This week we are discussing The Parting Glass by Gina Marie Guadagnino , Page 1-99.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for The Parting Glass by Gina Marie Guadagnino.
Trigger/Content Warning!!! Sexual content, adult language, and racism
Discussion #1:
Jacilyn: Hello friends, welcome to our second book of 2021! This month, we’re reading The Parting Glass by Gina Marie Guadagnino, an LGBTQ+ historical fiction novel about an Irish immigrant named Mary, who works as a lady’s maid in Victorian era New York. We’re taking a step out of modern times and exploring how sexuality, nationality, gender identity, and socio-economic class shaped the lives of our characters.
This book is definitely a diversion from our more action-based picks. Admittedly, I sometimes find myself growing a bit bored and lose that “can’t put the book down” kind of feeling, but the details are clearly well-researched and the author includes a bibliography. What this book might lack in “action,” so far, it makes up for in boiling hot tea. The drama of this story is intense. Mary is an Irish immigrant, who hides her accent while serving as a lady’s maid named Charlotte, and spends her days off confiding in a sex worker and drinking beer with the lads, her brother among them. Johnny works as a stable hand in Charlotte’s household… while secretly conducting an affair with Lady Charlotte herself. Oh, yeah. And Mary is in love with Charlotte, almost obsessively, and as if that wasn’t enough….. She has to worry about the safety of her brother and herself being compromised. This is by far the most intense love triangle I have ever heard of.
Michaela: I have definitely found myself drifting while reading this book during some of the more information based paragraphs but I often do that with a lot of books written this way, especially historical fiction.The author did an amazing job of researching what life really felt like during this time and I can feel that atmosphere while reading and that makes getting into the book so easy. But then, as you said, “boiling hot tea” is enough to wake up all my senses! I don’t think I was ready for how intense this tea is from the very beginning. Twilight’s love triangle doesn’t have shit on this book. I will say that I have been taken aback by just how obsessed Mary seems to be with Charlotte, I think it borders on unhealthy and creepy on occasion.
Jacilyn: I agree. I think the entire triangle is awfully toxic. Charlotte asks Mary to actively help her in her affair with Johnny by leaving her window open. Johnny doesn’t know that Mary is in love with Charlotte, but I think Charlotte has an inkling. If she doesn’t suspect that Mary is in love with her, she certainly suspects that Mary adores her, and seems to use that to her advantage by asking for physical affection and comfort. Not unlike how Charlotte uses Johnny for the same things. I feel that Charlotte does truly love both Mary and Johnny, in entirely different ways, but she doesn’t seem to be willing to put anyone else’s feelings above her own.
Broadly speaking, I am finding the insight into Victorian era New York really interesting. The descriptions of social norms, fashions, societal expectations, and subtle politics helps the story become more immersive, and it all colors the world that Mary is navigating. I don’t fully understand the entire history of Irish immigration to the United States, but I am aware of the extreme prejudice that they faced upon arrival, and it’s clear that Mary and Johnny’s true origins are going to play a big role in the story.
Michaela: This is one of the most toxic triangles I’ve ever read about to be honest. I agree, I think Charlotte knows in some way that Mary adores her. There is no doubt in my mind that Charlotte is taking full advantage of that knowledge. Especially since she requests physical affection from Mary. I don’t know if Charlotte is struggling with her sexuality or not, but using someone like that when you have an inkling of their feelings is so disrespectful and could be considered cruel. I was actually wondering if Johnny even knows that Mary is gay. He doesn’t seem to mention it but Mary also doesn’t really seem to hide it too much when it came to her relationship with Liddie.
I don’t doubt that Charlotte has feelings for Johnny but I do doubt that Johnny and Charlotte are experiencing the same type of love. I think Johnny has genuine “love of my life” love for Charlotte, while I think Charlotte just has “my first love” love for Johnny. While sometimes those can combine into the same thing, to me this does not seem like the case here. Charlotte knows this relationship won’t continue forward because of her dedication to the society norms of high society Victorian New York. And she has clearly forgotten to mention that to Johnny.
I don’t know the full history of the Irish immigration to the U.S. but from what I do know this seems like a great insight into what it was like for people like Mary and her brother. I’m excited to get further into the story to see where Johnny’s political affiliations take us.
Jacilyn: I think Liddie is such a fascinating character. She’s a black immigrant, born into sex work, who moved to New York in search of a better life for herself. She embraces her sexuality, and enjoys her career in sex work. I love that she wants to open a brothel herself, and be a madam that actually shows compassion to her girls. Liddie has come to the United States and has found her own version of the American Dream, really.
