It will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are...
Liz Hyder ~ The Gifts
Synopsis
October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in the English countryside as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders.
In London, rumours of a "fallen angel" cause a frenzy across the city, and a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger...
Review
What a fab concept. I loved the symbolism and insight into this period of history. London is well-described - albeit with a few too many horse-related accidents - and the author really shows the feeling at the time, including growing dissent amongst women. The story itself is interesting and brings together the Victorian obsession for taxidermy, death and 'freaks', as well as the differences between the classes. It took a while to get the characters straight in my head with the audiobook as there wasn't enough differentiation between each one (which was confusing as the story is told through multiple perspectives). I also wanted to like Annie and Mary more but I don't feel that their characters are fleshed out until towards the end, when they both became a bit more likeable. Overall it's a great story, that kept my attention, although it does leave readers with a lot of unanswered questions.
Thanks to Manilla Press and Zaffre Books for my proof copy and to NetGalley for the audiobook. Opinions my own.
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