Yours From the Tower

by Sally Nicholls

1896. Tirzah, Louisa and Polly are best friends who’ve left boarding school and gone back to very different lives. Polly is teaching in an orphanage. Louisa is looking for a rich husband at the London Season. And Tirzah is stuck acting as an unpaid companion to her grandmother. In a series of letters, they share their hopes, their frustrations, their dramas ... and their romances. Can these three very different young women find happiness?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, Historical, Fiction, Audiobook, Friendship

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2023

About the author

Sally Nicholls is a prize-winning British children's author. She was born and grew up in Stockton-on-Tees. On finishing school, Nicholls chose to travel around the world. Her first novel was Ways to Live Forever.

Reviews

[Brend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost everything I know about love, I've learnt from my longterm friendships with women

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was exactly the wholesome, cozy, girlhood-esque book that I needed to curl up with on a rainy day in autumn. I must confess that I did indeed judge this book by its cover - look at it, look how gorgeous it is!! But in this case the cover perfectly reflected the adventure inside. It was the sweetest story of friendship and love and drama and heartbreak. I was charmed from the first page. 'Yours From the Tower' follows three Victorian girls who have left school and each gone down very different paths in life. Sophia has been whisked away to the London season, Polly has become a teacher in the least Victorian-like, Victorian orphanage, and Tirzah has moved to Scotland and become a prisoner companion for her strict grandmother. '...there is so much sadness in this job, we must all celebrate the joyful moments when we get them. I think that's a pretty good motto for life, personally.' - Sally Nicholls

The main characters and girls whose correspondence we follow: Sophia, Polly and Tirzah, were funny, relatable, fierce, and kind. I especially loved all the unique ways they signed off their letters, much better than 'yours sincerely'. At times, I felt things happened a little bit unrealistically or were resolved too easily, but I also refuse to believe that the Victorian era was doom and gloom absolutely all of the time. Some people must have found happiness and love and joy, maybe that's naïve but I really hope they did. Sally Nicholls did a great job of blending fairytale twists with a time period when women and girls were extremely limited in their education, careers, opportunities, and personal lives. The three girls expressed their frustration towards women's roles in society in their letters which I found both incredibly sad and important to read. Overall the story was one of hope and friendship and I would recommend it to readers of all ages. For me, 'Yours from the Tower' was reminiscent of Little Women and Malory Towers and I loved it.

“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.” - Louisa May Alcott

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww, I loved this! It’s an epistolary YA novel set in 1897 England and Scotland with letters mostly between three young friends who have just finished school. Tirzah is stuck living with her strict grandmother in Scotland. Polly lives with her family in Liverpool and teaches at an orphanage. Sophia is at her aunt and uncle’s in London for a Season. We follow each girl’s story of family, romance, finding purpose and meaning, and the story of their friendship and how they care for each other. I particularly loved Polly’s storyline. I wish we had more time with her big family with her doctor father, formidable but kind and sensible mother, and her many brothers and sisters. Her work at the orphanage too had a “Dear Enemy” feel (epistolary novel by Jean Webster), and I love that book. The whole novel is a treat though and the cast of characters gradually expands until I felt delightfully drawn into the world. I look forward to rereading this in the future and I definitely want my own copy at some point.

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this book was food it would be Battenberg cake. It's cake, and girly-ish and retro-ish and a bit twee, taking a lot of effort and skill to achieve its result. Probably it will be somebody's favorite but like with Battenberg cake, I ended up not seeing the point, something sweet skillfully presented in a complicated twee format.

Perfectly epistolary, all through letters, from many different people, with real skill at moving the story (not calling it plot) along and some very good letters they are. I am a sucker for epistolary novels, and this is proper use. 3 17-18 year old, british middle class (or above?) girls who just left school and are going quite different things keep in contact and of course, they will somehow find love. The problem was the plot, or plots, and how very bland/remote the romantic love interests were, as were some of the resolutions.

Incidentally odd plot choices, like for one of the subplots the concept of privacy is taken very seriously in a 21st century way and I remember the late 20th century having much laxer concepts so that plot lever did not quite work for me, and then there are some other odd choices like one of the plots having a happy ending (I am really not sure those two will be HEA but I am a cynic) depends on a 16 year old doing a marriage of convenience with a much older man. If you are going to be anachronistic to put out a nice cozy love story with a HEA maybe the 16 year old could have one also? But the secondary characters are only there as stuffing, kind of.

Also, it must be said, Tirzah was incredibly annoying throughout.

Not my cup of tea, despite the epistolary format, but it might be just the treat for somebody else.

