“The Crimson Petal & The White” by Michel Faber is a 2002 period novel set in 1870’s Victorian-era England. The title is from an 1847 poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson entitled “Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal“.

The story focuses on a young prostitute who moves up from the streets of London when she becomes the mistress of a wealthy and powerful patriarch. In 2011, the BBC produced a four-part miniseries based on the novel starring Romola Garai, Chris O’Dowd, Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant, Shirley Henderson, Amanda Hale, Mark Gatiss, Tom Georgeson and Liz White (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zxc4d).

To start off with, I love period pieces and Victorian era films are some of my favorites (I absolutely love the clothes!!!) I am also a fan of Romola Garai (you will know her as the little sister (the liar) from “Atonement”. In this story she portrays “Sugar,” a high-class, low-life prostitute whose journey takes her from a destitute life of prostitution to the heights of Victorian society as she struggles with prejudice, disease and her own battle with self-identity and sanity. One of the things I love most are the physical changes she undergoes as the story progresses (check out the plates below!). There are also a number of wonderful sub-plots centered around a fantastic supporting cast of characters – in particular, Gillian Anderson as her crazy madam , yes, that’s Dana Scully (see the last photo!) . Definitely check this out!…