Title: Alias Grace    

Author: Margaret Atwood

Genre: Historical Fiction      

Publisher: Emblem Editions  

Format: Paperback

Pages: 567

Rating:5/5 stars

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Sometimes I whisper it over to myself: Murderess. Murderess. It rustles, like a taffeta skirt along the floor. In 1843, a 16-year-old Canadian housemaid named Grace Marks was tried for the murder of her employer and his mistress. The sensationalistic trial made headlines throughout the world, and the jury delivered a guilty verdict. Yet opinion remained fiercely divided about Marks – was she a spurned woman who had taken out her rage on two innocent victims, or was she an unwilling victim herself, caught up in a crime she was too young to understand? Some believe Grace is innocent; others think her evil or insane. 

In Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood reconstructs Marks’s story in fictional form. Her portraits of nineteenth-century prison and asylum life are chilling in their detail. The author also introduces Dr. Simon Jordan, who listens to the prisoner’s tale with a mixture of sympathy and disbelief. In his effort to uncover the truth, Jordan uses the tools of the then rudimentary science of psychology. Dr. Simon Jordan is an up-and-coming expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness, is engaged by a group of reformers and spiritualists who seek a pardon for Grace. He listens to her story while bringing her closer and closer to the day she cannot remember. What will he find in attempting to unlock her memories? Is Grace a female fiend? A bloodthirsty femme fatale? Or is she the victim of circumstances? But the last word belongs to the book’s narrator – Grace herself.

Review:

This was a student pick for our in school book club, and it was cool to see the students wanting to read Margaret Atwood! So thanks to them I have broadened my Atwood reading experience and have actually read one of her novels! I feel like I’m a bit ashamed to consider myself Canadian and not to have read her novels yet! I’ve read one of her works of poetry though, so that’s alright I guess!

I’m really glad I started with this one as it’s a work of historical fiction, taking place in Canada and it’s been a while since I’ve read a book set in my home country! This is around a real trial, where the woman, Grace, was condemned for helping to murder her employer and his housekeeper. The book recounts Grace’s experiences that lead up to these murders, and her experiences after the trial! Grace is an interesting character because I feel like I had a bit of empathy and compassion for her experiences because of how rough her upbringing was and how she had to work hard to take care of herself! The housekeeper, Nancy, was super annoying and I didn’t like her, which I also feel was the author’s intention!

I think one of the main themes in this book is women’s experiences in history, as a major focus in the book is on Grace and her sewing. I think this represents how women were constrained in society. I’m really excited to discuss this at book club!

Happy reading!