The relationship between Liddie and Mary is really interesting to me. I don’t necessarily think it’s toxic, at least not at this point, but Mary seems to see Liddie as a confidante, and doesn’t try to mask her infatuation with Charlotte. I think Mary could learn a lot from Liddie about embracing her identity, but of course that’s a lot easier said than done as a queer, female, poor Irish immigrant in nineteenth century New York. Their physical chemistry is far from lacking, either. I haven’t read a lot of historical romance or erotica by any means, but what I have read has leaned towards the less exciting, less passionate side. But of course, sexual expression and desires and kinks have always existed, so it’s refreshing to encounter scenes this steamy.
Michaela: I think Liddie is a great character. So often period pieces ignore black and other POC immigrants and sexuality themes. I thought Liddie was a great character for Mary to get involved with. She’s so confident and so accepting of Mary’s personality. She was also very empathetic to her feelings for another woman, and wasn’t jealous or offended (which I think happens too often in literature). I hope we see more of her. I don’t see much that is bad about Mary and Liddie together, other than the fact that Mary is in love with someone unattainable. We’ll just have to see how that goes. I really appreciated that Mary did not follow another trope in historical fiction which is the disdain towards sex workers that we so often see, and which I very much dislike. Sex workers are valid people and so is their work and not everyone in history hated them and they weren’t horrible people just because that’s what they did for a living. Liddie wants to continue with this to make herself a successful business for herself and a safe workplace for other women, I love it.
Also, I think Mary and Johnny’s crowd seem to be pretty accepting of others. If they don’t already know that Mary is gay, I don’t know that they would make a big deal out of it. And I feel that would accept Liddie into their group if she came along with Mary at some point. So far I ship it but we’ll see how it continues.
Something I’m anxious about as we continue reading is I really hope that Mary and Johnny don’t continue to clash over Charlotte. They seem to have a pretty healthy and loving relationship as siblings and I don’t want Charlotte to get in the way of that. Right now I’m not a big fan of Charlotte and I think she’s taking advantage of both of them. However, I do want Charlotte to be happy. Charlotte is dealing with a lot of pressure from her mother but I hope she sees she doesn’t have to follow these ridiculous rules of Victorian matchmaking. Also I want Prudence to be happy, she’s more of a side character right now but she seems pretty nice and fun. She just wants to play music, such an innocent and simple request. But of course….can’t have women doing what women want because “Those skills or arts, which only serve to heighten a gentleman’s appeal and showcase his industry in practicing them, become a liability for a young lady”...I always struggle with the sexism in historical fiction and this book is no different so far. This line is completely accurate for the time period but it doesn’t make it easier to accept and read about, unfortunately.
Jacilyn: Another misconception we see a lot about sex workers is that they are forced to “resort” to that kind of work because of whatever situation they might be in, and vulnerable people do get preyed on and trafficked, but there are many people of all genders engaging in sex work because they enjoy it. One of the things I hate so much about sex work being considered a crime in the United States is that if it were legal, it could be regulated and sex workers could have more safety measures in place. It’s no secret that we think sexuality should be celebrated and embraced instead of hidden and treated as taboo.
I think the pub is going to be the source of more political aspects as the story continues. The author mentions Johnny joining a group of men, who I imagine to be marginalized in some ways as well. I enjoy that many regulars at the pub know to leave Mary alone, although a woman drinking with the best of them is not an acceptable practice in America at the time.
As far as Johnny and Mary are concerned, I think trouble is on the horizon. People are getting suspicious. Charlotte isn’t paying attention to her suitors the way she should be, even though she claims she can’t stay with Johnny forever, and her mother seems to be about to lose her patience. In an ideal world, Charlotte and Prudence would run away together and live their best lives, but I have a feeling that’s not about to happen. Mary will most likely have to choose between Johnny and Charlotte, especially considering the little problem of Charlotte’s pregnancy. It’s interesting, because this choice is also intensified by the fact that if Mary betrays Charlotte in some way, she probably won’t be able to get work as a lady’s maid again, which is going to make survival a lot more difficult.
Michaela: I definitely think the political aspects are going to start picking up and I’m ready for some action, even if it’s political action. I have enjoyed how the book explains the difference between Irish culture and United States culture at this time. For the Irish immigrants, the pub is a place for men, women, and families to gather and be together, while in the U.S. it's viewed as a place only for men “to be men” (you know...because they’re soooo oppressed). I love the culture that Mary is a part of with the other Irish immigrants, it's like everyone is family simply because they’re all there together and I really appreciate that mentality.
Honestly, I’d read a spin off novel of Charlotte and Prudence running away to live a fabulous music filled life. This story is going to get so complicated with this pregnancy, I feel the drama coming. Going to go boil some more water for all the new tea coming in this next part!
What have you thought of this historical novel so far? Do you struggle with historical fiction like we do? What are your thoughts about this love triangle? Let us know in the comments!
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