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The Trial of Lotta Rae: The unputdownable historical novel of 2022

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During the evening Lotta had a tiff with her colleague and boyfriend Albert and upset she decided to get some fresh air. One of the central characters in Gráinne Murphy’s latest work made their debut in a 2017 short story, Further West. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this and thought it was a good example of well done historical fiction.

The Trial of Lotta Rae, a review by Shelley The Trial of Lotta Rae, a review by Shelley

Lotta Rae has a ghostly, disarming voice that deepens to a savage clarity, pulling you into this gripping story of injustice, intrigue and revenge set at the turn of the 20th century. Above all, it is a compelling exploration of the corrosive effect of guilt, not only on the guilty but on those they love. Lotta Rae is an ordinary girl from an ordinary working family who is treated abominably by the justice system and loses so much of what she holds dear throughout her tormented life.The way poor Lotta is treated by the judicial system is atrocious – the blame is for what happened is firmly at her door and the advantages of money and privilege work against her. Just finished this beautifully written book and now sat with a headache from crying and all the thoughts I'm feeling now I'm finished. Add into the mix a succession of implausible events, and characters who not only felt too modern for their time but also slightly flat, and the whole thing kind of fell apart. I thought the trial from the title would be the centre of the book, but actually it was early in the story but a crucial catalyst for the events that came after. It would be nice to imagine it could have happened but, as a lawyer who has read and studied the first of such trials, the way dialogues are developed and Lotta's standing in the trial is how a much more modern woman would have approaches it.

The Trial of Lotta Rae: The unputdownable historical novel of The Trial of Lotta Rae: The unputdownable historical novel of

Lotta Rae is assaulted by a wealthy gentleman and bravely takes him to trial alongside her barrister, William, who she believes her ally. A harrowing, haunting account of the life of Lotta Rae, incorporating injustices of the period, the suffragette movement and the war in the trenches, it did not disappoint. It is not a book to read if you are feeling at all dispirited or prone to melancholia, for it accurately portrays a society where the rich and powerful can evade punishment, treat others without any respect or compassion, denying women a voice and believing that sending men to certain death during wartime an honorable deed. We are on the familiar terrain of strikes over pay and crippling inflation, troubled race-relations, irresponsible industrialists, and despicable politicians, like Rochadale’s Liberal MP, paedophile Cyril Smith. Her devious lawyer Nicholas Linden deliberately mislead the jury so that Griffith was cleared of all charges.William, has however only been approached to take the case by his peers as they know his track record is poor and therefore more likely to lose. Working class 15-year-old Lotta Rae, having been brutally attacked and assaulted by a man of high standing, an investor at the company where she works, is persuaded to have him prosecuted for rape. The plot is nice but I found it quite weakly supported by historical facts except for the Suffregette movement with some historical figures that appear in the storyline. Shortly after another tragedy which I can’t mention because of spoilers, Lotta visits a spiritualist in Camden. Enter the Suffragette movement and some saintly characters with whom Lotta finds commonality and with them comes Raff, William's son, and the reader is taken on a journey, exquisitely written about betrayal, payback, love, loss and regret cleverly intermingled with historical facts.

The Trial of Lotta Rae | Siobhan MacGowan | 9781787397811 The Trial of Lotta Rae | Siobhan MacGowan | 9781787397811

Her father’s reaction to the case finds him on the wrong side of the law, no longer of any help to his family. Fagan sets out the background clearly and succinctly, reports on the trial comprehensively and shows how the quest to prove Gordon’s innocence threw up some unlikely heroes, especially Quaker Dorothy Turtle.She seeks justice at an Old Bailey trial alongside her barrister, William LInden, who she believes to be her ally. The characters’ conflicts and relationships develop against the background of suffragette rebellion and the atrocities of war.

The Trial of Lotta Rae by Siobhan MacGowan - Fantastic Fiction The Trial of Lotta Rae by Siobhan MacGowan - Fantastic Fiction

Even though this is probably deemed an historical novel, for me it spans any age in time because it is about people, their motivation It took the whole book to find out the depth of what he had done and I found myself ultimately shocked. I think the cover was what was giving me the fantasy vibes, but after the initial surprise of not getting what I was expecting, I was completely captivated by the wonderful writing and the amazing storyline. Studying early 20 th century rape cases I learned something of the attitudes and beliefs of the time. Women who had proven themselves able to do the work of absent men refused to once again be shackled.Fascinating, heart wringing book - as a reader I felt like a helpless bystander who raged and mourned with Lotta and her family. You can banish the wrongdoer from your life, for it is not they but your own feelings of hatred and resentment that keeps you bound to them.

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