Avicia knelt and prayed. Prayed for wisdom, to know what action would be righteous and true. For strength, to cope with the horror of what she would shortly be forced to witness. Above all, for compassion towards the unfortunates now in her care; compassion sufficient to displace any revulsion her face might betray when she saw them for the first time.
She stood up and looked around the abbey chapter house. Mid-morning prayers were over and the room had been decorated with wildflowers to celebrate her arrival. Celebrations could wait, however. She had felt elation at her appointment - for the first time, Malling Abbey would have its own prioress - but later, Bishop Gundulf had told her of the abbey's dark secret...
***
‘There is no me; there is no you. There is only us.’
The Maids of Biddenden is inspired by the real-life story of conjoined twins Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst, born in 1100 into a wealthy family from a small Kent village.
Joined at the hip, the sisters overcome fear and hostility to grow into gifted and much-loved women – one a talented musician and song-writer, the other a caring healer and grower of medicinal plants. Entangled in the struggles for power and influence of the great Kent nobles of the time, they achieve much in their lifetimes and leave behind a legacy in Biddenden that survives to this day.
This is the heart-warming and inspirational story of two remarkable women leading one joint life, challenging adversity to become the best they can be.
***
It is rare that historical fiction with a unique perspective comes along. I certainly have no recollection of the genre featuring conjoined-twins so this made for a fascinating and insightful read.
Based on factual accounts of Eliza and Mary Chulkhurst who lived in Biddenden, Kent during the 12th century, the author has researched her subject and has given a voice to these two women.
It was interesting viewing the first half of 12th century society through their eyes. Although conjoined the author did an excellent job at portraying them as individuals. Both voices were distinct and at no point was I confused by which twin's thoughts or words I was reading. She allowed the reader to absorb their personalities through the words on the page and she did this extremely well.
Although considered freakish during their early lives, as they grew their condition afforded them opportunities that would not have been available to other women of their status. They attracted attention from the upper echelons of society and were able to advance the prospect of their family.
I think anyone who enjoys historical fiction or women's history will enjoy this book.
ISBN: 978 0993547874
Publisher: Ginger Cat
Formats: e-book and paperback
No. of pages: 432
GD Harper became a full-time self-published author in 2016, publishing three novels under the pen name GD Harper. He has been both a Wishing Shelf Book Award finalist and Red Ribbon winner, been shortlisted for the Lightship Prize, longlisted for the UK Novel Writing Award and longlisted for the Page Turner Writer Award. The Maids of Biddenden was a finalist in this year’s Page Turner Book Award for unpublished manuscripts, longlisted for the Exeter Book Prize and the Flash 500 Novel Award, and shortlisted for the Impress Prize.
(Book provided courtesy of Love Book Tours)
No comments:
Post a Comment