Forever Amber (1944) is a work of historical fiction. The narrative, set in Restoration England, tells the story of the King's interest in an actress. The scenes dealing with the Great Fire of London (1666) are considered historically accurate. The author's husband was a history professor, according to one account. Kathleen Winsor (October 16, 1919 to May 26, 2003) may have relied on his research for some settings. Forever Amber was a bestseller at the time. Here's a scene, with a brief setup: Our heroine, a country girl who has not been in London very long, has found herself in debtor's prison, after being abandoned by a man who left with all her money. We join the action as the jailer's wife enters the cell.
A huge gray-striped cat followed her in, pushing against her legs and arching it's back, giving out a low satisfied rumble. And then all at once it caught sight of Amber's parakeet and moved swiftly forward. But Amber, with a little scream, jumped to her feet and, holding the cage at shoulder-level, kicked out at the cat with one foot while her parakeet
fluttered and clung terrified to the bars of its cage.
Winsor wrote other novels -- none anywhere as successful as her first.
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