This book was given to me by my mother, which is not something that usually happens since we tend to read fairly different types of books. But she really enjoyed this one and left in my room, and I figured why not? It certainly looked interesting.
I did not regret my decision, not one bit.
This is a type of historical novel, only not quite. How to explain... The main character, Grace Marks, was a woman who actually existed, but seeing as not much of her actual life is known, the whole story is fiction. So fiction based on a real character. Yeah that's about it.
Grace Marks was a young woman living in Canada who was arrested in the 19th century at the age of 16 for murder, along with her accomplice James McDermott. He was hanged for his crimes, but seeing as no one was really sure if Grace was guilty or not she was just sentenced to life in prison instead.
The story is told from many different perspectives, Grace tells her story in the first person, and her doctors impressions of her are told in the third person. There are also a few chapters that are entirely epistolary. It's an interesting mix, and it's the first time I've read a book that's mixed them all up like that.
She explains her life as a servant, her life in the asylum, her life in jail... You really get to see how she ended up in her position, what or who influenced her decisions and why.
Also what I found really funny was the fact that, for a suspected murderess, she actually seemed like an extremely moral and forgiving human being. Go figure.
It's a very interesting read, it's very detailed, and you are never entirely sure what you are supposed to believe.
It's not a quick or easy read. You need to settle down quietly to read it, and take your time over a few days to really take it all in. It's definitely worth it though, it' really is a great book.
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