{"product_id":"9780920663745","title":"Upstarts and Outcasts: Victoria's Not-So-Proper Past","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe popular view of Victoria's genteel history—all aristocratic colonists and Royal Navy dances—is about to be exploded. Yes, there were wealthy and well-born settlers, but the city's pioneers also included madams and murderers, seamstresses and saloonkeepers, who would \u003ci\u003enever\u003c\/i\u003e have been seated at the dinner tables of the upper class.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut all these people, upstanding citizens or impudent criminals, made their mark on the life of the little settlement perched on the Pacific; the New World meant a fresh start for everyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eUpstarts \u0026amp; Outcasts\u003c\/i\u003e, Valerie Green has collected a rich variety of stories, including those of Arthur Bunster, the bombastic brewer; Soue Kee, the laundryman who served the fleet; Ellen Timmens, the disgruntled housemaid; Mr. Badger, the butler with bad feet; and Stella Carroll, the bawdiest of the many brothel owners—to mention just a few of the fascinating characters of Victoria's early years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVictoria may not have been as prim and proper as legends have it, but it was much more colourful!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TouchWood Editions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47020026298608,"sku":"9780920663745","price":18.07,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780920663745","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}