The Darlings of the Asylum: A gripping new dark historical fiction psychological thriller and captivating winter read...

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I always fall for a beautiful book cover and that was the case here - a Gothic tale set in an asylum sealed the deal for me! Violet is the only daughter in the family and she has three brothers, therefore she is expected to marry well. She’s had a strenuous relationship with her mother, which was exasperated by her mother’s wish for Violet to finally marry a respectable gentleman. Violet’s mother has even chosen a fiancé for her, a wealthy man called Felix, who’s been a friend of Violet’s for years. The author was clearly trying to write a female character authentically, and he succeeded in some aspects, but not in others. Although society's tendency to allow men (especially in 1880s English society) to easily escape any consequences for actions which would have completely "ruined" (in the book's own words) a woman has been explored in-depth in other books, I'm always up for feminist critiques of society in my literature. In a society where women have almost no autonomy or social standing except in relation to their husband, it is misogyny to disparage women for their ability to thrive in such a patriarchy. I was really hoping that Violet would learn to better understand the other women around her and develop some empathy. She doesn't. Maybe my expectations have affected my opinion of this book too much. If she is ill that would be a simpler explanation I guess.

I must admit that I didn’t expect the story to conclude the way it did. It showed Violet in a more negative light and confirmed my dislike of her character.The narrative rattles along irresistibly all the way to its suitably gothic climax’ Readers’ Digest I'm in two minds about this book in that I'd like to have given it 7 out of 10 rather than 4 out of 5.

This is then paired with the number of times that violet "feels faint" as a result of strong emotions. Once she is in the asylum we get more of a sense of the women’s lives and the disturbing focus on mental illness being perceived as part of female physiognomy rather than trauma or life experiences. This is the part of the story which really resonated with me. I also felt there were some inconsistencies in the narrative and Violet’s interactions with the doctor and other staff at the asylum.

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The tone of the novel – a little formal and quaint – mimics the period which can make it difficult to connect with Violet in the first part of the novel.