 4w

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TheBookHippie @Librarybelle 🫣🤣 and she has to keep her mouth shut. Oy. 4w

Librarybelle @TheBookHippie I know! 😂 Good luck Alice! 4w

AmyG @TheBookHippie Ha, I thought that, too. Hard but I think she can. 4w

vlwelser Definitely demure. 😂 4w

vonnie862 Aye, Alice is gonna mess it up. BTW, I am loving that the detective is a woman. 4w

Karisa “Demure” is the word all of the sudden according to my daughter and students on Tik Tok. Jools Lebron is hilarious! I laughed to see the word here too. Hoping Alice can be demure for real to pull this off 4w

Deblovestoread Alice seems to be able to be what she needs to be in the moment. Hopefully that holds true for this. 4w

TheBookHippie @Karisa Demure Fall apparently. 🤣 okay by me! 4w

kspenmoll Alice seems to be able to be a chameleon when the end game is one she is committed to. I appreciate how she digs in to learn new ways of being- new roles. 4w

dabbe @vonnie862 And another hard-ass ... maybe she'll join the gang! 😂 4w

DebinHawaii @Karisa @vlwelser Yes, hopefully she is “very demure, very mindful…” 🤣🤣🤣 4w

mollyrotondo Now there‘s a detective walking around and sitting in on interviews. This does not look good for our gang. I have a bad feeling about it 4w

julieclair The lessons with Pearl gave me Eliza Doolittle vibes! 4w

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I thought Litsy would be a space safe from demure and mindful! 🤣🤣🤣 I get a bad feeling about this. I know y'all are done reading so my crazy theories don't hold weight, but in my mind, it's the elevator attendant who really needs to be watched! She's a little too chatty. I wonder if the lady detective is really making notes or if it's just doodles and hearts with her & her beau's names? 3w

15 likes17 comments

TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Agatha at the dress shop

Yes need her to be an ally!!

IndoorDame I hope they work together! And that she gets out from under Mary‘s thumb. Is there anyone that woman isn‘t blackmailing? 4w

Librarybelle @IndoorDame My thoughts too! 4w

AmyG @IndoorDame Agree. 4w

See All 13 Comments

vlwelser I also appreciate this character. 4w

vonnie862 Poor Agatha. I hope she's able to pay off her debts. 4w

Deblovestoread That was a little plot twist, too. I feel bad for Agatha. She obviously doesn‘t want to be in that life. 4w

kspenmoll Another story line, but a good one. Poor Agatha! 4w

dabbe Agatha works hard for the money. #theyalldo 4w

DebinHawaii I hope Agatha is a help. I feel for her. And Mary just gets more impressively diabolical with each person we find out she is blackmailing. 😱 4w

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii she never learned honor amount thieves!!! 4w

mollyrotondo @DebinHawaii yes! Mary was a real villain in this story. She was holding something over on everyone! 4w

mollyrotondo I also feel bad for Agatha and I hope she can move on from this with no more involvement with Mary in the future. 4w

julieclair Agatha - what a sad story. An honest businessperson caught up in all this gang activity. A situation that probably still happens today. 4w

15 likes13 comments

TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Part II

The plan for a huge score …
Pearl
Eli and a business plan

👀

BarkingMadRead This makes me so nervous! 4w

IndoorDame I‘m nervous too! What started out as a good idea has spiraled way out of control. 4w

Librarybelle This is epic. Wow! 4w

See All 13 Comments

AmyG Reminded me of Oceans 11…but with women, a long time ago in England. I am excited to read what happens. 4w

vlwelser I can't decide if this will end well. We're already close to the end and they've done nothing except some prep. 4w

vonnie862 @AmyG I thought of this too. 4w

vonnie862 Oh man, this makes me nervous. I'm not sure how it's gonna end. 4w

Karisa @AmyG It would make a great movie. I can picture all these various parts/people preparing. So much risk! I loved the nice elevator girl. Alice is great at getting people talking quickly. 😅 4w

kspenmoll Excited & nervous about what is to come! (edited) 4w

dabbe Pearl makes us all nervous, right? I hope she can follow through! 4w

DebinHawaii @dabbe It does seem like Pearl is a wild card at this point. 🫣 4w

mollyrotondo So I love that she is trying to help Pearl but I feel like Pearl needs to stay under the radar right now. But this makes sense where the Pearl storyline was going lol I do not think this big score is going to work out. I think they are getting greedy now lol 4w

julieclair I think Pearl will do fine, and the big score will work out! 4w

14 likes13 comments

TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Kate….not sure who‘s side she‘s on
Her own most likely but 🤷🏻‍♀️

And this

Fun find https://www.tatler.com/article/queen-of-nightclubs-kate-meyrick-and-the-43-club

BarkingMadRead That‘s such a cool article, and I 💯 think she was out for herself, she did what she had to with who she had to in order to stay afloat 4w

IndoorDame I agree, she doesn‘t seem to have a side. I like that her character is really reminiscent of the woman in that article. 4w

Librarybelle I think in her line of business it‘s important not to take sides or to seemingly take sides. 4w

