The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Book of the week
Bone China is the latest work of critically acclaimed author Laura Purcell, a gothic historical novel which presents you with a story that will remain in your head long after finishing the book.
Set in Cornwall, the landscape becomes a driving force behind the plot. Purcell’s personification of this wild corner of the British Isles provides the perfect background for this dark story.
The narrative fluctuates between the present and past tense, while focusing on the setting of Morvoren House situated on the Cornish coastline, which is home to Hester and Louise, the novel’s protagonists.
We learn Hester is running away from her post as a maid in London, therefore has changed her name and decides to work as a nurse to the paralysed and almost mute Louise. It soon becomes clear Louise is a deeply disturbed character, as she sits alone and staring in her cold room.
We are soon given some context behind Louise, and discover that 40 years ago, she and her father lost their entire family to consumption, leaving them behind as the two sole survivors.
Louise’s father becomes convinced that the sea air is a cure to the disease and begins to undertake his own controversial experiments.
The local people have their own stories and myths about what these experiments entailed, and the stories have echoed down through the generations.
The brilliance of the author is illuminated through her ability to have the reader unable to render the truth. The use of local legend and myth, combined with the unusual behaviour of the household staff, is deeply unsettling and the reader worries for Hester and Louise’s wellbeing.
However, as an avid drinker and opioid user, is Hester a reliable narrator? Purcell excels in creating the psychological conditions where ambiguity drives the narrative right until the end of this chilling novel.
Purcell has created her own brand of dark, disturbing fare that truly provokes the imagination of her reader, and she managed to both engage and enthral me until the very end.
I particularly enjoyed the Gothic undertones of the novel, enhanced by the rich descriptions of the wilderness of the Cornish coast and the obviously disturbed mind of Louise.
The mystery surrounding both Hester and Louise as protagonists ensured they stayed relevant, despite the dual timeline that dominates this book.
Overall, a thrilling story and a must-read for fans of Gothic and thriller novels.
Review by Hollie Bruce