The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth (Paperback Release)

 

The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth (Paperback Release).

Published 10th April 2025 by Headline Review.

From the cover of the book:

SOMETIMES YOU MUST CHOOSE TO PLAY WITH FIRE...

On a remote university campus in the north of England, famed for the wild waters that surround it, two cousins arrive for the new term.

Zara wants to be at the centre of everything Leysham has to offer.

Serena, an ex-champion swimmer, struggles to find her place.

When they meet Jane, a beguiling and ambitious postgrad obsessed with historic local witch trials, both are drawn in by her desire to expose Leysham's dark legacy - a centuries-old culture of violence among the privileged elite.

As protests flare across the campus, a simmering rivalry takes hold between the cousins. But when cracks start to appear in Jane's stories, everything spirals out of control...

***********

Reeling from the accident that finished her career as a championship swimmer, Serena arrives at the prestigious university of Leysham to study history. Used to total dedication to the world of swimming, Serena does not know how to fit in to the student scene, especially as she is two years older than her colleagues. Her awkwardness makes her feel like an outsider.

One night, while drawn to the treacherous waters of the Leysham river that runs through the grounds, an incident brings her into close contact with enigmatic tutor, Jane. A bond is formed in that frozen darkness, and Serena becomes consumed by Jane's obsession with the stories of the women drowned in the water as part of vengeful, historic witch trials.

When stories of young women being assaulted at Leysham begin to spread, Serena gets caught up in the campaign for the university authorities to take female safety seriously, spearheaded by her popular cousin Zara, a body positive influencer who is also studying at Leysham. Urged on by Jane's passionate drive for justice, anger amongst the female students rises to fever pitch, and in response, Serena feels a stirring of dark power. A sacrifice is demanded, and Serena knows just what to do...

The Drownings is an ambitious novel, and I have to tip my hat at Hazel Barkworth for the way she incorporates so many luscious storylines about patriarchal control, violence against women, consent, privilege, and the power of female rage - particularly in the way she blends age-old themes with bang-up-to date topics.

Against an atmospheric dark academia setting, Barkworth weaves an eerie tale with roots in the history of women drowned as witches in the river that runs through the campus. Leysham is an ancient university that honours the gods of money and tradition more than it does the well-being of its female students and colleagues. When concerns about safety are brushed under the carpet something sparks between the trio of characters that make up the author's modern 'witches, Serena, Jane and Zara - setting in motion a course of events that ends in tragedy.

The story unfurls in the present, through Serena's eyes, and in the past, as she relives moments from the gruelling high pressure world of competitive swimming. Barkworth goes on to use the motif of water throughout the story to explore all manner of themes around transformation and power remarkably effectively. She also links the past and present through the stories and experiences of Serena, Jane and Zara, who stand centre stage in a twist on the 'power of three'.

This works beautifully, with storylines that are as compelling as they are tragically heart-breaking, and you find yourself torn between outrage at the timeless exploration of violence and injustice against women, and exhilaration at the way the female students find power in joining together to make their voices heard. Serena's coming-of-age, supernatural awakening is absolutely gripping too, subverting the academia trope into one with elements of magical realism.

Popping up in what is essentially a darned good revenge story, Barkworth takes sideways snipes at the dubious delights of social media through Zara's storyline. Zara's self-absorbed, attention seeking ways make her somewhat of a less sympathetic character, but it certainly keeps things interesting.

This was a fascinating piece of literary fiction, and I have really only touched the surface of the depths Hazel Barkworth plunges in her story - pun intended. This is a gem of a book that you can get your teeth into, full of thought-provoking themes that beg to be discussed!

The Drownings is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to FMcM Associates for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to join this blog tour.

About the author:

Hazel grew up in Stirlingshire and North Yorkshire before studying English at Oxford. She then moved to London where she spent her days working as a cultural consultant, and her nights dancing in a pop band at glam rock clubs.

Hazel is a graduate of both the Oxford University MSt in Creative Writing and the Curtis Brown Creative Novel-Writing course. She now works in Oxford, where she lives with her partner. Heatstroke was her first novel.