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lindyloureads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sian_m's review against another edition
3.0
I give this book 3.5 stars. There are elements of this book that I loved and in some moments, I got a little distracted. That could be related to me and where I was at, whilst reading, however, overall I liked this book. Some parts stirred emotion in me and I’m all for that with my books, I love to laugh, cry and everything in between.
It’s tragic to think that these kind of experiences/outcomes were prevalent in the past and it’s a shame that we are still a world, with such a lack of understanding and resistance to tampering with drugs.
It’s tragic to think that these kind of experiences/outcomes were prevalent in the past and it’s a shame that we are still a world, with such a lack of understanding and resistance to tampering with drugs.
raven_snow's review against another edition
Didn't finish by book club deadline, so I gave up.
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
3.5
okay, dont know what to say about this book. Although its about the trial a young educated black woman is facing after her 'masters' are found dead and she's assumed guilty, the book is actually more on her recounting the story of how she found herself in jail and what really happened. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration, the general writing style was very smooth and I was interested in hearing about her life. There is a sapphic element to it that I enjoyed and overall I had a good time.
reticulatingsplines's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
graciousreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
cagzee_176's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
vikipedia__'s review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Digital audiobook narrated by the author and Ray McMillan
“I used to be called Frannie Langton before I was taken from Paradise to London and given by Langton as maid to Mr George Benham, who then gave me to his wife. It wasn’t my choice to be brought here, but very little in my life ever was. I was Langton’s creature. If I pleased him, I pleased myself. If he said something was to be, it was. But Langton was a man who’d named his own house Paradise despite all that went on there, and named every living thing in paradise too. What more do I need to tell you about him?”
This work of historical fiction looks at slavery, colonialism, drug addiction, medical experimentation and lesbianism in early 19th century England. Frannie is a slave / housemaid and narrates her story. Collins begins the novel in 1826, with Frannie writing her “confession” from prison in London. And then goes back to 1812 in Jamaica as Frannie remembers her youth as a slave on a sugar plantation, and her transformation and education as an assistant to her master. All this leads to her current situation: accused of murdering both Benham and his wife, Marguerite.
This is Collins’s debut novel and it’s an ambitious one. Frannie is a marvelous character – educated, observant, loving, strong and yet vulnerable. Her race dooms her to a life of servitude and a lack of opportunity, and yet she finds ways to feed her mind and her soul. I really can’t say more without giving away key plot points, but Collins drew me in and kept me in her grasp. The story was as addicting as the laudanum that Frannie and her mistress relied on .
The author narrates along with Ray McMilan. Collins does a fine job of bringing Frannie to life, while McMilan’s role is to narrate the official court transcripts that are sprinkled throughout the story.
“I used to be called Frannie Langton before I was taken from Paradise to London and given by Langton as maid to Mr George Benham, who then gave me to his wife. It wasn’t my choice to be brought here, but very little in my life ever was. I was Langton’s creature. If I pleased him, I pleased myself. If he said something was to be, it was. But Langton was a man who’d named his own house Paradise despite all that went on there, and named every living thing in paradise too. What more do I need to tell you about him?”
This work of historical fiction looks at slavery, colonialism, drug addiction, medical experimentation and lesbianism in early 19th century England. Frannie is a slave / housemaid and narrates her story. Collins begins the novel in 1826, with Frannie writing her “confession” from prison in London. And then goes back to 1812 in Jamaica as Frannie remembers her youth as a slave on a sugar plantation, and her transformation and education as an assistant to her master. All this leads to her current situation: accused of murdering both Benham and his wife, Marguerite.
This is Collins’s debut novel and it’s an ambitious one. Frannie is a marvelous character – educated, observant, loving, strong and yet vulnerable. Her race dooms her to a life of servitude and a lack of opportunity, and yet she finds ways to feed her mind and her soul. I really can’t say more without giving away key plot points, but Collins drew me in and kept me in her grasp. The story was as addicting as the laudanum that Frannie and her mistress relied on .
The author narrates along with Ray McMilan. Collins does a fine job of bringing Frannie to life, while McMilan’s role is to narrate the official court transcripts that are sprinkled throughout the story.
rwoodrum29's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Beautiful story. Smattering of similes that draws attention away from the rest of the amazing prose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, Violence, Abortion, Bullying, Death, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Colonisation, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Addiction, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Gore, Grief, Murder, Classism, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape