Heart of Cruelty

A bittersweet story set in 1840s Birmingham about a ‘fallen' woman abused at a workhouse who goes to work as a servant in the household of brother-in-law of the man who abused her. I thought this really captured the sense of powerlessness that women would have felt at the period. Jane, the pianist for a theatre company, becomes pregnant after she is seduced by the lead, he abandons her with promises that he will keep in touch, but thrown out by her parents she is forced into the workhouse which is run by a brutal abuser hiding under the veneer of respectability as a clergyman and pillar of the community. Even when Jane leaves to become a servant, we are still left with the sense that she is trapped by her circumstances. Jane is a really good narrator, growing as a person and realising that she can't let men dictate her life for her. The period detail is obviously well researched and I liked how the author included letters, invoices and coroner's reports which lent it an air of authenticity. If I had any criticisms it would be that I found that it was a little lengthy at times, slowing the pace and I wasn't entirely convinced with the growing relationship between Jane and her employer, perhaps having this written in the first person means that we don't necessarily get a handle on him as a person or his feelings. I felt like we got a better picture of Edmond as a character. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this and would love to read more by the author.
I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily providing a review.