Compelling with superb insight into human nature. Astute observations. Wonderful detail. I loved this book!

Odeline's mother dies prematurely, leaving the 19-20-year-old alone but not destitute. Her mother was an accountant/bookkeeper in suburbia in modern times. Odeline buys a canal longboat in London, hoping to keep expenses down while practicing the art of mime and finding a job doing what she does best in the city. Her father is a well-known and loved clown in a traveling circus, and Odeline naturally wishes to find him.

The marvelous array of characters that inhabit the canal area near Odeline's home/boat will beguile readers. The author's realistic rendering of all characters in the book stands out. There are no perfect people here.

Some stories are long remembered and this will be one of those for me. It's the story of people and the history of a boat and those associated with her. Fetchingly told, its a book I'd recommend to everyone. Loved this book! ( )

Odeline Milk's days have been pre-scheduled for her entire life; from ritualized meals and slotted television time to precisely documented expenses. But when Odeline is orphaned at eighteen, she is able to leave the restrictions of her small town and seek an audience that will support her dreams of becoming a mime. Lured by an ad for a boat named Chaplin and Company, Odeline takes up residence in one of London's canal neighborhoods, where she will come to learn the true meaning of community.

Fellowes writes from overhead, peering down and zooming in on each of her characters as they are introduced. She soars through London, building a neighborhood around Odeline, and takes moments to weave the history of the boat in between. What emerges is a beautiful, unexpected coming of age story populated with wonderfully distinct characters.

Though it is set in modern day, the novel is told in vignettes that echo both the haunting sadness and cheeky charm of silent film. The blend is both surprising and unique, making Chaplin and Company a highly memorable debut.

More at rivercityreading.com ( )

This is a well written book about a young lady who feels her ambitions are thwarted by small town living. Her father is absent and her mother passes away and leaves her an inheritance, She decides to use the money to by a houseboat and live on the canals of London to pursue her dream of acceptance and fame as a mime. Yep, a mime! (ala Marcel Marceau) It is not an easy struggle and she meets and befriends a wide variety of interesting characters along the way. There is also a reunion with her father who she finds is operating a circus. This is a very strong first novel and I could see this as the type of story that would be adapted for the BBC. ( )