England, 1760. Anne, the young daughter of an Anglican priest, moves from her village to London with relatives to educate herself as a lady and to find a husband. But she has more concerns than common women: she likes literature, politics, and her great passion is drawing. By chance, she meets Henri, a young silk weaver, a Frenchman living in London. The social difference between the two is remarkable, so it is an impossible friendship.
Romantic and historical novel. It puts us at a difficult time in London's history, when the silk weavers, almost all French (Huguenot Protestants who have fled the persecution in France) are being reviled by the English bourgeoisie, and they begin to rebel to demand fair wages. The novel is very well documented, and the author brings life and texture to the work of making fabrics. The characters are very recognizable, and the protagonists, Anne and Henri, are virtuous people. The book is read with pleasure: the author leads us, with different rhythms of narration, through the historical situation of the characters, and the streets of London.