[exploraDora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming and delightful novel is written in the form of letters between three best friends, Polly, Sophia and Tirzah, and it is packed with wit, drama, and gossip. Through these letters, the girls express their aspirations for the future, and I loved their openness, kindness, humor, and support for each other, especially at difficult times in their respective lives.

I also enjoyed the fact that even though it's a sweet and innocent story, it's not too naive. Nicholls used the relationships and circumstances of the ladies to discuss more serious matters as well, such as addiction, class, gender and mental health. Overall a lovely story with a happy ending for each of the girls ❤️.

Many thanks to RB Media, Recorded Books and NetGalley for an audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[gabs ⛤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girlhood on the 1897’s

[adeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you like stories that are gossip girl inspired, austenian, bridgerton/victorian based and enjoy the found family trope with romance, family drama, a hint of mystery told in unique story formats, you will love this.

i love epistolary novels and i especially enjoyed the inclusion of telegrams throughout the later half of the book.

[Lydia Sigwarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This type of historical epistolary novel written from multiple charming POVs is so exactly my jam it's hard to believe it's real!

I truly appreciated that Nicholls managed to write such a delightful little story while also delicately tackling the challenges of clinical depression, illegitimacy and other sensitive topics.

10/10 will read again multiple times

[Chloe Reads Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridgerton-esque vibes for kids, with a heavy focus on friendship and the woman's place in Victorian society.

[Danai · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to describe this novel in one word I'd use intimacy.

" Yours from the tower" is an epistolary novel following three young friends who keep in touch with one another via letters after graduating.

All the ladies have different personalities, aspirations, difficulties and come from different social classes. As such the novel addresses multiple different issues, such as : marriage of convenience, child neglect, women's prospects at the time (or more so the lack of), and even addiction. I absolutely adored the coziness this book radiated, as we are let in the private feelings, throughts and secrets between the friends, watching them as they mature from girls into young women.

The way issues such as feminism were handled was also quite appropriate. During the time this novel takes place in, suffragettes were already not just existent but also quite active, which makes the appearance of feminist discussions in the girls letters accurate. The ideas discussed and especially the tone of them as the girls hope for more freedom of choice for their sex, read naturally for the time period ,rather than the author awkwardly shoving in her own politics (which is something I've seen happen a little too often with historical fiction) .

The characters themselves really aided the plot, and I love that they all had such unique personalities, making them extremely intriguing.

The way difficult issues (such as child abandonment/neglect and addiction) were handled was also so well done, with a serious tone which didn't overshadow all the happiness this book has to offer.

Overally I've had a great time reading this ≤3 would very much recommend for any age group.

[Tayla Megan Muller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet story filled with laughs, love and heartbreak. I absolutely love that this is all composed of letters between friends and being a historical novel makes it all the more enjoyable.

I want you to think Downton Abbeyesqe, Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl. I laughed, I felt annoyed and sad, I did happy dances and altogether genuinely experienced this book. It was beautiful and I highly recommend!

[Mary Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a fun book and while it’s not exactly high end literature it was charming! Very fast read and I love the fact that every chapter is a letter.

[Sara Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro no formato epistolar que celebra a amizade, as dificuldades do mundo adulto e demonstra como era difícil ser mulher no século XVIll.
Também pretende homenagear as escritoras da época Victoriana e edwardiana, focando-se na união entre mulheres e os seus dramas familiares.
Impossível não adorar Polly, Sophie e Trizie. Todas elas vivendo situações diferentes, mas sempre dispostas a ajudarem-se umas às outras.

[Vera Hendriks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ Allereerst wint dit boek een prijs voor hoe het eruit ziet. Dat is ook de reden waarom ik hem in de boekenwinkel pakte en hem mee naar huis heb genomen.
In dit boek schrijven drie vriendinnen uit Engeland 1896 brieven aan elkaar om elkaar up-to-date te houden van elkaars leven. Ik vond het heerlijk om te lezen! De hoofdstukken waren kort en het verhaal was goed te volgen. Soms miste ik wel een beetje diepgang, omdat dus echt het hele boek die brieven zijn, waardoor je dus steeds moet ‘wachten’ op respons van de andere meiden.
Ik vond het leuk dat het echt van vroeger was, omdat de meiden echt met dingen van die tijd bezig zijn. Daarnaast vond ik het leuk dat ze alle drie echt een totaal ander leven hadden.
Het is wel een beetje een simpel boek en heeft niet echt perse een diepere betekenis ofzo, vandaar 4 sterren. Wel zou ik dit boek aanraden als je zin hebt in eens wat anders.