See All 14 Comments

AmyG Yes, I, too, think she was out for herself. 4w

vlwelser I think she is absolutely just looking out for herself. I approve. 4w

vonnie862 I didn't know she had multiple nightclubs. That was a cool article! 4w

Karisa I agree with @BarkingMadRead @vonnie862 Very interesting article! Great find again, @TheBookHippie . Kate seems like she could have her own novelization. One of her daughters even becoming a countess, so many clubs/parties, and all those fur coats. What a life! 4w

Deblovestoread Definitely protecting her own interests as they all had to do to survive. 4w

kspenmoll Great article! 4w

dabbe Very interesting article; thanks for sharing! 🩵💙🩵 4w

DebinHawaii Interesting article. What a fascinating woman. She definitely was out for herself & her family as you would expect. 4w

mollyrotondo Thank you for the article! So wonderful that she was able to give her 8 children (😅) a wonderful life because of her business acumen. So sad she died before the age of 60. But in this story I definitely think she‘s out for herself. 4w

julieclair Great article! I agree with @Karisa , I‘d love to see a book written about her life. 4w

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick This article was a good find. I was picturing someone much more modern, with a long, blonde bob and about 15 years younger. It's neat that her daughters seemed to marry well, and then the article is like, oh she had boys, too. 🤣 3w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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📷Maggie -the reaper WHAT?!?!

The fight 😵‍💫🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣

Rob to the rescue but …..whew

Mary gets cleaned out 👀

BarkingMadRead That was a lot! Girl power! 4w

IndoorDame The Reaper was a SUPER unexpected plot twist! I hope we circle back to that later and it wasn‘t just a convenient way to fix the fight and get Maggie more invested in the Mint. 4w

Librarybelle And now we know more about Maggie, though I got hints that she had a big past in The Mint. 4w

See All 17 Comments

AmyG I think there is more to learn about Maggie and The Mint….and I hope we get to learn about it. 4w

vlwelser Maggie is so fierce. But I get why she'd want to get away from this. 4w

vonnie862 I looooooved it! Maggie is so bad ass! I wouldn't want to be near her but she's super cool! 4w

Karisa @vlwelser Agreed! This gave more reason why Maggie would want to start somewhere new without the expectation of being the fighter. @Librarybelle I missed most the hints but now going back, I see what you mean. I‘d only been thinking of her as Alice‘s friend and her brothers‘ sister. 4w

Karisa @TheBookHippie So cool that you found a photo of her. It‘s not how I was imagining Maggie at first. But after that last section of their story—this photo captures what the book describes of her absolutely! 4w

Deblovestoread Agree with @IndoorDame … I did not see that coming! 4w

IndoorDame @AmyG yes! I hope we get more of her story. She clearly has a big story hidden in there. But I get that so many of our women do and they can‘t all fit in the novel 4w

kspenmoll The Reaper was a surprise reveal to me- 4w

dabbe This one sentence about Maggie from Wikipedia: “She was violent and unmanageable by all except Alice Diamond.“ Wowza! 😱 4w

DebinHawaii I loved the reveal! I‘ve been trying not to read too much about the real stories & people yet just so I don‘t learn something that might spoil the book ending & this isn‘t how I pictured her either, but I can see it. 4w

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii SAME!!! So many links saved to read later!! 4w

mollyrotondo I also didn‘t picture Maggie like this. But I loved that Alice and Maggie worked together and proved to this idiot Richard that women can be frightening and can fight back. 4w

julieclair @dabbe That quote from Wikipedia paints her as so much more out of control than she seems in the book. So interesting! 4w

dabbe @julieclair IKR? 🤩 4w

14 likes17 comments

TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Alice
I‘m doing it for me
Little girls are watching….

IndoorDame This is so necessary! I‘m proud of her! But also, she has so many people counting on her, to take on all the nameless little girls is a huge added weight, I hope she doesn‘t take on more than she can handle… 4w

Librarybelle It‘s good to project a strength in front of other women, especially young girls. 4w

AmyG Agree with @IndoorDame ….a huge weight. I admire her, though, for taking this on. Leave it to a woman to think of others and not just herself. 4w

See All 11 Comments

vlwelser I love this. 4w

vonnie862 Loved it! I really like Alice. 4w

Karisa Alice is growing as a leader (or realizing she already was in that role). Being a role model is important, but if she‘d been killed in a physical altercation, what message would be received? I felt a disconnect when she said that. I think it‘s also because she‘s never shown really interacting with any younger girls of the Mint other than her sister briefly. 4w

Deblovestoread Lovely quote. I like Alice. She has a lot of people depending on her. 4w

kspenmoll I just love this quote. But I do agree with @Karisa about a disconnect. 4w

DebinHawaii This is a great quote. I get what @Karisa is saying. Alice had to do what she did, but if all would have gone wrong, what would that impact have been? I love her but I worry about the risks & sacrifices she is willing to take. 4w

mollyrotondo @Karisa I felt the same way. I love Alice and I love that she is doing this for herself and not her father or her brother. I love that she thinks of other women. But she is quick to violence and I don‘t necessarily think that‘s a great message to send to little girls. But i understand they don‘t live in the same way I live so who am I to say. 4w

julieclair I love this quote, and I love that Alice takes her position as an inspirational role model seriously. She can‘t shield the young girls from the reality of the world they live in, but she can show them they don‘t have to accept it meekly. 4w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Eli & Alice
What to do if I die..😵‍💫🫣👀
Eli. Hmmmm…..

