The Gifts: The captivating historical fiction novel - for fans of THE BINDING

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The Gifts’ by Liz Hyder is a superb literary historical novel that has at its heart a wondrous transformation. It’s one of those books that makes you resent the world for interrupting your reading time! It’s a book to take your time over and to savour. The Gifts is essentially a piece of brilliantly structured magical realism with 4 key themes: the power of greed, of love, of religion in the wrong hands and, most importantly, of women. Set primarily in 19th century London but with the addition of Shropshire and (very briefly) my home county of Essex, it uses the time to weave a new perspective around how much we allowed greed ridden men to rule over talented women. The challenge- the biggest one for me is the animal abuse. It was in the vein of scientific research and had only short descriptions but they were abhorrent to me and I’m very sensitive to this content. It did fit in with the storyline somewhat but was very unexpected by me.

I rarely have a soft spot for foreshadowing, but this book uses it effectively. I liked the hinted tidbits that sealed the gap between scenes without disclosing major spoilers. Liz Hyder’s prose is richly textured with an intensity and a feminism that is both captivating and thrilling to read.There are some very emotional scenes that are described poignantly that made my heart break. It has a haunting and tense atmosphere throughout and the Victorian period is described and captured perfectly. It was a joy to read and I was so sad when it came to an end. I would love to revisit so many of these characters again. I’d defy anyone reading The Gifts not to feel a wide range of emotions. I encountered sorrow, elation, determination and a considerable desire to commit violence! The book is well paced with short chapters and is written from five different points of view - four women and one man who is a doctor with very high and dangerous aspirations. These five people have their paths all intertwine as you delve deeper into their stories as these women grow and spread their wings - literally! Reading all about these strong, intelligent women battling against the patriarchy and societal pressures that were part of Victorian life was so thrilling and empowering! This book wasn't just magical it was magnificent. Some reviewers felt it was confusing with the different characters and their points of view but I have to disagree. Each chapter is clear and precise about whom is speaking. The chapters were short and each character's life entwined with the others. Set in 1840 England and narrated from five different points of view The Gifts is a slow-burn gothic tale of a doctor's obsession with the women with wings. I loved that book fell into many categories such as historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism and a touch of mystery.

While I enjoyed the overall theme, some of the details in the story were just not my cup of tea. There was a magical realism element that I loved but it wasn’t ever explained, unless I missed it, so while it was cool, it just didn’t make any sense as to why or how. I was already struggling with the writing and the fact that we often switch viewpoint or who is being written about in the midst of a paragraph. So you start the paragraph with Annie and then suddenly you are reading about Etta and you are like, wait, who the hell is Etta and how did she suddenly appear? This happens a LOT and I found it really irritating. This is a novel based on a slightly bizarre concept - in the mid-nineteenth century, a number of women grow wings. In an age of scientific discovery also still heavily influenced by religious beliefs, this piques the interest of doctors and captures the public imagination. I see that some people love this book but it is not for me and I think the synopsis needs rewriting to make it more accurate and it definitely needs Content Warnings. October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders’.The Gifts is a fabulous book. It would indeed make the perfect gift for any lover of literary fiction who enjoys vivid settings, strong women, perfect plotting and a touch of magical realism Sadly I was unable to finish this book. The harrowing and graphic torture and killing of the dog by the surgeon about 10% of the way into the book was way too much for me. It turned my stomach and made me very upset. I don't know what else is in the book but that requires a Content Warning. It is a thing I can't stand and something I avoid in books and movies. It makes me hugely distressed. I can't imagine what that level of distressing detail could possibly add to the story. You could easily show he was an evil man without the detail. Etta: A young woman of mixed parentage, Etta is dealing with the grief of her pet dog’s passing when two huge wings suddenly rip themselves from her shoulders.