In She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell, debutante Clara Carter finds that society life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in New York City circa 1891. Even the snow was grimy from passing through smoke and soot, making the carriage drives to a ball not “as sparkly and festive as they always seemed to be in novels” (p. 135).

But Clara isn’t given much choice. The De Vries heir is back in town, and it has been determined that Clara must catch him in order to save the family’s honor. With the determination of a drill sergeant and the zeal of Mrs Bennet, Clara’s aunt does her best to train Clara for her debut, while Clara would rather be studying or reading Byron. Both her natural good humor and budding social conscience are quashed with propriety, To complicate matters, Clara’s best friend, Lizzie, is debuting at the same time with the same goal.

At first She Walks In Beauty seems like a light-hearted romp as Clara learns the “rules” and foibles of “the game,” but it takes a more serious and darker turn as Clara discovers that even her father is not the man she thought he was, and the falseness and temptations of the life her family is pushing her toward weigh on her conscience. When someone tells her God knows her and loves her as she really is, she doesn’t know whether to believe it at first: no one seems to love anyone just as they are. But a glimmer of that kind of love is reflected in one man, drawing her heart yet highlighting the conflict between duty and reality.

I empathized with the conflict Clara experienced as her eyes were opened more and more. I loved where she ended up on her journey. And I loved that in both books I’ve read by Siri, the dresses on the cover have significant roles in the book!

(This review will also be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books.)