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eliz_hop_1973's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Infertility, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Self harm, Violence, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Suicide
thirza's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage and Suicide
electricjuicebox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Some scattered thoughts:
- This is excellent historical fiction, it immersed me in an unfamiliar world and while I kept noting words I didn't recognize, I was able to pick up on their meanings through the general context of the story (I read the novel on a plane and wasn't able to look up any of the old-timey vocab). I wouldn't have expected to like a book set in 1518 Strasbourg as much as I did, but I was absolutely sucked in by KMH's writing.
- Speaking of the writing, it was beautiful and evocative.
- This book has some similar themes to The Mercies, the author's first book and one that I really loved. I think I prefer The Mercies between the two if I were forced choose, but I was glad that this was similarly excellent. There's the tragedy of womanhood and women struggling to find agency in a world controlled by men and by the Church (more often some combination of the two), a beautiful focus on complex relationships between women and an exploration of queer relationships in an early modern setting. There's also a really strong sense of place in the vivid descriptions of the oppressive summer heat.
- I thought the characters were relatable and well fleshed out - I wanted to know more about everyone. Lisbet's struggle to conceive and the guilt she carries for each of her failed pregnancies, as well as the guilt she feels over her mother's death and every bad omen she's ever drawn a connection to, is poignant.
- I really appreciated the little vignettes between chapters that lent purpose and context to the hundreds of women who fell under the Dancing Plague during this time.
- I think my main critique of this book is that the plot sped up a lot towards the end in a way that felt less realistic than the first half. It was a more exciting read, but began to feel less believable as a result. I personally still enjoyed it enough to give it such a high rating.
Moderate: Suicide, Miscarriage, Xenophobia, Animal death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry
voldycat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
katiefronk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Grief, and Infertility
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Death
Minor: Suicide
sauvageloup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pros:
- writing is poignant, powerful and weaves a compelling narrative, while never being especially verbose or wandering too far. The dialogue felt real enough for the period, but still intense and readable.
- the characters were all brilliant, they come to life gradually and several change over the period of the story,
- Lisbet showed great growth
- the setting, the history and the depiction of the dancing mania was all extremely evocative and intense, I could picture it all so well and you feel as if you're down there in the pulsing, dangerous crowds, or drowning in the smell of melting beeswax.
- lisbet's alliance with the bees and later the dog, Ulf, added another beautiful layer to her character and her skills as a beekeeper helped her realise her own worth, beyond being a wife and a mother.
- I loved the women's friendships, Lisbet's true love for Ida despite her mixture of jealousy and awe towards her friend, and Nethe's developing care and love for Lisbet, despite her initial fear of closeness.
- the significant tragedies of the book are balanced with successes, which stopped me from feeling betrayed at the end, which I sometimes am with tragic books. bitter sweet, I can do!
- Plater's grim awfulness is written in a way that is familiar but still ghastly, and the dread of his arrival is tangible every time he arrives.
cons:
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- also wish that the role of the eldest daughter as a replacement mother might have been examined a little.
-
- it was of course upsetting, though somewhat expected from how saintly she is set up as, that Ida died. as Lisbet and Eren survived, couldnt Nethe and Ida have? it fitted with the story ofc, but it's a shame that it continues the 'bury your gays'
overall, I truly loved this haunting, sad, and powerful historical novel about the power of female friendship and love against loss, hardships and intolerance.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Hate crime, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Chronic illness, Death, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Outing, Child death, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Racism, Terminal illness, War, and Bullying
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Addiction, Police brutality, Alcohol, Mental illness, and Medical content
lorriss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Islamophobia, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Death of parent, Dementia, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Grief, Lesbophobia, Murder, Suicide, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Classism, War, Child abuse, Cannibalism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Excrement, Colonisation, and Slavery
emma_batch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Suicide, Xenophobia, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
bootrat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Wouldn't recommend, and doesn't entice me into reading more of the author's works.
Graphic: Pregnancy, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Suicide, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Animal death
amylovesbooksandyarn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
That this was based a real phenomenon that occured in the 16th century and was so odd and mysterious it drew me in.
This is not a happy book but it was a beautiful book. The author is also a poet and her writing style whilst not written as a poem is very descriptive and rich. In the authors note it draws links between the attitudes of the 16th century and current times and I feel that makes it even more sad.
I am now hoping to read the Mercies by the same author. .
Graphic: Pregnancy, Blood, Suicide, Mental illness, Homophobia, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Religious bigotry