Review: The Gifts

The Gifts by Liz Hyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emotionally tense with characters to love and loathe.

I wanted more answers but I think not getting them might have been part of the point.

The story is told from multiple points of view - mostly those of women, but one prominent storyline from Edward, a surgeon.

Set in 1840, this book introduces Edward as second fiddle to his best friend, Samuel, who is naturally better at everything. Edward's ambition knows no bounds and it rankles that his friend is so superior, so when a medical miracle falls in his lap he'll stop at nothing to finally show the world that he's the one they should bow down to.

Unfortunately, the 'medical miracle' is wings, sprouting from the shoulders of women. To Edward, they're scientific objects, but these women are real - living their own lives and struggling to comprehend why this has happened to them.

I loved the women of this story. They're powerful in their own unique ways, without being parodies or typical 'not like other women' women. Annie is a painter, Natalya is a storyteller, Mary is a writer and Etta is a botanist. They all have their own stories to tell.

I loved hearing about them and their exploits, and whenever their lives intersected with Edward I felt more for them and less for him.

Edward begins as something of a sympathetic creature, meaning we really feel it as he twists, becoming unrecognisable by the end. I spent so long waiting for him to wake up to himself and what was really happening.

The story does become quite heavy, and the level of unfairness may deter some readers. I found my heart feeling increasingly heavy at times, though this was tempered by Mary and her part in the story. The writing tells an important tale, but still holds a balance so that there's enough light for the tough stuff to feel worth pushing through.

All this to say that this book really made me feel things for these women, and it ended up being a strong story that really captured my attention. I was still waiting for a few answers come the conclusion, but in the end I felt satisfied.

I'd highly recommend this for fans of historical fiction with a hint of fantasy, but particularly for those looking to read about strong women dealing with terrible times.

This book was part of my Advent Calendar Challenge

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