7
Historical FictionLearned by Heart - Emma Donoghue
In case some of you might be interested, I just finished this book which is imagining what Anne Lister and Eliza Raine’s lives might have been like in 1805, when living at a boarding school in England.
(Eliza Raine was Anne Lister’s first love and ended up in an asylum.)
The story is told from Raine’s point of view and I really enjoyed that choice. It’s a nice change as we’ve had a lot of art made about Lister in the past and Raine’s background makes things feel novel and fresh. The author did a lot of research and most of the characters and events are based around real life.
Most of it is about their every day lives at Manor school (and their relationship). Their connection and love is very well portrayed - Emma Donoghue is a lesbian so there’s no awkwardness when it comes to the love story between them.
I’ve seen a few posts here in the past asking about books without men, this one fits the bill as there are only girls in the book. It’s 100% gynocentric. It’s a cosy read and very seasonal, I recommend it.