Exceptional research producing an historical novel with a great sense of place and time.
Minette Walters gave up writing crime novels and successfully turned her hand to writing historical fiction with The Last Hours and its sequel, The Turn of Midnight (both reviewed by me here on Glam), which were inspired by the discovery that her home was near a plague burial ground in Dorset, England. In this book, Walters has moved onto the turbulent times of the English Civil War, which split the country and families, turning friends into enemies.
Having a minor aristocratic position within a Royalist family allows Jayne Swift to challenge the status quo even before the outbreak of war as she studies to become a physician, despite being denied a degree and the title of doctor because she is a woman. This independence continues when she insists on treating people from both sides of the conflict and refuses to support either king or parliament. Initially, she believes William Harrier to be a humble footman in the service of Lady Alice Stickland, another independent woman who makes no secret of her support for the parliamentary cause, much to the chagrin of her brother who supports the king. However, as the story unfolds, we learn that William is not what he first appeared to be and inhabits a variety of personas—each chosen to suit the needs of the moment.
The background setting of the war in Dorset is well researched and the author describes battles and the changing fortunes of King Charles I and parliament, with even a cameo role for Oliver Cromwell. However, the heart of the narrative is focused on the social customs and traditions pertaining to women and how they negotiate their place in society in the midst of the upheaval of civil war.
A secondary plot concerns Jayne’s cousin Ruth who is married to Samuel, a brutal, misogynistic man. He mistreats both his wife and son, risking the child’s life rather than admitting that a female physician may be better qualified to treat his son. I found the resolution of this toxic relationship just a little too convenient to be readily believable.
Perhaps because I’m a feminist and a history buff, I would have been happier if the unfolding romance between Jayne and William did not have such a major role in the narrative. Although Jayne is portrayed as an iconoclast, brave and independent, I was disappointed with the ultimate conclusion of the novel.
Reviewed by Jan Kershaw
This review is the opinion of the reviewer and not Glam Adelaide.
Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: November 2021
RRP: $32.99
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