Book Review: The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
I've been wanting to get around to reading this ever since I picked it up from Waterstones Picadilly last year. It was recommended for fans of Sarah Waters, and I love her books so assumed this would be a good fit for me - and it was!
The Confessions of Frannie Langton begins on a plantation in Jamaica before moving to London where the main bulk of the novel is set. Frances 'Frannie' Langton is a former slave from a sugar cane plantation known as Paradise, who is brought to England by her wealthy master, John Langton. She is given away to respected scientist, George Benham, to serve him and his wife, Marguerite, in their upmarket London home.
When George and Marguerite are found dead, Frannie finds herself the subject of a bloodthirsty and gruelling murder trial, with the eyes of London upon her. The problem is, she can't defend herself as she claims she has no recollection of the night of the murders, and cannot explain how she came to be lying next to Mrs Benham, covered in blood. She does, however, have a story to tell. Of her upbringing, of being used as a guinea pig in a cruel, racist, and morally corrupt experiment by her master, and the horrific events that led to her being brought to the Benham household.
I knew straight away that this would be a book I loved; I enjoy historical fiction, particularly written from the point of view of the women of the time. The novel is, in many ways, a classic 'whodunnit', only grittier; it brings Georgian London to life and Frannie's story holds a mirror up to society at the time; she is condemned for the murders, with assumptions made of her character before she even steps over Benham's threshold due to the colour of her skin, but it is English society at the time that is the real condemned party.
A searing and often painful depiction of the class system, race, and what it means to be a woman, Frannie Langton explores the line between being a victim of circumstance and taking responsibility for your actions and the part you play in the events you're caught up in. Unlike other similar narratives, Sara Collins' protagonist is often bold and forthright, not afraid to speak her mind, and this wasn't something I'd have expected from a character who has been so brutally mistreated, exploited, and oppressed all of her life.
I loved this book more than any fiction I've read for a while and would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical and/or gothic fiction. Sara's style of writing was fresh and confident, and the testimonies from other characters about Frannie throughout the novel keep us hanging on till the end as we try to unravel the plot fore Sara does.
A full 5 stars from me!
The Confessions of Frannie Langton begins on a plantation in Jamaica before moving to London where the main bulk of the novel is set. Frances 'Frannie' Langton is a former slave from a sugar cane plantation known as Paradise, who is brought to England by her wealthy master, John Langton. She is given away to respected scientist, George Benham, to serve him and his wife, Marguerite, in their upmarket London home.
When George and Marguerite are found dead, Frannie finds herself the subject of a bloodthirsty and gruelling murder trial, with the eyes of London upon her. The problem is, she can't defend herself as she claims she has no recollection of the night of the murders, and cannot explain how she came to be lying next to Mrs Benham, covered in blood. She does, however, have a story to tell. Of her upbringing, of being used as a guinea pig in a cruel, racist, and morally corrupt experiment by her master, and the horrific events that led to her being brought to the Benham household.I knew straight away that this would be a book I loved; I enjoy historical fiction, particularly written from the point of view of the women of the time. The novel is, in many ways, a classic 'whodunnit', only grittier; it brings Georgian London to life and Frannie's story holds a mirror up to society at the time; she is condemned for the murders, with assumptions made of her character before she even steps over Benham's threshold due to the colour of her skin, but it is English society at the time that is the real condemned party.
A searing and often painful depiction of the class system, race, and what it means to be a woman, Frannie Langton explores the line between being a victim of circumstance and taking responsibility for your actions and the part you play in the events you're caught up in. Unlike other similar narratives, Sara Collins' protagonist is often bold and forthright, not afraid to speak her mind, and this wasn't something I'd have expected from a character who has been so brutally mistreated, exploited, and oppressed all of her life.
I loved this book more than any fiction I've read for a while and would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical and/or gothic fiction. Sara's style of writing was fresh and confident, and the testimonies from other characters about Frannie throughout the novel keep us hanging on till the end as we try to unravel the plot fore Sara does.
A full 5 stars from me!
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