Tipping the Velvet

This is absolutely the GOAT of lesbian historical fiction. Fingersmith is probably my favorite of Sarah Waters’ work, but this is simply iconic and changed my life when I read it as a teenager. 

It’s a raucous, vibrant riot of a book, and Nan is an unforgettable protagonist. Readers will barrel through the sights and sounds of Victorian London as Sarah Waters brings them to life in gorgeous technicolor. Sarah Waters is unbelievably skillful at blending Nan’s personal awakening in with the social and political context of England at the end of the 19th Century. A masterclass, and you’ll never… show more.

I’ve loved every Sarah Waters book I’ve read so far, and this one was no exception! Tipping the Velvet follows Nan Astley, a young woman who leaves her humble family home in Whitstable after falling in love with Kitty Butler, a charming “male impersonator” (i.e., drag king) working the music halls of Victorian England.

Eventually, Nan becomes a famous male impersonator, too, and is drawn into a world of drama, heart-break, and self-discovery. I loved following Nan through the glitz and glitter of nineteenth-century showbiz and queer subculture, particularly the way Waters tackled the slippery divide (or lack thereof!) between… show more.

Of all Sarah Waters’ books, Tipping the Velvet is my favourite. The characters live and die in the pages, the story is beautifully written and it’s tight with emotional journey. I’ve reread it several times, each is wonderful.

The main character, Nan, is like one of my family at this stage. We see her go from a young woman first experiencing love and emotional intimacy, and Waters doesn’t hide Nan from society for being gay, she brings her into the light. It’s set in England in the late 1800s and the history is rich, the story is fantastic. I really,… show more.

If you identify anywhere on the LGBTIQ2+ scale and haven’t heard of Sarah Waters, you’ve likely been living under a rock.

Her debut novel, Tipping the Velvet, is probably better known as the three-part BBC series, but the book is what truly makes the characters come to life. From naïve, small town, oyster-girl in Kent to the life of the London Stage, Waters takes you through Victorian-era England via the point of view of beloved heroine Nan Astley.

If you’re looking for a sexy, sensuous, and downright gritty novel about what life was truly like for a ‘tom’ growing… show more.

This was one of the first women-focused love stories I’d read as a young adult, so it holds a nostalgic essence over my experience reading women’s fiction. I enjoyed how it shared the life of a young lesbian woman as she came of age in the 1890s. Overall, the novel was fun and exciting and showed the resilience of the narrator as she sought to live her truth.

A queer historical fiction classic, this Sarah Waters gem focuses on Nan, a working-class girl who works in her family’s oyster restaurant. The story follows her travels—and her heartbreak—when she falls in love watching Kitty Butler, a local actress. This book gives a beautifully vivid portrayal of a character at the intersection of womanhood, queerness, and the working class, and also has interesting things to say about gender. You grow up with Nan as you read, you cry when she cries, you get frustrated with her when she makes mistakes, and you cheer for her when she finally learns to… show more.

This book tops my list because it was the very first lesbian fiction I ever read and it is immensely memorable! I went on to binge-read all of the Sarah Waters I could get my hands on (and at that point I think she only had three books out). 

Tipping the Velvet is a coming-of-age-and-coming-out story of a working-class heroine in late Victorian London. Nan is a fantastic character and has a series of adventures ranging from the romantic to the titillating to the dark and tragic. Ultimately, however, there is a happy ending for Nan--and that's part of why… show more.

This fantastic book could be considered a lesbian love story, a coming of age book, or just what it is for me – a suspenseful, engrossing, page-turning read that I have read three times. The moment I first read this book, I fell in love with Sarah Waters' writing and have read everything she’s written except her last novel.

I found the character of Nan particularly affecting as her voice is so well constructed that you can feel every ounce of excitement, confusion, and pain through her dialogue. When you feel that intimate with a character, it is impossible to… show more.