Not sure what to think of Eli. Alice obviously trusts him.

BarkingMadRead Eli makes me nervous! I think he‘s trustworthy, but a jealous man can do some crazy stuff 4w

IndoorDame Yikes! He seems like a genuinely “good guy” but jealous and possessive. I definitely see him throwing a wrench in the plans unintentionally. 4w

Librarybelle Exactly, @BarkingMadRead ! 4w

See All 12 Comments

AmyG A man scorned. Not too sure about him. 4w

vlwelser He does seem like he's going to mess things up for Alice. Somehow. 4w

vonnie862 I'm with all of you. He's trustworthy but also dangerous. 4w

Deblovestoread I want to believe he will have her back, just not sure he won‘t let his feelings get in the way. 4w

kspenmoll Eli is a wild card- 4w

dabbe Hope Alice can #relyoneli hope🤞 4w

DebinHawaii Yes, it‘s tough to say whether he will help or hurt the plan at this point. 🫣 4w

mollyrotondo I was actually really surprised that Alice trusted Eli so much since they are exes and Eli doesn‘t necessarily feel okay with Alice moving on. He might end up acting upon his jealousy 4w

julieclair I really want to believe she can trust him, but I agree with everyone that he could be dangerous because of jealousy. 4w

15 likes12 comments

TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

🍹 🍸 https://kegnbottle.com/blogs/news/10-iconic-prohibition-era-cocktails-drink-like...
🍸 🍹 https://www.acouplecooks.com/1920s-cocktails/
🍸 https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/1920s-era-cocktails/
⭐ https://educated-traveller.com/2016/11/10/london-glamour-of-the-1920s/
⭐ https://www.jazzageclub.com/tag/1920s-london-couture/
⭐ https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1920-1929/

#SundayBuddyREAD

..some things I have found...

kspenmoll As always, informative ! Thank you! An Old Fashion was my parents go to cocktail, which I enjoy as well. 🥃 (edited) 1mo

dabbe I had to finish it yesterday. I just couldn't stop! 😱 1mo

dabbe And thanks for the links; I can't wait to check them out! 🤩😘🤗 1mo

See All 9 Comments

vlwelser Why do we not have more 1920s books set in London? Is it me or are they all set in the US? 1mo

TheBookHippie @vlwelser I had the same thoughts. I prefer London as a backdrop - 🙂. 1mo

vlwelser Always 🇬🇧. Plus Prohibition is overdone. 1mo

TheBookHippie @vlwelser omg yes… 1mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick There's a drink called The Corpse Reviver! 🤣🤣🤣 Oh, these will be fun to peruse... 4w

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I know!!! So much fun! 4w

56 likes9 comments

TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Well, I‘m loving it!!! I was going to look up cocktails of that age but my week was 😵‍💫😅🤪

🍸🍾🥂 will have to research.. anyone know?

I am so grateful for all of you! Sundays is something I always look forward to! ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Have a wonderful week!

Hope you‘re enjoy this wild ride!

Librarybelle That makes me want to look up cocktails too! 😂 I‘m interested to see what happens next. 1mo

AmyG I hope you have a better week. Thank you always. Looking forward to reading on! 1mo

TheBookHippie @Librarybelle 😅♥️🍸🍾🥂🎉 1mo

See All 26 Comments

TheBookHippie @AmyG just bloodwork this week and resting and reading! 1mo

IndoorDame Not completely sure, but now I‘m off to look that up to see if I‘m right and to find one I want to try! Will post pics if I have the energy to pop downstairs for ingredients later 🍹🍸 1mo

Karisa @IndoorDame Mmmm, cocktails yum! 🍹🥃🧉🍸 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame 👀👀👀 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame I know there‘s a drink called Bees Knees but maybe after this time frame .. 1mo

IndoorDame @TheBookHippie That‘s the one I was thinking of trying! I just saw it on a list of period cocktails. I‘d never heard of it before, and in addition to having the best name ever it looks delicious and easy to make. But it may have to wait for later in the week cause it needs fresh lemons which I don‘t have and the liquid store (I live on top of a liquor store) usually only sells limes, so this has to wait till next time I get actual groceries. 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame I have one lemon!! I‘ll walk it right over 😅 although I keep lemon juice as a staple … 1mo

IndoorDame @TheBookHippie I keep the bottled kind too, so I might try it with that, but it‘s like 1/3 of the drink so it would be much tastier with your 🍋 if you want to pop by my place 1mo

kspenmoll Period cocktails while reading!!!! 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame my week when I wasn‘t at the doctor https://apple.news/AwJTFUOlkS5-Xl7s4WRj5-w and https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/politics/elections/county/2024/08/07/... 1mo

IndoorDame @TheBookHippie Go you! ✊🏼 We need civic engagement! My week was a far cry from that. The closest I got to being joining the fight was attempting to research the single contested seat on the state primary ballot I got in the mail. I learned plenty about what the Governor‘s Council does here, which had been opaque to me before, almost nothing about the 2 women running, but just enough to form an opinion that hopefully is useful. 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame We are alllll exhausted. BUT. We‘re a bit safer now. Hopefully we can get some detrimental things back for the people. Nothing like a group come knocking for the help of peeps like me that they would normally scoff at… 😅🤷🏻‍♀️💙 1mo

