“Grace Marks is an Irish emigrant to Canada who has left her alcoholic, abusive father and gone into service. After a short but happy time working alongside a new friend, Grace finds herself a new position in service to a Mr Thomas Kinnear, working with his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. It's not long before Grace and another house employee, James McDermott are arrested, tried and sentenced for the murders of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery. Grace, by virtue of the fact that she is either unable or unwilling to recall the envents surrounding the murders soon becomes one of Canada's most notorious criminals. A psychologist, Dr Simon Jordan visits the prison to interview Grace, using a series of new techniques to try and restore Grace's memory. Will we ever know what happened that day.
This is a historical fiction, based on the real-life case of Grace Marks, convicted of murder in 1843. Margaret Atwood has wound the true story around a series of fictional characters, chiefly that of Simon Jordan cleverly. Grace's story is compelling and intimately told, in an authentic voice. The characters surrounding Grace are fun and interesting as well, particularly Dr Jordan who has to deal with his bothersome mother's correspondence which provides comic relief regularly throughout the novel. I picked this book up as soon as I got home from the Margaret Atwood reading since she had told us that she started writing it in Zürich all those years ago and started reading, all excited. It was a great read. Loved it.”
StellaMac wrote this review Monday, January 11, 2010.
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