Review: The Telling by Jo Baker
The Telling
by Jo Baker
Two women separated by two centuries are connected by one house: the Reading Room Cottage. In the present day, Rachel struggles with postpartum depression and loss following the death of her mother. She arrives at Reading Room Cottage intent on clearing out her mother’s belongings, but she finds the task overwhelming. She is distracted by a constant low vibration in the air and by a woman glanced out of the corner of her eye that vanishes when she turns to face her. In alternating chapters, a historical story slowly unfolds. When a mysterious lodger, Robert Moore, moves into her family’s home, nineteen year old Elizabeth is forced out of her room. But she soon appreciates his presence, for he begins leaving books from his library out for her to borrow. As her mental horizons expand, her world constricts as pressure mounts for her to marry a local farmer’s son and her employer orders her to spy on Moore, whom he suspects to be a political agitator. As Rachel searches for the identity of the ghost that haunts the Reading Room Cottage, Elizabeth is torn between her duty to her family and the wonderful new life she discovers in conversations with Moore.
Rachel strives to hide her mental illness, chanting the mantra Be normal be normal be normal over and over as she walks through the village or visits the neighbors. She misses and resents her husband, who is often impatient and distant when they talk on the phone. She often wants to give up on everything, but her love for her daughter and her curiosity about the house give her a focal point to keep fighting. It’s a depiction of depression that is very visceral and relatable.
By contrast, Elizabeth’s problems are against external forces. Her mother, father, and sister conspire to see her matched with a local boy, but marriage is the last thing Elizabeth wants. Her best friend Agnes becomes a mother and the child her world; Elizabeth hates to think that something similar might happen to her. Her journey of learning under the guidance of Robert Moore and his “reading room” is very engrossing. I know a character is well-developed when two-thirds of the way through the novel, I have to stop and Google the character’s name to see if he was, in fact, a real person. (If I had waited ‘til the end, I would have seen Jo Baker’s historical note confirming that Robert Moore is, indeed, a product of her imagination, although based on a couple of real men from the Chartist movement.) He, Elizabeth, and the other characters in the 19th century half of the book are far more realized and lively than in the modern day narrative.
The two characters are written to have very distinct voices. Elizabeth speaks with a simple clarity. She observes the movement of nature and the rhythms of village life in a way that draws readers into her world. Rachel’s mental distraction creates a much sketchier version of the town that focuses on small details but never quite captures the whole.
While not a traditional ghost story, The Telling is such a rich book. I really enjoyed getting to know Elizabeth and Rachel, and I never stopped rooting for them to overcome their difficulties. The ultimate connection between the women felt a bit forced, but I enjoyed the stories and didn’t really mind that their two narratives never really came together in a complete, cohesive way.
4 out of 5 stars
To read more about The Telling, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: Lucky Us by Amy Bloom
2013: 1776 by David McCullough
2012: The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner
2011: Bedbugs by Ben H. Winters
2010: Photos: 20 Brilliant Bookshelves
2009: The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley
2008: BBAW: Kiva.org Giveaway
by Jo Baker
Two women separated by two centuries are connected by one house: the Reading Room Cottage. In the present day, Rachel struggles with postpartum depression and loss following the death of her mother. She arrives at Reading Room Cottage intent on clearing out her mother’s belongings, but she finds the task overwhelming. She is distracted by a constant low vibration in the air and by a woman glanced out of the corner of her eye that vanishes when she turns to face her. In alternating chapters, a historical story slowly unfolds. When a mysterious lodger, Robert Moore, moves into her family’s home, nineteen year old Elizabeth is forced out of her room. But she soon appreciates his presence, for he begins leaving books from his library out for her to borrow. As her mental horizons expand, her world constricts as pressure mounts for her to marry a local farmer’s son and her employer orders her to spy on Moore, whom he suspects to be a political agitator. As Rachel searches for the identity of the ghost that haunts the Reading Room Cottage, Elizabeth is torn between her duty to her family and the wonderful new life she discovers in conversations with Moore.
Rachel strives to hide her mental illness, chanting the mantra Be normal be normal be normal over and over as she walks through the village or visits the neighbors. She misses and resents her husband, who is often impatient and distant when they talk on the phone. She often wants to give up on everything, but her love for her daughter and her curiosity about the house give her a focal point to keep fighting. It’s a depiction of depression that is very visceral and relatable.
By contrast, Elizabeth’s problems are against external forces. Her mother, father, and sister conspire to see her matched with a local boy, but marriage is the last thing Elizabeth wants. Her best friend Agnes becomes a mother and the child her world; Elizabeth hates to think that something similar might happen to her. Her journey of learning under the guidance of Robert Moore and his “reading room” is very engrossing. I know a character is well-developed when two-thirds of the way through the novel, I have to stop and Google the character’s name to see if he was, in fact, a real person. (If I had waited ‘til the end, I would have seen Jo Baker’s historical note confirming that Robert Moore is, indeed, a product of her imagination, although based on a couple of real men from the Chartist movement.) He, Elizabeth, and the other characters in the 19th century half of the book are far more realized and lively than in the modern day narrative.
The two characters are written to have very distinct voices. Elizabeth speaks with a simple clarity. She observes the movement of nature and the rhythms of village life in a way that draws readers into her world. Rachel’s mental distraction creates a much sketchier version of the town that focuses on small details but never quite captures the whole.
While not a traditional ghost story, The Telling is such a rich book. I really enjoyed getting to know Elizabeth and Rachel, and I never stopped rooting for them to overcome their difficulties. The ultimate connection between the women felt a bit forced, but I enjoyed the stories and didn’t really mind that their two narratives never really came together in a complete, cohesive way.
4 out of 5 stars
To read more about The Telling, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: Lucky Us by Amy Bloom
2013: 1776 by David McCullough
2012: The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner
2011: Bedbugs by Ben H. Winters
2010: Photos: 20 Brilliant Bookshelves
2009: The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley
2008: BBAW: Kiva.org Giveaway