IndoorDame @TheBookHippie it‘s unfathomable that things had to get this bad before people wanted to work on turning the tide. In the other hand, it‘s also hard to tell right now which way the tide is turning, so it‘s AMAZING that you guys gained ground back! 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame Ha. Nothing shocks me anymore. However them knowing they needed us gave me hope. 1mo

vonnie862 I love historical fiction so I amnloving this book! 1mo

DebinHawaii Loving the book! Another great pick! 🤗 1mo

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii phew 😅🤣💃🏽💃🏽🐘♥️ 1mo

mollyrotondo I‘m loving this book!!!! 1mo

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo ME TOO!!! 1mo

mollyrotondo @TheBookHippie this is amazing news for your area. I feel hope. We need more eye opening results 1mo

vlwelser I love this book. And I totally went to the beach instead of answering questions. I'm just going to read the next section and start fresh next week. I appreciate that you do this every week. 1mo

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo It has given me hope. 1mo

TheBookHippie @vlwelser I love this book too!! and YAY beach. I love the beach in California and pretend I am there often!! I hope it was lovely for you! 1mo

15 likes26 comments

TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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The mint calls Alice Diamond back..
And Mary threatens her..
Rob the bartender

WOWOWOWOWOW

What could go wrong ?!?!

Librarybelle The ending of the section really had me wanting to continue. For me, the story has now really picked up. I had a suspicion we‘d see a different side of Mary! 1mo

AmyG I haven‘t read anything about the real 40 elephants….but I wonder if Alice winds up the head of some crime group??? You know shi* is going to go down! 1mo

IndoorDame Atticus is not usually my favorite poet, but that happens to be one of my favorite poems! 1mo

See All 29 Comments

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame SAME 1mo

TheBookHippie @AmyG I‘ve got stuff saved but don‘t want to ruin current story 😅🤣 1mo

IndoorDame @AmyG @TheBookHippie looking forward to finding out when we finish the book! 1mo

IndoorDame I guess when it rains it pours? She doesn‘t take any time to wallow though, and this is what I liked about her when she was first introduced. That she seems to have boundless energy and confidence. She dives headfirst into solving all the problems that just appeared with zero plan. I‘m excited to see what plan emerges when we read the next section! 1mo

Karisa @AmyG Yes! Seems like she‘s gearing up to take on Mary! 👀🍿 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame me in my 20s 😅😵‍💫🤣😳 1mo

TheBookHippie @Karisa GODFATHER VIBES!! 1mo

Karisa @TheBookHippie Totally! Hopefully Alice will figure out an offer she can make to avoid always handling the violence herself. She needs to get into Big Boss mode to level up 😅 1mo

TheBookHippie @Karisa YESSSS!!! Level up!!! 1mo

BarkingMadRead Ohhhhhh this is getting hard to put down! I knew Mary was gonna suck but the Rob thing shocked me! I cannot wait to see how Alice handles this (edited) 1mo

IndoorDame @TheBookHippie ditto! How do I get that girl back!? 🤣 1mo

kspenmoll @Karisa Yes to all you said! 1mo

vonnie862 @AmyG my thoughts the same 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame HA RIGHT?!?! I need her too. 1mo

dabbe @IndoorDame And she battles on with a constant hangover! 🤩😂🥴 1mo

dabbe Mary, Mary, quite contrary ... now we see how your garden REALLY grows. 😤😤 1mo

TheBookHippie @dabbe 👀👩🏻‍🌾🪴 1mo

IndoorDame @dabbe 🤣🤣🤣🤣 (that part may have possibly also been me in my 20s but 🤫) 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame 👀🤣👀 1mo

dabbe @TheBookHippie 🤩😂🤗 1mo

dabbe @IndoorDame Oh, same here. #thegoodoldays 🤩😂🤗 1mo

DebinHawaii Things definitely ramped up in this section! It was hard to stop reading. I am worried about this fight & what‘s going to happen with Mary. 1mo

mollyrotondo Mary shows her true colors. She is a dictator in this group. Alice needs to take her down. 1mo

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo YES!!!! TAKE HER DOWN!!! 1mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I want Alice to take down Mary, but I am in the minority when I say, I don't really like Alice either. She seems too vainglorious about her position in The Mint and her thieving skills. She is very impulsive and too easily goes to violence. She might not be the idiot that Tommy is, but I am not overly impressed with her either. Imagine if your boss cared enough about who you sleep with to follow you?! Yikes! 4w

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick she‘s very young I think? Hopefully with age comes wisdom 😅😳🫣 4w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Moving in….her reactions to the rooms …

Librarybelle The rooms sound lovely, but they are at the cost of freedom. 1mo

IndoorDame Maybe she just learned that she has good instincts and she needs to trust them?🤞 1mo

Karisa I wasn‘t clear on why Alice needed to bring her family there (to Mary) if she‘s trying to prove she still runs The Mint… seemed like a bring Tommy home, gather who‘s loyal, and hold your ground moment. (edited) 1mo

See All 16 Comments

BarkingMadRead The rooms sounds beautiful, but nothing comes free. I worry about this for Alice 1mo

kspenmoll Gorgeous surroundings but it seems like she is rebelling as she wants to about Mary “ owning her”- 1mo

vonnie862 The flat sounds too good to be true. Everything comes with a price. 1mo

dabbe @Karisa I think she's taking on the dad all on her own with fists and wants her mom and n'er-do-well bro out of the way and safe. Plus, maybe she doesn't want them to see in case she gets beaten to death. 1mo

