Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - The Maiden

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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