Published 17th February 2022 by Manilla Press.
From the cover of the book:
In an age defined by men, it will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are . . .October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders.
Meanwhile, when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London, a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grip of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger...
The Gifts is the astonishing debut adult novel from the lauded author of Bearmouth. A gripping and ambitious book told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London, it explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition.
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October 1840: In a Victorian landscape where men hold sway in private and professional circles alike, the ruthless ambition of one London surgeon, Dr Edward Meake, is about to have great significance on the lives of four talented women - his artist wife Annie, botanist Etta, storyteller Natalya, and writer Mary.
Each of these women suffers their own secret sorrows and has been brought low by the folly of the men in their lives, and even though Edward should be primarily concerned with the maters of his own household and Annie's longing for a child, his desire for recognition and renown consumes him.
The city is rife with the talk of 'fallen angels' fuelled by the body of a woman with 'wings' that has been pulled from the Thames. Edward has secretly acquired this body for dissection, and he is desperate to make his name tracking down the other 'angels' he has heard whispers of, by whatever means necessary - whether they wish to be bought and sold or not.
Mary is also intrigued by the rumours and employs her journalistic talents to follow the clues to the truth behind the 'angels' rumours. What she discovers appals her. Can she save these 'angels' from their desperate fate at the hands of the unscrupulous Dr Meake?
The Gifts is one of those stories that pulls you in and holds you vice-like from the first page to the last.
The novel is told in five narratives, from Edward, Annie, Etta, Natalya and Mary, and the threads of their tales weave in and out beautifully as we are immersed in the details of their frustrations and sorrows. The ambitious Edward sits at the centre of the story, spinning his menacing web of intrigue and lies - he already holds the beautiful Annie captive, dismissing her talents as an artist and blaming her for her inability to produce the heir he feels a man of his position deserves; and it's not long before our downcast 'angels' Natalya and Etta come within range of his underground laboratory too. Who can save them? Well the heroic Mary is on the case, and your hopes are pinned on her quest to thwart Edward in his devious plans...
There is a lot of the Gothic fairy tale about this story. I love how Liz Hyder entwines a thread of magical realism laden with metaphor by using angels as the theme for her feminist firebrand novel - especially the way she uses the motif of feathers so deliciously throughout, and how she ties the notion of freedom to the wings that our women mysteriously sprout in their times of despair.
But there is also so much fabulous social history incorporated in this story, as she touches on the lives of both rich and poor - delving into issues of sex, class, race, religion, the world of journalism, the medical profession, and even modes of transport. It's all so fascinating.
Of course, at it's heart, this is a story about the freedom of women, how their intellectual efforts are trivialised, and how their wishes are trampled upon in the shadow of male ambition. I seethed with rage for almost the entire book, but all the anger was worth it for the cracking climax that Hyder contrives at the end - one which brought more than a tear or two to my eyes as I revelled in the way these women finally discover who they are, and what they are capable of when they join together. This is an impressive debut adult novel that will really appeal to lovers of Stacey Halls, and I look forward to seeing what comes next from Liz Hyder!
The Gifts is available to buy now from your favourite book retailer in ebook, hardback and audio formats.
Thank you to Manilla Press for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review and to Compulsive Readers Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
Bearmouth, her debut young adult novel, won a Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Branford Boase Award and was chosen as the Children's Book of the Year by The Times.
Originally from London, she now lives in South Shropshire. The Gifts is her debut adult novel.
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