Karisa @dabbe Oooh, gruesome! You‘d think her brother could help her out 😅 She‘s enabling Tommy too. I bet Louisa would be by her side. She‘s a strong one too… 1mo

dabbe @Karisa Agree 💯. I hope we get to see Louisa again. 🤗 1mo

DebinHawaii I‘m with @dabbe about Alice needing them out & safe for a bit & not wanting them to see her fight to the death. 😱 1mo

dabbe @DebinHawaii I'm scared for her. She seemed like she was running around saying good-bye to everybody, too! 😱 1mo

TheBookHippie @dabbe she was getting her last “goodbyes” all in just in CASE!!!! 1mo

dabbe @TheBookHippie She's gotta whoop his ass, right? 🥊 1mo

TheBookHippie @dabbe Of course. 💃🏽💀 1mo

mollyrotondo She needs her family out of the way so they stop causing trouble for her! 🙄 I really don‘t like her family at all 1mo

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo RIGHT?? GET OUT!! 1mo

13 likes16 comments

TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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Pearl & Harold
Pearl hidden away…

YIKES

Also still puzzled

Librarybelle I‘m wondering about the Pearl storyline—is it there to show Alice has a softer side? Waiting for a full connection on that. 1mo

AmyG Same here…not too sure about that. I wonder if Alice is just helping another woman, seeing how men took advantage over them allher life. Or maybe she had a past BF who was abusive. 1mo

TheBookHippie @AmyG yes!!! Maybe that! I think it‘s alluded to that but I‘m not clear on it either. 1mo

See All 17 Comments

TheBookHippie @Librarybelle I think she does, surviving gets in the way … 1mo

IndoorDame It‘s odd that halfway through the book this is still so opaque. My current theory is that Pearl is a bridge from her role taking care of the people in the Mint to her deciding it‘s okay to care about people and a life outside of that, and choosing whether to leave or stay. But I could be totally wrong. This is like my 5th theory on Pearl 😂 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame I‘ve had at least that many!!! 1mo

Karisa I‘m doubtful she‘d have time to keep working for Pearl while also running jobs for Mary and keeping tabs on The Mint. Alice has got to sleep sometime! 😅 Author must need Pearl later in the book for something. Those acting skills might come in handy (but she‘s recognizable 🤷🏻‍♀️). I‘m probably overthinking… 1mo

BarkingMadRead Pearl was so strong for like 5 seconds but can she keep it up 1mo

kspenmoll Not sure about this story line either. At first I thought it was to show that Alice could be soft, compassionate, not just Steele but not so sure… 1mo

vonnie862 I'm glad Pearl got away, and Alice helped her. Now I hope Pearl stays away. 1mo

dabbe Knowing how Alice treated Harold, I fear he's going to come back in the story in a big way, too. And I'm also hoping if he does that Pearl is the one to bring him to his knees. 🧎🏻 1mo

DebinHawaii Yes, will Pearl be able to stand for herself & end up helping Alice somehow or is she another “weak link” like Tommy & Louisa that may end up being another way Alice can be gotten to or manipulated with? I‘d be worried about visiting her with Mary‘s spies about. 1mo

mollyrotondo @Karisa I thought the same thing! When does this girl sleep?! She runs from one thing to the next. There is never a break in her day. I thought uhh I‘d hate if this was my life lol she never has a chance to just sit and eat and sleep 😂 1mo

mollyrotondo I hope Pearl really stays away from Harold but Alice is waiting for Pearl to prove her fear correct. I like this storyline just because it shows Alice isn‘t all about stealing and violence but actually helping women. Mary seems like she‘d be the opposite when it comes to putting herself out there for another woman. Mary protects herself but Alice puts herself on the line to help another woman. 1mo

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo Perfect analogy!! I think Alice is trying in her own way to keep people safe. Mary is out for SELF. 1mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I wonder if Pearl might be useful to Alice as a face. Sure, she might be recognizable, but if she's in the shop and all eyes are on her, it might allow Alice to score big. It could be a way to beat Mary somehow. Or I could be totally wrong! 🤣 4w

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick 😅🤣 4w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

This post contains spoilers

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Tommy has a girl and she‘s pregnant
The MOM 😵‍💫

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Librarybelle The mom is a piece of work…of course Tommy is the favorite! But, I think Tommy struggles living in Alice‘s shadow and knowing that she‘s the dad‘s favorite. 1mo

AmyG The Mom enables Tommy. The father favors Alice because he knows she is smart and capable. Tommy seems to be a hot mess….impulsive and not the smartest. 1mo

IndoorDame The mom is definitely a piece of work. But there was one scene near the end of the section where Alice asked if mom was going to say I told you so, and mom was so dejected and said no she just wanted to know what to do next. And I realized she reacts like an abuse victim. The way she expects to be let down by all of them, like she doesn‘t deserve more, and then just wants to make things nice again. ⬇️ 1mo

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IndoorDame We only see dad through Alice‘s eyes. And even though she idolizes him there are some hints of questionable behavior to the kids too. 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame I assume she is idolizing him but … she‘s changing quickly the more she learns.. I assume he‘s way more abusive than she‘s allowing herself to know. 1mo

