Bird of Paradise
By Ada Leverson
1914
First Published
3.45
Average Rating
230
Number of Pages
Bird of Paradise (1914) is a novel by Ada Leverson. Having established herself as a journalist and short story writer, Leverson published her debut novel in 1907 to moderate acclaim. Entertaining and effortlessly witty, Leverson’s prose paints a stunning portrait of the Edwardian era, a time when hope and relative peace proved prosperous for many. Often compared to her close friend Oscar Wilde, Leverson, a pioneering Jewish woman, remains a unique and refreshing voice in English literature. Madeline and Bertha share an uncommonly devoted friendship, verging on sisterhood in the best and worst of times. Satisfactorily married to the loyal—if a little boring—Percy Kellynch, Bertha often serves as Madeline’s matchmaker and confidante. In love with Rupert Denison, an affectionate, aloof young man, Madeline wants nothing more than to be swept off her feet. Much to her dismay, however, Rupert takes romance slow, proving at times a difficult man to pin down. Disappointed by a last-minute cancellation, Madeline laments her lovelorn woes to Bertha, who comes up with a plan. With the help of a devoted ex-lover, she invites Rupert and Madeline to dinner and a show, unwittingly setting in motion a story of jealousy, hilarity, and forbidden attraction. Bird of Paradise is a humorous tale of romance and desire from Ada Leverson, an underappreciated novelist of the Edwardian era.
Avg Rating
3.45
Number of Ratings
29
5 STARS
17%
4 STARS
24%
3 STARS
48%
2 STARS
7%
1 STARS
3%
goodreads
Author
Ada Leverson
Author · 8 books
Ada Leverson (1862-1933), the devoted friend of Oscar Wilde (who called her the wittiest woman in the world), wrote six timeless novels, each a classic comedy of manners. Love’s Shadow, the first in the trilogy The Little Ottleys, is the perfect examples of her wit and style: no other English novelist has explored the world of marriage and married life with such feeling for its mysteries and absurdities.
