Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Le confessioni di Frannie Langton

False advertising to call this a wlw romance bc the book absolutely examines how Frannie should’ve stayed the fuck away from Marguerite bc that white woman’s hypocrisy ruined Frannie’s life. Amazing and solid storytelling of racism, slavery, and black womanhood in colonial Britain however.

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2treads's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

"No one knows the worst thing they are capable of until they do it."

Collins really put in the work to research and present a story that explored more than just plantation life and what it meant for slaves. That Frannie was chosen as a test subject by two white planters to see how far they could stretch and assess her intelligence. Using her as their instrument of torture against her own in a macabre dance of discovery to prove unfounded and incorrect perceptions about Black bodies.

We move from the plantation in Jamaica where Frannie is nothing more than a way for both Langton and his wife to exercise their spite and hateful beliefs to the manor of Benham and his madame where she is yet again positioned as a piece for either to use. Here, Frannie falls for the beautiful mistress of the house, ignoring all the signs that here lies her destruction and end.

These phases of her life are told to the reader by Frannie as she awaits trial for murder. Slowly, we uncover just what took place in the coachouse and how Frannie felt as she committed these unspeakable acts to how she maneuvered between a spoilt and depressed white woman and the man who wants to control both their lives.

A really well-written debut.

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kiarabouyea's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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

4.75

I really enjoyed this overall. I felt it was going to be predictable but it tended to surprise me! I like how much historical research went into making this book.

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clara_mai's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a very dark, slow historical gothic written in the form of a confessional text by Frannie Langton, who has been accused of murdering her mistress and is now being tried in court in London. She tells her life story, growing up enslaved on a farm called Paradise in Jamaica and later being taken to London to work for another rich family. As her account progresses, she reveals more and more of the sinister things she was forced to partake in in Jamaica. Both of the men who she has to work for carry extremely racist scientific beliefs, and Frannie plays a role in their experiments. In London, Frannie and Marguerite, the madame of the house, develop feelings for each other and start in affair, that leads to a very complicated and heartbreaking lovestory and some great steamy scenes.
Overall, this is very suspenseful and well done in terms of mystery, although there are some points that drag on for a bit too long. Through a writing style rich in similes invoking food, nature and darkness a lush atmosphere is created. As the form is allowing Frannie to tell her own story, questions of external vs. internal perception and harmful narratives are discussed in a thought-provoking and challenging way throughout the book.

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