TheBookHippie @AmyG Yes. He‘s using her smarts. 1mo

Karisa The mom keeps looking to Tommy to fill the dad‘s shoes, but really only Alice can. I wonder if the dad will be released before the book ends? Feels like it would all fall apart then with Alice returning to her “place.” Alice taking over makes me think of the way women took jobs during the wars. How could we have so much power and keep losing it? 1mo

TheBookHippie @Karisa I wonder if she‘ll be all set and not need him.. and seriously… UGHHHHHHHHH. 1mo

BarkingMadRead Ugh typical Tommy, but I still don‘t trust that he‘ll do the right thing 1mo

TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRead I think he‘s an albatross!!! More dangerous for her than anyone else! 😵‍💫 1mo

kspenmoll Tommy is a sad figure & I wonder if he has some learning/intellectual issues but then there is so much violence in their lives-maybe he is just not able to cope with it like Alice does. I like your point that we only see the dad thru Alice idolizing eyes.. the Mom seems lost except when she is giving her readings. I too winder if Dad will stay a background shadow or get out of prison before the book ends. 1mo

vonnie862 I feel bad for Tommy but dude, his mom needs to stop babying him. 1mo

TheBookHippie @vonnie862 SERIOUSLY!!! 1mo

TheBookHippie @kspenmoll probably PTSD from the war? 1mo

dabbe @Karisa I kinda hope the dad doesn't return. In a weird way (for me), it's like when the dad came back in LITTLE WOMEN, I was like, “Why?????“ The girls and mom got along fine without him. I think the same thing here, even though these two books are like night and day to each other. 😂 1mo

Karisa @dabbe Totally agree! The guy is just not going to live up to the hype. Alice needs to own the role and maybe learn what she can from her time with Mary. I think Mary and Rob‘s brothers aren‘t going to like Alice stepping up though (edited) 1mo

dabbe @Karisa I see some gruesome scenes coming up! 1mo

TheBookHippie @dabbe YES NO MEN PLEASE. 🚫⛔️ 1mo

DebinHawaii Ugh! Tommy, Tommy, Tommy & the mother too! 😤😡🤬 1mo

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii RIGHT?!?! Ugh. 1mo

mollyrotondo I hate the mother. And Tommy screws up everything. He‘s a major albatross @TheBookHippie I also agree @IndoorDame that the father seems way more abusive than Alice will allow herself to see. 1mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick The mother is an enabling simp for Tommy and Tommy is a bloody wanker! I am almost in awe of Alice for trying to keep them all safe and not just going on her own like Maggie, leaving the family to ferns for themselves. There might be 7 brain cells between mom & Tommy, and 6 of them are in Tommy's hard-on right now. 4w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Kate the bar owner

I‘m still unsure about her 🤷🏻‍♀️

Librarybelle We‘re seeing a lot of tough women in this book, made tough to survive in a man‘s empire. 1mo

AmyG Not too sure, either. And yes, so many strong women….vs men. 1mo

TheBookHippie @Librarybelle YES. I do like how it‘s shown, it‘s written well. 1mo

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IndoorDame @Librarybelle Yes! I‘m loving that about this! But it‘s interesting that to be successful in this time they‘ve all had to be tough not just strong. And it ends up putting them all in conflict with each other in some way eventually. 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame Yes!!! 1mo

Librarybelle @IndoorDame Yes! Completely agree! 1mo

Karisa Kate seems strong in her realm but reports back to Mary at lightning speed. Mary is the hub of it all. @librarybelle So strong! 1mo

BarkingMadRead I like Kate more than Mary, but I don‘t trust either of them 1mo

kspenmoll @Librarybelle Yes, tough women making tough choices. I am loving this book! 1mo

vonnie862 I feel like Kate is the neutral person, and her bar is the place where you're not supposed to do any crime. It's almost like the neutral places in the John Wick movies. 1mo

dabbe @BarkingMadRead #ditto!!! 1mo

DebinHawaii I like Kate better than Mary but she is very much going to protect her own interests. I do like all the amazing tough & smart women in this book! 1mo

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii WHO RUNS THE WORLD?!?! We DO ✊🏼 -me talking to book. 1mo

mollyrotondo I like Kate wayyyy more than Mary. And I agree @vonnie862 that her bar is like the hotel in John Wick lol neutral zone 😂 love that! 1mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick At this point, everyone is in someone else's pocket, hoping to keep them happy for safety & protection. I like Kate a little better than Mary, but they all want to control everything so they don't lose their foothold in their respective businesses. Kate sends 4w

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Kate seems neutral but could be the biggest traitor of all. I can picture her feeding information to authorities so that busts don't happen in her premises. 4w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Maggie-“You have to forgive me”
Alice “The Maggie I know is still here. Nobody said you have to be one kind of woman. There's no rule that you can't be beautiful and clever but also fearsome and wild. You can be all these things."

Maggie & Alice take care of the intruder also Louisa‘s beau
???

