There's so much to love and praise in this exceptional novel. I think this must have been the first one by Sarah Waters I read - published in 1999, it was her second, but I didn't come to her debut, Tipping the Velvet, until later. I recently suggested it for my book group, because I had remembered enjoying it, and had a general outline of the plot in my head. But, though I knew it had a twist at the end, I had forgotten what it was. So, after I'd finished it (at 3 am) I was so blown away that I had to skim back through the novel to see if there had been any clues. And yes, there were, but so carefully concealed that you'd never spot them the first time around. Obviously I can't tell you anything about this because it would spoil your enjoyment. But it really confirmed for me what an amazingly skilled writer Sarah Waters is.
The novel is about Margaret, a young woman from a wealthy household who has had some mental problems in the past, culminating in a suicide attempt. This seems to have been partly precipitated by her father's death but also, though this is never spelled out, she clearly has had a relationship with a young women who ended up marrying her brother. Her mother has nursed her back to health, and as the book begins, she has decided to take up prison visiting, hoping she can give some support and comfort to women worse off than herself. So she arranges to visit the large Millbank prison, a huge, gloomy penitentiary on the banks of the Thames.
Among the women she visits, one in particular catches her interest. This is Selena Dawes, and young woman medium, who is serving a prison sentence for her role in the death of a woman who had taken her in and supported her. Initially just intrigued by Selina's calm and composure, she becomes more and more fascinated by her occupation and all she tells Margaret about her gifts and talents. The two women grow closer and closer, and there's an increasing frisson of sexual attraction which Margaret feels and which she feels sure is reciprocated. Selena tells her that they have an affinity, that they belong together spiritually and physically. Margaret starts to find inexplicable items in her room and it's clear to her that Selena has sent them through the ether. Selena says they are meant to be together for life, and assures Margaret she can use her powers get out of the prison and join her on a one-way journey to Italy. So Margaret starts making preparations....
Sarah Waters is noted for her wonderfully authentic depiction of historical periods. This one, like several of her early novels, is set in the late Victorian period and everything, from the minutiae of everyday life to the prison conditions, not forgetting the language and speech patterns is meticulously accurate and well-researched. By chance I'd just watched a Netflix documentary which had a couple of episodes on mediums, and everything in the novel about Selena's seances and her account of her own powers chimed perfectly with what I'd learned on there.
It's really hard to talk about this novel without spoilers. Suffice it to say that the road it seems to be going in is shockingly overturned in the final pages. It was a great re-read - just hoping my fellow book club members will have enjoyed it as much as I did.
