The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
Published by Penguin, 2019
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Frannie Langton has been called many things throughout her life. ‘Mulatta’, slave, whore, seductress. And now murderer. Facing the death penalty for the supposed killing of her white master and mistress, Frannie vows she remembers nothing of the fateful night in question, though maintains she could never have murdered Mrs Benham, the woman with whom she was deeply in love. This novel is her testimony, taking us all the way from her birth on a plantation in Jamaica to her incarceration in London, as she attempts to make sense of the life she has lived, and to prove her innocence – to the jury as much as to herself.
Frannie is a phenomenally well-drawn character. Complex, intelligent, passionate, and unfalteringly human, Collins has created a character whose flaws make her all the more compelling. As we learn ever-more about her chequered past, Collins explores the burden of internalised shame and trauma, and asks us to consider where we draw the line on culpability. She does so by laying bare the trappings of race, class, gender, and sexuality, and the admirable though often morally ambiguous fight to gain autonomy in a world that will only ever see you as lesser.
Collins’ prose is also fantastic. She evokes the balmy heat of Jamaica and the opium-fuelled musk of Georgian London with equal aplomb. Visceral and transporting, I was drawn into the rich, seedy world of her heroine from the very beginning; the beauty of the writing itself serving as the perfect foil for the pain of Frannie’s story.
There is also a wonderfully playful, meta element to the book. The whole thing is written in the second person, addressed to the lawyer defending Frannie in court. She sees this as her literal confession, and hopes he may one day be able to get it published. As a woman of colour, she is well aware that her story will be twisted to fit existing narratives informed by misogynistic, racist stereotypes. This is Frannie reclaiming her story; the implication that we are now holding that successfully published manuscript adding a deeply poignant layer of realism to the reading experience.
I flew through this novel in a mere few sittings. There are as many unexpected turns in the narrative as there are tragically inevitable ones, and a consistent thread about the power of books to impart knowledge – and offer escapism – that I adored. Frannie is a heroine I know will continue to haunt my thoughts for quite some time; Collins an author whose career I can’t wait to follow.
You can pick up a copy of The Confessions of Frannie Langton with free shipping from Book Depository by clicking here.
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Wonderful review, Callum. Your admiration for the book shines through your words.
Thank you so much, Gina! It’s an excellent book, and I’m glad my appreciation showed.
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Another beautifully written review, Callum! I have a weakness for books written as a confession or with a certain narrative frame (written as a legal document, memoir, etc.) so this definitely appeals to me. Thanks to your review I’m also intrigued by how Collins explored such complex issues—a lot of intersections here. Definitely adding to my TBR.
That’s very kind – thank you! Yes, Collins handles the nuances and intersections of big themes with great subtlety. It’s an incredibly impressive debut, and I hope you enjoy it if and when you pick it up!
Ooh five stars! I don’t know why I didn’t have this on my TBR, but it does indeed sound like the sort of thing I’d like. I hope it makes the WP!
I think you could really like it 👀🙊 I’d be very happy to see it there. It feels very WP-esque; a great blend of gripping story and literary merit, plus lots of big, nuanced themes.
Great review, and 5 stars!! 🙂 I’ve been so interested in this one already, and am now all the more eager to pick it up. Great characterization, writing, and structure sounds like an absolute must-read. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you! 😊 It sounded right up my street so I’m relieved it didn’t disappoint! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you get to it.
Great review! Heard a lot about this one, adding to my list 🙂
Thank you! It’s had quite a bit of buzz, but thankfully it lived up to the hype for me. I hope you enjoy it too 😊
I’ve heard so much about this one Callum, it sounds so good!
I had very high expectations, so it says a lot that it still ended up being a 5 star read! I’d love to know your thoughts if and when you get to it.
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