We Shall See the Sky Sparkling

Aikin’s satisfying debut follows the life of a young woman who defies her father and leaves home to become an actress. In 1897 Manchester, England, 17-year-old Lily Throop travels to London, where she finds work as an actress at the Imperial Theater. Lily is eventually cast in a leading role, though she must also endure the erratic and abusive behavior of her fellow actor and mentor, Herbert Wade. Though Lily enjoys the freedom to make her own life and career decisions, her success is threatened when scandal surrounding her relationship with stagehand Chut leads her to flee England and join a theater group in St. Petersburg in prerevolutionary Russia. While in St. Petersburg, Lily falls under the spell of aristocrat and revolutionary Sergei Nikolayevich. Their passionate relationship is complicated by the fact that he is married and by his belief that his revolutionary plans are more important than his relationship with Lily. Ultimately, Lily must decide whether to stay with him and continue their relationship despite the danger he faces. Aikin’s novel is expertly plotted and rife with historical details in both its English and Russian settings, making for a rich story of the prejudices women faced at the turn of the 20th century and how the class disparity in Russia ignited the flame of revolution. Agent: Jeff Ourvan, Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. (Feb.)