Heather’s Bookshelf: Heart of Cruelty
Author: Maybelle Wallis
Released: 10/21/20
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
“That word, love, might mean anything: a chaste affection, a romantic longing, a destructive passion - a frenzied, obscene coupling. In the pause that followed, I wondered what I had felt for Edmond.”
“Heart of Cruelty” introduces you to Jane Verity, a young disinherited woman who finds herself having to work hard labor in the Birmingham Parish Union Workhouse in 1840 with terrible conditions and abusive overseers. After a particularly brutal encounter, she is happened upon by Dr. Doughty, a coroner that sometimes sees to those that have passed at the workhouse. He and his wife request Jane to become their domestic servant. It is here that she is able to reflect upon her past, learn of the truth of others, and determine her future.
Jane arrives at the Doughty household and soon realizes that Mrs. Doughty has a past filled with secrets and pain which have left her as a shell. Mr. Doughty has thrown himself into his work to avoid his ailing wife and other truths. Jane struggles to assist the Doughtys the best that she can while also reconciling what really happened in the workhouse and with her beloved Edmond.
Jane’s character is multi-faceted, tragic, and unfortunately a little bit predictable in her decision making. The combination makes her and her emotions extremely believable and relatable while also keeping you turning the page to see what decisions she makes next. The romance takes a backseat to the tragedy within the story, which I suppose is the point. I also really enjoyed that the author incorporated correspondences like letters into the book itself. I thought that it added a nice touch of realism and was also an interesting way to add different voices to the story.
Fair Warning: This book is tragic and dark with scenes alluding to abuse, rape, murder, and other things that could be triggers but I don’t want to spoil anything
This book is tragic, sad, and heart breaking. There is so much wrong that happens in this book that it makes you cringe (and not just once). But there is also some humanity and a little kindness that shines through the darkness. Somewhere in between a romance also develops and keeps you turning the page. The main character of Jane is flawed and tragic and I found myself wishing for her to make decisions that would put her in a better place. Her character grows throughout the story in a way that is well paced and believable. Unfortunately it also makes the plot of the story a little predictable. The ancillary characters are all very detailed. The two that stood out the most to me were the villain (who you will truly hate) and Mrs. Doughty who stole the scenes that she appeared in. Finally, the ending killed me, but I understood and accepted it as it fit the rest of the story.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A tragic look into a part of history that we want to forget and shouldn’t. While a little predictable, the story is believable with an ending that left me heartbroken.
Want to learn more about the author? Check out my interview with Maybelle Wallis:
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