Captivity

Title: Captivity by Deborah Noyes
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Rating: 4/5

In mid-nineteenth century America, three sisters inspired a religious movement known as the American Spiritualists when they announced that they were able to communicate with the dead. In Captivity, Deborah Noyes fictionalizes their rise to fame and intertwines it with the story of Clara Gill, a fictional woman past her "prime," who'd become a recluse after a scandal had driven her family from their home in London a decade earlier.

Captivity is a beautiful and enthralling story that weaves together fact and fiction. From the fictional Clara Gill and her work at the factual menagerie at the Tower of London to the imagined personalities of the real Fox Sisters. Nothing felt awkward or out of character. It's obvious that Deborah Noyes did her research into the time period before she began writing. I am glad, though, that my knowledge of the Fox Sisters and the American Spiritualist movement was minimal before reading the book as I believe it would have distracted from Noyes' lyrical language and the haunting tale that she was spinning.

As for the characters, I found Maggie Fox irritating at the start of the book due to her self-centred nature, but came to appreciate Noyes' artistic portrayal of her as she matured. Maggie began to see the sisters' performances as more than a game and to consider the results of her actions. In comparison, I liked Clara from the start. It was hard not to empathize as it became obvious just how withdrawn from society she was and how obsessed she was with an unknown tragedy in her past. And I have to admit, I was intrigued by the mystery of what that tragedy was, and loved how Noyes expertly prolonged the suspense by offering only a bit of Clara's backstory at a time. Though in the end, I was surprised by the revelation as I'd been expecting something simpler and more innocent.

Overall, Captivity is a book that I'd recommend to other readers, but one that I'd be selective in recommending. It's a wonderful and entangled read, not something for those just looking for a quick afternoon's diversion. But those willing to give it a try will be rewarded.

Thanks to Unbridled Books for the ARC of Captivity. A positive review was not a requirement and the views expressed above are my own. For more information on Captivity, check out the Unbridled website.

Angel and Apostle

Title: Angel and Apostle by Deborah Noyes
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4/5

Angel and Apostle tells the story of Pearl, Hester's illegitimate daughter in The Scarlet Letter. The book begins by retelling The Scarlet Letter through Pearl's eyes as she copes with the humiliation heaped upon her mother and herself by the Puritans of New England. The second half of the book follows Pearl's life as she travels to England, marries and has a daughter of her own.

Angel and Apostle is a wonderful book. Noyes' writing style is elegant and authentic, echoing Hawthorne's way with words. She doesn't reach for the same descriptive depths that he does, however her plot is a little more involved. Angel and Apostle isn't a straightforward retelling of Hawthorne's romanticized tale, instead it's an imaginative reinventing of The Scarlet Letter. There are several changes, but the most obvious is the replacement of Roger Chillingworth with an attractive, younger physician named Daniel Devlin and his role in the story.

I really enjoyed Noyes' transformation of Pearl. She is not the cruel, uncaring child found in The Scarlet Letter, but an uncultured child who's been left to her own devices too often as a result of being mostly ignored by the villagers, and at times her own mother. She's still spirited and moody, but often regrets the cruel things she says to her parent and those around her. And as the book moves past the events of The Scarlet Letter, she grows and learns to hold her mouth at times and think of how her actions will affect others, though she pays dearly for some of these lessons.

Angel and Apostle kept me intrigued throughout and surprised me with its ending. It's definitely a book that I will recommend to friends.

Thanks to Unbridled Books for the complimentary copy of Angel and Apostle. A positive review was not a requirement and the views expressed above are my own. For more information on Angel and Apostle, check out the Unbridled Books website.