Published By: Mantle
Pages: 336
Released On: 28/05/2026
St Monans, Fife, Scotland 1790. Two women are forced to publicly repent in church, one for adultery the other for breaching the sabbath. Wealthy housewife, Florrie, and salt serf, Eliza, form a quick and unusual bond over their mutual humiliation. So when Florrie’s husband decides she must accompany him on a trade venture to Iceland, she insists Eliza comes as her maid.
Far from home, isolated and fearful, the two women grow ever closer. Then Florrie’s husband reveals his sinister plan: he will leave her in Iceland, banished for the shame she has cast upon him. Florrie must escape, but when she turns to Eliza for help she realizes nothing is quite as it seems . . .
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Mantle for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I love Kate’s books so much so I was really keen to read this new one.
It opens with a bang – quite literally in fact.
Kate’s books always make me cross – not with her, or the book itself – but because she shows the brutality that women had to live with day on day in history, how unfair everything was. And I just wanted to take the characters and bang their heads together so they realise that women are not always the enemy.
I love how Kate writes about women. No matter their situation or background or circumstances, they always have this hidden strength and power. I loved reading about Florrie in particular; Eliza is the complete opposite to Florrie in most ways, but they had this connection that linked them together in hardship and in strength.
Kate is great at creating a sense of time and space. The 1700s were a difficult time to live, even for the rich. And the comparison between them in Scotland and then in Iceland…they’re both such harsh environments for our main characters and I loved the comparison of the characters between the two places.
I am always impressed by her research skills. Everything feels so historically accurate but it doesn’t feel like she’s just spouting out facts. It is worked so well together, it’s effortless. I love how her books are based on real stories, and even better they are quiet stories, people we haven’t heard of – she brings the underdog into the fore.
At first I thought it was going to be all character and little plot (which is how I like my books). But there is actually quite a lot going on plot-wise. It’s got so much depth to it and yet somehow didn’t feel overwhelming or confusing.
It wasn’t my favourite of her books and I think that comes down to the characters. Florrie and Eliza were interesting to read yes. But I found most of the other characters so insufferable, and no in a “oh they’re so bad but I liked them anyway” kind of thing. I just didn’t like reading about them.
It got better as it went along. I found it a little monotonous and slow to begin with. But once they hit Iceland it becomes a completely different book and it just flew by.
She is still one of my all time favourite historical authors and I will continue to read everything she writes.
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