AmyG Two strong, tough women. I am curious to see where their relationship goes. 1mo

Librarybelle Me too, @AmyG ! 1mo

IndoorDame Yikes! Not quite the bonding experience I‘d pick to recement their friendship, but I guess this is what it actually means that she runs The Mint in her father‘s absence…? 1mo

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TheBookHippie @IndoorDame Only the strong survive ?!?! They need each other… but WOW, no breaks. 1mo

TheBookHippie @AmyG SAME!! Whose loyalty with Maggie chose.. 1mo

Karisa I thought this scene meant Maggie was back to being in The Mint and Alice‘s best friend. However after this they were both back with Mary. I think Maggie wants to be there for Alice but Mary‘s pull is even greater. So much violence escalating so fast! 1mo

BarkingMadRead So glad Maggie was there to help, but I don‘t think she‘s really back for real, her loyalty to Mary is far greater in her mind than her loyalty to Alice 1mo

kspenmoll Thinking the same @AmyG 1mo

vonnie862 These two are bad ass! The way they handled the situation was awesome. Dark but cool. 1mo

TheBookHippie @vonnie862 I love it so much 😅🤣♥️👀🤷🏻‍♀️ 1mo

Deblovestoread I love that message! You can be many things all rolled up in one awesome package. 1mo

TheBookHippie @Deblovestoread Me too!!!! 1mo

dabbe Alice fell into Mary's world and didn't even recognize the traps that were laid right before her. Same with Maggie. As tough as they are, it's extremely difficult for them to give up the luxurious life. Are we all hoping that Alice finds a way to leave this new life--or to be the ultimate alpha female and take it from Mary? 🤔 1mo

TheBookHippie @dabbe HA!!! I want her to RULE 😅🤣😳 1mo

dabbe @TheBookHippie YES! #ditto! 🤩😂🤩 1mo

DebinHawaii I think she‘ll take over & it won‘t be pretty! 🫣😱 1mo

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii I forsee a blood bath 😅🫣💃🏽💀 (edited) 1mo

mollyrotondo @BarkingMadRead I agree. I think Maggie is sticking with Mary because the lifestyle is too luxurious. But I also don‘t think Maggie can control her true nature- badass. No matter how much Mary wants to change these women. 1mo

mollyrotondo @Deblovestoread I also loved this message! 1mo

mollyrotondo I cannot stand Louisa‘s situation with her Beau. These siblings are the worst! 1mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick This dude really snuck into their home! What an idiot. Alice can't seem to face it that Louisa isn't a child anymore. It was lucky that Maggie was there to help when things got violent, but Alice isn't as happy to play by Mary's rules as Maggie is. I don't know that these two will continue to see eye to eye. 4w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Rob the “bartender”

"I‘ve liked you since that night in The Mint all those years ago. I was just a boy then, but there was something about you. This girl standing among all these men, watching when we couldn't. You were terrifying and strange to me, but so beautiful."

???

AmyG I figured he was the love interest. Not too sure if he should be trusted or not. 1mo

Librarybelle I don‘t know about his statement of interest—her ability not to show emotion during a brutal scene when she was a child I guess shows strength, but it is just sad to think what kids saw and currently see. 1mo

IndoorDame That quote is creepy and a huge turn off for me. I might have come around to believing he was still a good guy and an informant who‘d been lying about some stuff. But the idea that he‘s been interested in her for so many years that she doesn‘t remember him back then, based on something so off… 1mo

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TheBookHippie @AmyG SAME! 1mo

TheBookHippie @Librarybelle I thought that too. So much trauma. 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame I was SO CREEPED OUT!!!! 1mo

Karisa @Librarybelle 🎯 1mo

BarkingMadRead Yikes! 1mo

kspenmoll Scary scene, scary guy. 1mo

vonnie862 Creepy, yes, but for some reason, I liked it. 😅 1mo

TheBookHippie @vonnie862 creeped out yes. Liked it 😅yes👀. 😳🤣 1mo

dabbe “These violent delights [might lead to] violent ends.“ Yikes indeed! 😱 1mo

DebinHawaii It was creepy—the scene & making the kids watch it but like @vonnie862 I liked it. Him having secrets & an edge seemed to make him fit more with Alice. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1mo

mollyrotondo I agree this was so creepy! To be attracted to someone who didn‘t flinch when witnessing violence as a child! 😵‍💫 but I still like Rob. I feel like everyone from The Mint is so screwed up that I can‘t fault them for their disturbing attractions lol 1mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Even in economically trying times, everyone had their own baggage! 🤣 It sounds like Rob is used to the crime way of life, given his family and all, so maybe seeing a girl who didn't cry and whine stood out moreso than loving her stoicism at the violence. Probably not, though. He just found somebody to match his freak. I still kind of like him, though. 4w

14 likes15 comments

TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

This post contains spoilers

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Diamond Annie has a name
How do you like how she got it?!
💍💎

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selfridges

https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2021/12/16/selfridges-steps-out-openi...

📺 https://www.roku.com/whats-on/tv-shows/mr-selfridge-on-masterpiece?id=f0dfe18417...

