The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal (Picador, 2019)
This debut novel, set in 1851 with a backdrop of the Great Exhibition, has a cast of unforgettable characters who tell a gripping story of the darker side of Victorian London. Its main character, Iris, becomes involved with the pre-Raphaelite movement and Macneal’s ability to weave fact and fiction gives her readers a satisfying journey into the past while throwing light on the present.