Lilith in the Cage

The author wants to get this book signed, so updates are on hold while I work on another novel. But I'll finish this one eventually. (>人<;) I'm sorry.

First version:

At the end of the nineteenth century, there were vibrant workers' movements, periodic economic downturns, a declining aristocracy and a rising bourgeoisie, as well as women constantly fighting for their rights.

Lily thought she would rot in the mud for the rest of her life, but she never expected she might bloom, too.

The story of a slum girl who lost her family and bravely enters high society.

"I've seen all the injustice in this world, so I am not afraid."

A coming-of-age story about the female protagonist.

Realistic style, extremely slow-paced narration, combining emotion and reason.

An imagined era, with sloppy historical research.

Second version:

The young man leaned against the doorway. He took out a pen, held it up against the sunlight, then began writing on a sheet of paper:

They gathered in the slums, where there was no religion, etiquette, or civilization. Criminals and prostitutes mingled among them. There was no light or air. They craved beer and "cheap thrills," and these dregs were gradually swallowing up the great metropolis of civilization. (Note 1) When he finished, he straightened up, ready to put away his manuscript.

He walked into a narrow alley nearby, not watching where he was going, and collided head-on with a running child.

The pages scattered across the ground.

Note 1: Adapted from Outcast London: A Study in the Relationship between Classes in Victorian Society, a 1971 work by Gareth Stedman Jones, professor of intellectual history at Queen Mary University of London.

Theme: There's some good in the world