AmyG I like the play on her name. Very distinctive. 1mo

Librarybelle Alice is smart. And, she‘s used to being in charge. I can see conflict (as we saw in this section). Very ingenious of her with the diamond snatching! The name fits. 1mo

IndoorDame I loved seeing both women‘s personalities come out in this scene. They‘re very similar. Smart, take charge, but just slightly too thirsty. 1mo

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Karisa Not too much of a hidden code name. 💎 It‘s surprising that she‘s been able to get regular jobs since everyone seems to know Alice, her family, and her talents. 1mo

TheBookHippie @Karisa I imagine upper crust doesn‘t know her (yet) but it is fascinating … not known outside her neighborhood was my original thought but then it‘s shown to us she is 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1mo

Karisa @TheBookHippie 🤷🏻‍♀️ I noticed the Selfridges article you found even has a newspaper clipping about a woman being caught and charged for stealing handkerchiefs there. So perfect! Large store model must have been ripe for the picking! 1mo

TheBookHippie @Karisa RIGHT? I could just picture it all. I loved those huge department stores (still do) in their heyday in Chicago : beautiful displays,buildings, decor. I imagine theft was 😵‍💫. (edited) 1mo

BarkingMadRead I like the name but it seems too close to her actual name! 1mo

kspenmoll Perfect name- love how she cleverly engineered the diamond ring steal! 1mo

kspenmoll @Karisa There was an elegant multiple stories high department store called G. Fox & Co after the family that owned it- we used to go into the “ city” to visit it for Christmas displays, Easter outfits, etc. they had a tea room, one whole floor of toys, etc. (edited) 1mo

Karisa @kspenmoll @TheBookHippie Sounds like a fun way to spend the day! Now I‘m picturing B Goodman‘s in Mrs. Maisel “Doors are opening!” 😊 (edited) 1mo

TheBookHippie @Karisa pretty much that was Marshall Fields, Carson Pierre Scott and others in Chicago. (edited) 1mo

Karisa @TheBookHippie Now it‘s more Amazon warehouses 😅 Not so much fun… 1mo

vonnie862 I also like her name and the meaning behind it. 1mo

DebinHawaii These scenes made me want to watch Mr. Selfridge again! 1mo

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii I‘ve never seen it and now it‘s on my list! 1mo

DebinHawaii @TheBookHippie I really enjoyed it, especially the first two seasons! 1mo

mollyrotondo I felt like Alice was super into stealing from people 🤦🏻‍♀️😅 but she clearly has a good eye to pick up on the fact they wouldn‘t keep real jewelry out on the floor. But she takes a lot of risks. I can‘t root for her stealing especially since Mary‘s crew seem to use it for their own gain whereas Alice‘s dad seemed to be more of a Robin Hood for his community. 1mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick The name isn't much of a code name. Where are these being used? Is there a newsletter they send out to their girls? Alice was savvy to realize the real jewels weren't out, but she feels a little too reckless. 4w

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TheBookHippie

The Forty Elephants | Erin Bledsoe

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Good morning !!!!!

Alice transforming before her own eyes
What a scene
Dress hair makeup…

✂️ https://glamourdaze.com/2014/04/1920s-hairstyles-the-bobbed-hair-phenomenon-of-1...

IndoorDame I love the way she was upset about cutting her hair. It was the perfect reminder for me of just how young she is. 1mo

AmyG She had to play the part. 1mo

Librarybelle She transformed and played the part well! 1mo

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IndoorDame Also was anyone else bothered that they didn‘t get her shoes? That‘s something the people who work at Selfridge would absolutely notice and her old shoes definitely wouldn‘t pass the test. 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame I agree! I had similar thoughts! 1mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame oh!!! Good call!!! Yes They would know!! 1mo

Karisa I love a good transformation scene! I was a little irritated that they didn‘t even talk to her before cutting her hair. Seemed a clue on things to come with Mary‘s control. @IndoorDame You are so right about the shoes! Alice‘s would‘ve been way too sensible and worn for all that fancy garb. 👠👠 1mo

Karisa The dressmaker reminded me of Edna Mode from The Incredibles or Genevieve in Bridgerton. I hope we see more of her! Could be a useful ally for Alice. They know all the juicy and useful gossip! 1mo

TheBookHippie @Karisa ooooo yes Genevieve!!!! 1mo

BarkingMadRead I love how she loves herself after the makeover, she definitely has more i confidence 1mo

kspenmoll The transformation scene was so poignant- losing all her luxurious hair - her identity- but yes, she loves the new Alice! 1mo

vonnie862 Cutting your hair can be emotional. I don't know why but it is to some people. I tend to keep my hair every long, but I recently cut my hair to almost a Bob, and I admit, I did get teary. However, I enjoyed Alice's transformation and how confident she felt afterward. 1mo

Deblovestoread Agree with @Karisa about the big clue about her future with Mary‘s control. Always loved a good transformation scene. 1mo

TheBookHippie @vonnie862 I agree so emotional!!! 1mo

TheBookHippie @Deblovestoread I loved how it was written!!! 1mo

dabbe @IndoorDame I didn't even think about the shoes! Excellent point! 🤩 1mo

DebinHawaii @Karisa I agree that it was about control & I think it was another way Mary kept her off balance as well. And yes, @IndoorDame the shoes bothered me too! 1mo

Karisa @DebinHawaii Good point! Mary is always making sure she has the upper hand. The more powerful or skilled Alice is, the more she must threaten Mary. Not sure how this power struggle will resolve 1mo

mollyrotondo @Karisa I agree that this was the beginning of Mary‘s control over Alice. I would also feel super upset if my hair was cut off without it being my decision. 1mo

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