The Other Side of Mrs Wood: The most irresistible historical fiction debut of the year

Product Information

Well-written and researched, Barker takes us on a journey to the past when spiritualism was considered mainstream, and even the most influential in society would consult with their mediums to determine their future. These mediums held tremendous sway over their clients and could lead them astray if they had nefarious intentions. A joy to read, completely fresh and original with a wonderful cast of characters. An exhilarating gallop through Victorian London, featuring rival mediums, dark secrets and some truly delicious double-crossing. Witty, evocative writing and wonderfully drawn characters add up to a huge treat of a novel.' Lucy Diamond

Mrs. Violet Wood is London’s premier medium, a woman of supreme ambition whose and unique abilities have earned her the admiration and trust of London’s elite. Mrs. Wood is indeed a clever and gifted seer--her skill is unmatched in predicting exactly what her wealthy patrons want to hear from the beyond. But times are changing. Using two Victoria era mediums and their rivalry as inspiration, Lucy Barker tells a compelling tale of two con artists, I mean spiritualists, whose relationship highlights the financial precariousness of single women at the time, and the growing fight for independence championed by suffragettes. Mrs Wood needs to spice up her brand. She decides to take on Emmie, a young protégé, to join her show. But is Emmie Finch the naïve ingenue she seems to be? Or does she pose more of a threat to Mrs Wood’s reign and, more horrifyingly, her reputation than Mrs Wood could ever have imagined? Seriously, I have to say that the setting and the research into this time period of fanciful ghost stories was absolutely spot on.It takes some time for Mrs Wood to realise that the girl, Miss Finch, is not all she seems, and Mrs Wood has to deal with the repercussions of her efforts to take her on as her apprentice.

This was great. Lucy Barker provides us with enough clues to deduce there’s something off with the almost preternaturally competent student, and we see Mrs. Wood’s desperation blinding her to all the signs. She’s not naïve (her mother ensured that), but her frustration with her clients’ constant need for more and newer propels Violet to not think things through before taking on the ingenue, and pushing away everyone in her life who actually cares about her. This is a story based on the real rivalry between mediums at a time when seances, apporting, levitation and materialisations were at their height (and coincidentally, this is something I'm reading about for my own research at the moment, in Medical Medlars, Mediums and Magicians). The vast majority of those who claimed to be able to get in touch with the spirits were proved to be frauds. From the first, it's pretty clear that Mrs Wood is one of them, but her desire to do good, to provide solace and not to harm, in her own mind, make her valid. She is aided and abetted by her long-time friend and companion Sarah, but Sarah is spending more and more time supporting the cause of women's suffrage - and to Mrs Wood's horror, Sarah is also being courted. What follows is a battle between Mrs Wood and Emmie for supremacy and power - and income. A historical novel about the rivalry between two female mediums during Victorian London’s obsession with Spiritualism. A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism. While Mrs Wood wouldn't go as far yet as to follow into the footsteps of the more showy and outrageous escapades of some of her American colleagues – she does freshen up her act by hiring a young protégé to spice things up. However, that's when her real problems begin...Mrs Wood is the most successful medium in Victorian London. Together with her assistant, Miss Newman, she hosts spectacular séances that have made her the talk of the town and brought the rich and famous to her door requesting private consultations. Of course, Mrs Wood can’t really communicate with spirits, but she doesn’t feel too guilty about what she’s doing – after all, a widow has to make a living somehow and this is the work she’s been raised to do. Recently, however, things have started going wrong. There are reports from America of mediums promising to materialise full spirits and although Mrs Wood disapproves of such things, she worries that her own more traditional shows are losing their spark. When she hears the unmistakable sound of a yawn during one of her séances, she knows she has to take action. I was surprised by this book, it was not what I was expecting at all, as there were no actual ghosts, these women were masters of illusion, but I still really enjoyed it. I found it very entertaining, it was witty, I did have a few laughs, it was full of surprises and I always like a good revenge plot. I loved the ending of this, I’m hopeful there will be a follow on. Overall this was a really good debut novel and I would recommend it.😊 Notting Hill, 1873 — Spiritualism is all the rage, and Mrs. Wood is London’s premiere spiritualist. Her talents have attracted the ton’s wealthiest and most influential. That is, until recently. With talk of full-body apparitions being materialized across the pond, Mrs. Wood is under pressure to step it up. Set in London in the 1870’s, this unusual story focuses on the work of celebrity mediums and their popularity in Victorian society. The widow Mrs Wood is the most celebrated medium at the time and she hosts many successful seances to a wide range of her supporters and patrons. The style is sometimes amusing, particularly in the descriptions of the preparations before the seances; but it is not really a comedy.