[Alessia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the epistolary form of the narration but the writing was not Victorian in the least in my opinion.
There were too many modern phrases + grammar for the narration to be set in the Victorian age which was quite a bummer.

[Cammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this! It's basically Sisterhood of the Traveling pants but in the 1890s where these best friends are all writing each other letters after they've left school and are in different situations. I loved how relatable it felt, even though they were girls living in a different time, and I couldn't stop reading. I immediately felt kinship with these girls. And sometimes it felt so modern that it was a bit on the nose (especially as they spoke about women's rights), but it never pulled me out of the story.

I love the coziness of the Murder Most Unladylike books when the girls are at school or at a country house, and there's that same coziness here a lot of the time, even as the girls are dealing with their different issues. I loved that none of the girls were rich, even though some of them had more money than others, and I loved how homey and special it felt when they got to see one another or go home.

Everything wraps up with everyone getting married (or engaged), which feels a little... you know. But it's hard not to be happy for them, although it does feel a little odd when you remember that they're all only eighteen, and some of them end up in situations that seem a little mature for their ages. But I think this takes all the best parts of female friendship, books made up of letters, and old English novels to create something really special.

[Johanna ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing me with an ARC!

A book told completely in letters is not something you read every day, and it takes skill to get it right as you aren't reading the events of the story first-hand. It did take a little while to get used to but the author did a really nice job! We are following the lives of three different girls, each trying to pave their way into 1896 society. I liked how each girls' character and conflict was developed so well and getting a window into their struggles and triumphs made for such a feel-good experience. There were a few times where I wished we would've been able to get more details than a letter allowed but I was such a big fan of how everything was pulled together in the end. I would highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of the regency era. Happy Reading :)

[Jersy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and partially provided what I want from 19th century historical fiction focussing on courtship: I want to relive the feeling I get from classics by Jane Austen and her Victorian successors. Only partially, though, since I think the "oh we poor women" talk is a bit overdone to feel period appriopriate and the story feels condensed and simplified, maybe for the young audience. I think the epistolary format is utilized very well: These really feel like letters and not just a normal chapter with a "Dear [...]" header, as such formats often turn out to be. Another good aspect are the chatacterisations, how fast of a read this is and that it sold me on all of the relationships. Nice, but not a highlight. And maybe too neat of a bow for some.

[Rebekah Burnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MILLION STARS 🌟 The romance, the friendship, the intrigue, the letter writing format, the beauty, the love, THE EVERYTHING 😍😍😍 A perfect light read that will have you giggling and smiling and will leave you all around happy! (If you can of course look past the ridiculousness of engagements in 1896-1897 and the age gaps) Just a feel good, happy story with three amazing friends 🖤

[Avery Liz Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Senza di voi sarei molto sola.»

Polly, Tirzah e Sophia si sono conosciute in collegio da bambine e sono diventate grandi amiche, nonostante siano molto diverse tra loro per temperamento e condizione. Alla fine della scuola, costrette a separarsi, iniziano una fitta corrispondenza a tre. Polly, intelligente ed equilibrata, viene assunta come maestra in un orfanotrofio a Liverpool. Sophia è costretta a passare la Stagione a Londra, ospite presso una zia, a caccia di un marito ricco e aristocratico che possa mantenere le sue sorelle più piccole, anche se il suo cuore è perso per un giovane, irresponsabile, adorabile squattrinato. Tirzah è la più ingenua, immatura e irrequieta delle tre. Non sa nulla dei suoi genitori ed è costretta a trasferirsi in Scozia a vivere con la nonna materna, severa e scontrosa, mal sopportando l'isolamento in cui si ritrova e senza sapere nemmeno dove sia sua madre o chi sia suo padre. Letters from the tower raccoglie la loro corrispondenza, racconta le loro avventure e la loro crescita personale: le sfide e le gioie di Polly al lavoro, i resoconti dei ricevimenti di Sophia e del suo conflitto interiore tra desiderio e dovere, la fragilità emotiva e i dolorosi traumi che hanno segnato l'infanzia di Tirzah e la sua ricerca della verità. È un racconto meravigliosamente delizioso, fresco, divertente e commovente. Incantevole. Le lettere, i biglietti, i telegrammi, i frammenti di giornale danno l'impressione di una storia che si costruisce passo dopo passo direttamente sotto gli occhi del lettore. Le tre protagoniste, le loro vicende e tutti i personaggi che le circondano emergono a colori vivaci dalle pagine, insieme alle ambientazioni: le piccole aule di un orfanotrofio, i saloni di Mayfair, un paesino scozzese sperduto nella campagna. Le storie d'amore si prendono il loro spazio e sono molto ben scritte, ma il vero cuore del romanzo è l'amicizia tra Sophia, Polly e Tirzah, tre ragazze che sono cresciute insieme e continuano a crescere insieme, unite da un affetto profondo e un sostegno incondizionato. Ci sono sempre l'una per l'altra, mentre cercano di ritagliarsi uno spazio in un mondo che ne riserva ben poco alle donne al di là dei ruoli di moglie e madre. Le istanze femminili trovano una voce convincente, ma al tempo stesso perfettamente realistica e adeguata al contesto.


