Stories in Bloom
Historical fiction by emerging author Viktoria Penn
Currently Penned
The Empty Pram
Roston, Melbourne, 1959. Nineteen-year-old Eleanor Stanton is determined to make her name as a fashion designer, but the baby she gave birth to three months earlier haunts every stitch she sews. When the enigmatic Lillian Hart steps into her modest atelier, the two women set out to find the child Eleanor was forced to leave behind.
About Viktoria
Viktoria writes quiet, unsettling stories about ordinary women standing at the edge of their own lives. Drawn to mid-century settings, forgotten streets and the secrets families bury, she is fascinated by the small choices that change everything. The Empty Pram is her current work-in-progress, a historical novel set in 1959 Melbourne about a young dressmaker, a missing baby, and the unlikely ally who helps her search for the truth.
Recommended Reading
Step back in time with me. Beyond the ballrooms and the history books lie secrets waiting to be unearthed. Here are the latest historical mysteries that have kept me turning pages long into the night. They feature women as daring as they are determined.
The Stolen Child
CARMEL HARRINGTON
The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress
ARIEL LAWHON
The Bookshop of Secrets
KERRY BENNETT
Book Reviews
The Women of the Shadows
Daughters of Night
A Study in Scarlet Women
Harriet Fox
A richly layered mystery that lingers in the half-light between duty and desire. Fox gives her women sharp minds, soft edges, and secrets that cut deep.
Laura Shepherd-Robinson
Dark, intricate, and beautifully researched. Shepherd-Robinson leads you through London’s shadows with a steady hand and a keen eye for the women history tried to forget.
Sherry Thomas
A clever, character-driven twist on Sherlock Holmes. Thomas lets Charlotte be brilliant, flawed, and unapologetically herself—and it’s a joy to watch her unravel the truth.
Get in Touch
Whether you’re a reader, fellow writer, or publishing professional, I’d love to hear from you. Use the form below to get in touch about The Empty Pram, potential collaborations, or future projects.
Email: contact@silasthorne.com