Review | Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver

In 1966, an old murder mystery is brought back to public interest with the discovery of three paintings. A man by the name of Edmund Stearn painted these while he was in an asylum for murdering a man. His living daughter, Maud, may be the only other person who knows the truth about the murder. And so the story moves back in time to 1906, when Maud was a child. After a lifetime of secrets, the dark truth about Edmund, Maud and what really happened 60 years ago is finally uncovered.

One for the rook, one for the crow, one to rot and one to grow.

When I read a book I try not to go in with any expectations so that whatever feelings surfaced is natural. While reading Wakenhyrst I found I had a lot of feelings! I first discovered the author’s writing through the atmospheric Dark Matter which I loved. This is a slightly different read but leaves a similar lasting impression.

Maud is a memorable protagonist – a smart, courageous girl who lives in a time where girls aren’t valued for their abilities. Maud loves to read and self-educates herself but she is naive when it comes to life experiences. She learns about how babies are made from one of her servants. Such things are not talked about, even as she had to watch her mother go through multiple miscarriages and stillborns. The book goes deep into how difficult life was for women at the time, forced to endure so many things in order to have a passable life.

Societal norms traps Maud in a life she doesn’t want and pushes her to be someone she isn’t. When she falls for a gardener, it’s a little bit of happiness in a claustrophobic, lonely existence. I was rooting for them to end up together! But the main man in her life is her tyrannical father, who rules over her and the entire house. Learning who her father really is gradually ruins Maud’s innocence and idealism.

Edmund Stearn is a man who goes to church, speaks about God, even fires a servant for letting a lock of hair loose from her cap. He also neglects his wife, goes to brothels, and hides a secret so deep he almost forgets it exists. He doesn’t see his daughter’s intelligence, merely using her as a tool for his work. When Maud discovers his hypocrisy, she vows to make him pay. The daughter vs father storyline is compelling and I was on Maud’s side the entire time.

The setting of the manor house in Wake’s End feels remote and cut off from the world. But Maud finds solace in the Fen. I felt like I was there through the vibrant and lifelike descriptions of the places. Little details like the characters’ superstitions (such as leaving bread and milk for witches) also made for a vivid reading.

Edmund’s diary entries take up a large chunk of the book. I thought the entries were interesting at first but after a while it was tiring to read the thoughts of this unlikable man. There’s only so many times I can read about him sleeping with a servant girl and compiling historical notes before wanting to move on. I wish there’s more Maud, but the book spends a lot of time with Edmund.

The book deftly explores class differences, gender disparity, religion, superstitions and madness. There are hints of the supernatural but it’s almost secondary. The real horrors are the unwavering beliefs of a madman and the desperate life of a teenage girl yearning to be free. When the truth of the murder is finally revealed, it feels inevitable, like pieces falling into place. But the effect is still devastating. A gothic slow burn that is as chilling as it is heartbreaking.

About the author: Michelle Paver

Photo by Paul Jarvis