Emily M. Danforth's novel runs in two timelines. In 1902, at the Brookhants School for Girls in Massachusetts, a group of girls and teachers die after being attacked by wasps while holding a copy of a book called "The Gentlewomen of Evil," and the school's founders are pulled into the horror. In the present, a film is being shot about the case, with actresses Audrey Wells, Harper Harper and Merritt Emmons, and an author, Flo, who has written about it. A narrator comments on both stories with sly asides and footnotes, and the two periods start to mirror each other.
It's a good choice for fans of gothic horror, queer love stories and playful metafiction. Readers who like a long, twisty book with plenty of atmosphere will enjoy it.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2020
- Language
- EN
