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A review by jefftstevens
The Conviction of Cora Burns by Carolyn Kirby
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
4.75
Having attended a “Meet the Author” event hosted by Stafford Library, and the very fascinating talk given by Carolyn Kirby, I purchased and read her novel “The Conviction of Cora Burns”. Apparently, this is the only Victorian novel set specifically in Birmingham.
Carolyn’s dedicated eye for detail, and her pain-staking background research, really shines through the whole novel. It is a brutal story of the early life and times of Cora Burns, a very troubled young woman prone to acts of terrible violence, who has grown up in institutional life; workhouse; asylum; jail; and life working as an “in-between maid”.
The unfolding story is complex and involves a web of unexpected inter-relationships with the people who enter Cora’s life. There’s also an underlying theme and discussion around the issue of an individual’s character, and to what extent this is affected by nature and nurture.
It’s a book I would recommend if you like historical novels, with the caveat that it is very dark and explicit regarding the reality of Victorian life for the poor and underprivileged. Despite the dark themes, it does have an overriding message of hope and redemption.
Carolyn’s dedicated eye for detail, and her pain-staking background research, really shines through the whole novel. It is a brutal story of the early life and times of Cora Burns, a very troubled young woman prone to acts of terrible violence, who has grown up in institutional life; workhouse; asylum; jail; and life working as an “in-between maid”.
The unfolding story is complex and involves a web of unexpected inter-relationships with the people who enter Cora’s life. There’s also an underlying theme and discussion around the issue of an individual’s character, and to what extent this is affected by nature and nurture.
It’s a book I would recommend if you like historical novels, with the caveat that it is very dark and explicit regarding the reality of Victorian life for the poor and underprivileged. Despite the dark themes, it does have an overriding message of hope and redemption.