Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - The Maiden

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The Maiden by Kate Foster

5 reviews

happyknitter2020's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Read as part of the Women's Prize Longlist 2024.
A fictional perspective of true historical event of a woman being killed for murdering her Uncle. The author gently placed the tracing paper of today's understanding of intra familial abuse & a coersive controlling & abuse male to the experience from over 340 years ago in 1679.

Wouldn't have picked this up due to the cover design, but glad the longlist brouht this to my attention, as helped me to reflect on previous generations of womens experiences.

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sophs_mood_reading's review against another edition

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sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

1679, Edinburgh Scotland, a Laird is murdered and his mistress the Lady Christian has been sentenced to death as a result, but will she escape, be pardoned or suffer the blade of The Maiden.

We have here a fictional reimagining of a true crime, where the voices of the novel are that of women and not the men who wrote the history books.

This novel had so much potential, duel view points of two women at the centre of the crime, 17th century Edinburgh in all its filth and poverty, class system opposition. However with all this opportunity the book just fell short.

I found it difficult to really connect with our two female main characters, finding them both irritating and well bad story tellers. This is a novel surrounding extramarital affairs (closed door) but it was bland and not exciting.

The last couple of chapters finally give us the “what happened” (well this authors decision) but there was no real suspense or emotion, it was all a bit beige.

Look I have to be fair it was great to see a retelling of a historical crime in the female POV but it just didn’t get over the line for me.

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rhi_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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shelfofunread's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“this I have learned for myself: girls who are wronged can become vengeful women. And it matters not whether they are ladies or harlots or maids.”

Kate Foster’s spectacular debut was a haunting, poignant and utterly compulsive read that gripped me from the very first chapter and kept me in an emotional chokehold until the very last page!

Inspired by true historical events and told through the alternating POVs of two very different, but interconnected women (Christian and Violet), The Maiden tells the story of the murder of James Forrester— Uncle, Lover and Laird whose privileged station in life allowed him to doggedly pursue both women, who are powerless to his overtures (and deeply controlling nature.)

It’s an incredibly emotional and, at times painful read, but the insight into both Christian and Violet’s struggles (and lives) had me invested every step of the way—I genuinely loved every exquisitely detailed second!

The writing was gorgeously evocative and soo atmospheric, with well researched and detailed descriptions that I found utterly transportive. I have to admit, the prison scenes were probably the most suspenseful (and heartbreaking) for me, as I genuinely grew to love Christian and dreaded the slow and unrelenting countdown to her fate.

Growing up in an upper class family with all the trappings of wealth and privilege afforded her, I honestly wasn’t expecting to love Christian as much as I did—her loneliness and yearning to be loved (and considered as beautiful and valuable as her younger sister) really tugged at my heartstrings.

Violet was also an endearingly fascinating character (who I found just slightly more compelling for her bold, tenacious and unrelentingly honest opinions.)

Swept up from the gutters as a child by Mrs Fiddes and trained in the art of sex and seduction, Violet hasn’t had the easiest of lives. But I was in awe of her grit and determination, and can’t fault her for wanting to find a way out regardless of the cost.

Though this is based on the true case of Christian Nimmo, not much is actually known about her or what really transpired between her and James beyond what was shared during the trial. Like most of history, women and their stories tend to remain invisible (or get lost in time) but I’d like to think that Foster’s portrayal was at least a little true—if only to make people contemplate the very real humans behind the story.

If you love gripping and deeply moving historical fiction centred around female stories then I definitely recommend checking this out—it’s absolutely marvellous!

A huge thank you to Chloe over at Pan Macmillan/ Mantle for the finished copy (and for including me on the upcoming blog tour.)

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