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A review by jmatkinson1
The Conviction of Cora Burns by Carolyn Kirby
4.0
After her release from Birmingham Gaol, Cora Burns has nothing except the promise of a job working as a maid in a country house. Cora has been institutionalised for her entire life, living in the workhouse, working in the asylum and then jailed, Cora blames her friend Alice for the crimes she has apparently committed. At The Larches she discovers that the master is a scientist who can be very manipulative, the mistress is a deranged woman and that, actually, Cora is a good worker. However when she discovers something about the master's research she also discovers something about her past and suddenly Cora has a chance for a future.
As a debut novel this is very impressive. I found Cora an interesting character and liked the links with photography and amateur psychology. Less well-developed was the idea of Cora as a schizophrenic, all the signs were there but this part of the story didn't seem to go anywhere. As a novel about the poor in the Midlands of mid-Victorian Britain the tale is well-researched and different. A strong debut novel from a writer to watch.
As a debut novel this is very impressive. I found Cora an interesting character and liked the links with photography and amateur psychology. Less well-developed was the idea of Cora as a schizophrenic, all the signs were there but this part of the story didn't seem to go anywhere. As a novel about the poor in the Midlands of mid-Victorian Britain the tale is well-researched and different. A strong debut novel from a writer to watch.