« [...] a volte penso che la vostra amicizia mi abbia salvato la vita. Senza di voi sarei molto sola. [...] siete la cosa più vicina che ho a una famiglia.»

[Jane ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

a delightful novel about 3 girls with different backgrounds dealing with their own issues while supporting each other wholeheartedly



The book is written in the form of letters the girls send each other and there is so much emotion on these pages, their love being obvious to everyone ♥ it sort of reminded me of Anne With an E in terms of girlhood, friendships, and coming-of-age themes.

While being mostly light-hearted, this book also offered a realistic take on problems young women of that time faced and how few options they had - marry rich or pick one of the few jobs allowed to women.

If you want a friendship-centered novel, I'd recommend this in a heartbeat ♥

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein bisschen ein Überraschungsbuch für mich - nicht nur weil ich mich nicht mehr daran erinnern kann, wer es mir geschenkt hat (verdammt!), sondern auch weil es mir viel mehr gefallen hat, als ich für möglich gehalten hätte. Es wird beworben als "fans of Bridgerton will love this book" und nachdem ich Bridgerton ziemlich schrecklich finde, war ich skeptisch. Turns out: es ist so viel besser als Bridgerton. Mit Charakteren, die dreidimensional sind, einem Erzählstil, der durch Empathie besticht, und der Darstellung von sehr starken weiblichen Freundschaften. Sehr erfrischend auch, dass die Männer die Frauen respektieren und sich nicht durch sexistische Anwandlungen auszeichnen, die dann im Lauf des Buchs von der Liebsten geheilt werden (oder auch nicht). Wahrscheinlich sind die drei jungen Frauen, um die es geht, viel zu modern eingestellt, als es die Zeit tatsächlich erlauben würde - aber das Buch ist einfach insgesamt so sympathisch, dass einem das nach den ersten 50 Seiten mehr oder minder egal wird. Wirklich ein nettes Buch, kann ich wärmstens empfehlen an alle, die etwas leichtes für Zwischendurch wollen - mit Freundschaften, Liebeschaos und Erwachsenwerden von jungen Frauen um 1900 herum.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was kind of hard to get into the story for me, I’m not used to books written this way and it took some chapters before I truly got into it. But when I did… OMG
absolutely adored it, the characters and their struggles and how everything was written so perfectly. Perfect book for fall. I won’t say too much but the ending was just absolutely perfect 💗🍂

[Nienke Schuitemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful. Very accessible read, you just fly through the letters. You know how it is going to end and that is perfectly fine. There were a few beautiful and deep truths in between what is mostly a slightly superficial, but entertaining, story.

[Tamara York · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epistolary YA set in Victorian England. Three school friends write to each other as they embark into the world; one is a teacher at an orphanage, one a companion of her dour grandmother, and one trying to nab a rich husband to support her family during the Season in London. An enjoyable read and refreshingly wholesome and lacking angst for YA.

[enbokstund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Älskar du Bridgerton men föredrar böcker utan spice så är detta boken för dig. Ljuvlig pralin till bok som enbart består av brev som skickas mellan de tre bästa vännerna Sophia, Polly och Tirzah.

[Elevetha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I liked the prose and writing style but all in all, it wasn't entertaining enough on its own and I'm not usually the biggest fan of coming of age stories anyways. Obviously we had some friendship and romance storylines as well, but honestly it was just a bit pointless to me. I liked Polly's story the most, but Tirzah was amazingly unlikable and annoying.

[Ilse · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You matter as much as everyone else, and so does your happiness,"

I absolutely adored this book. I was rooting for these girls and boys so much, and to have everything happen the way you want it to go was such a delight as well.
It was so incredibly easy to read. I am a slow reader, but I finished half of the book in such a short time. Probably also because it is written in letter form, which makes it a lot easier for me to read.
But these girls with their struggles and triumphs were so incredibly good and cozy and just overall lovely. I just don't have a bad word for it right now.

[Daphne✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, quick read about 3 girls who write letters to each other to keep in touch after boarding school. I enjoyed the writing style.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cozy read but two month later I struggled to remember any details