In the Margins (Gail Holmes, Ultimo)

Inspired by the life of Frances Wolfreston, a book collector who preserved the earliest part of Shakespeare’s legacy, Gail Holmes’s elegant debut speaks about the injustices and lack of freedom women endured in the 17th century. In the Margins takes place when a civil war gives way to an extremist and punitive England, and citizens must abide by the laws of Puritanism. Following her mother’s imprisonment for religious crimes, Frances sets out on a journey of self-discovery, willing to risk everything to remain faithful to her principles and to protect those she loves. As she juggles her roles of mother, daughter, wife, friend and community member, Frances’s choices reflect the complex realities even readers today face. The first-person narrative gives us a perfect insight into a character whose compassion makes it difficult to fulfil her duties as the rector’s wife, having to inform on those who fail to attend church. The significance of this novel goes beyond Holmes’s beautiful narrative voice and illuminates a hero known to us solely because the real Frances Wolfreston signed her name in each of her books. In an era marked by low female literacy rates and limited women’s ownership rights, this highlights the immense value Wolfreston placed on her books and underscores our progress since then. This deeply moving debut will appeal to fans of Pip Williams’ The Bookbinder of Jericho and Kayte Nunn’s The Silk House.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Nadia Heisler is a CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) writer originally from Brazil with a background in journalism. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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