Elinor Jones: Le bal d'hiver (The Winter Ball) by Algesiras and Aurore

A few weeks ago I was looking for new historical comics in my local bookstore when I noticed the lovely cover of Elinor Jones by Algesiras and Aurore. I confess that I had a shallow moment there and picked up the book without even reading the blurb or anything else and returned straight home.

Set during the Victorian era in England, Elinor Jones is the story of a young girl who is hired as a seamstress to the famous fashion house – Tiffany. It was Elinor's wildest dream to be part of such a prestigious team who created the most beautiful gowns in all England.

The company is ruled by Mrs Tiffany who is often traveling around the world looking for the most extraordinary fabrics. Meanwhile, it's her young daughter Bianca, considered a prodigy, who designs and leads the creation team. After several days working for the family, Elinor notices some strange things happening around her... Also, Mrs Tiffany oldest son, the mysterious Abel, seems to keep some secrets that he tries to hide at all costs.

Elinor knows she has to work hard to keep her place. Will she be strong enough to follow her dreams?

The story is funny and the characters are easy to like, even if very predictable. After some pages, we end up learning more about the lives and the work of Tiffany's intriguing seamstresses. Fashion is the main theme here!

Everything made me think about the animated series I used to watch as a child: Candy, Candy or even The Rose of Versailles. Maybe it's why I picked it up without caring about the rest. Everything is very girly and feminine, but not without humor.

The graphics are attractive but again, girly is the keyword here. Don't even expect any historical accuracy in these clothes or surroundings, this is just for fun and it's clear the authors really enjoyed creating this particular atmosphere. These are the dresses we all dreamed of when we were little girls.

I was not looking for something quite like this but I don't mind a big lump of sugar in my reads times to times. If you don't mind either, this is a book for you.

Grade: 3.5/5