ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – The Repentants by Kate Foster

The Repentants by Kate Foster will be published tomorrow by Pan Macmillan. My thanks to the publishers for the proof copy.

Her scandal. His revenge. The unforgettable new historical novel from award-winning author, Kate Foster.

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 . . .

Inspired by an attempt by Scottish merchants to annex Iceland as a remote prison for the British Empire, The Repentants is a chilling tale of betrayal, exile and survival from the Women’s Prize long-listed author of The Maiden, Kate Foster.

The Repentants begins in a scandalous way as Florrie Aitken sets off to commit adultery. Life with her husband Jonny has become difficult and she realises that there might be more pleasure to be had than Jonny could even dream of giving her. This is 1790’s Fife, though, and it isn’t long before Florrie finds herself on the repentants’ bench in the local church. There she meets Eliza, a salt serf, which means that she is bound for life to her employer, destined to remain sifting salt.

The story is inspired by an attempt by Scottish merchants to annex Iceland as a remote prison and it is to Iceland that Jonny takes Florrie and Eliza, as her maid. What seems like something of an adventure to Florrie and something extremely unwelcome to Eliza, soon becomes something much worse as the women discover the truth of Jonny’s plans. A third woman, Hallgerd, enters the story in Iceland and I thought the way their lives were linked and entwined was very effective.

I always enjoy a Kate Foster book and this is no exception. The women take centre stage, as with her other novels, telling a tale of oppression, dissatisfaction, strength and cunning in the face of adversity. Although Florrie is rich, her life is really no more enjoyable than Eliza’s or Hallgerd’s.

Foster’s imagery and scene-setting is stunning. From the very first page I was captivated by her prose and her descriptions. I was transported to Fife and to Iceland and was able to sense the despair of the women as they try to survive and get the better of the men who shackle them.

The Repentants is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction and Foster is a talented writer. Highly recommended for historical fiction fans.

Kate Foster worked as a national newspaper journalist for more than twenty years before becoming an author. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. Her previous novels include The Maiden, which won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and The King’s Witches. The Mourning Necklace is her third novel. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.