On the surface this novel is a classic gothic melodrama
about an orphan child, Maud, who is adopted by the three elderly Hawthorne sisters and promised a life filled with happiness, pretty dresses and endless books
but instead finds herself becoming a ‘secret child’ forced to take part in fake
séances for the rich and heartbroken.
Maud is so beguiled by Hyacinth and the attention and ‘love’
which she gives to her that she is prepared to go along with their plans. After
all she has never been the good or the pretty girl. There is a moving scene
when her older brother comes to see her and we discover that she was left
behind at the orphanage whilst he and her pretty younger sister were adopted by
the same family,
‘Hyacinth Hawthorne-
she’s the one who chose me – she wanted me. ‘She threw the word at him
as if it could knock him flat.
They move to Cape Calypso to reel in the wealthy Mrs Lambert
who has lost her daughter Caroline who drowned. It is a stifling existence
being hidden away in the cottage with only Muffet, the deaf and mute servant
for company. Their friendship develops as Maud begins to teach Muffet how to
read and in doing so discovers her deep intelligence. Maud also realises how
callously Hyacinth treats Muffet.
Maud takes nightly walks on the beach and rides on the
carousel run by the fearsome Rory Hugelick. She meets Mrs Lambert and comes to
know and like her. She begins to understand the guilt and pain that she feels,
and feels a prickle of conscience as she starts to dream about Caroline.
The event of the séance and its aftermath are truly shocking
as Maud discovers who values her life and who does not care if she lives or
dies.
The novel is beautifully written in a fast-paced clear prose
that has warmth, humour and an unlaboured lyrical quality. The characters are
all three dimensional and have a moral ambiguity. There are reasons why people behave
the way they do. There are characters who are kind and decent such as Rory and
Mrs Lambert but you have to look beyond the surface. As my mother would say ‘handsome
is as handsome does.’
This is a great read with psychological depth and one of the
best depictions of grooming of a vulnerable child that I have read.
IBSN 978-1-4063-5416-4
Walker Books
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