Wow, what does one say after reading this tome…? There are many issues colliding on the pages, and with decent literary equilibrium, MacDonald delivers every social issue with insight and a fair attempt at understanding the myriad perspectives of those deeply affected by each going concern. At the heart of the story is the question of personal choice in forming identity, and the confounding insistence of society towards majority conformity — but it’s not so simple, and this is the crux of the novel’s message: it’s not simple at all. No matter what choice is made at whatever stage in life it’s made, all those affected by the choice will feel the repercussions of the decision, not only the individual for (or by, if they’re so lucky) whom the choice is made. 

 

Who owns the land? 

Who defines the parameters of a body? 

Who determines the sanity of a mind? 

Who can say what is the right response to things that appear contrary to nature, but that are birthed in and by nature itself? 

 

Throughout the reading, my intrigue grew. However, despite stellar writing for the most part (and here’s where the stars began falling), there were whole sections where the writing was a series of unmarked dialogue or onomatopoeic ejaculations that did nothing to advance or add to the story; indeed, I cringed a couple times—not at the complex content, but at some of the delivery. To listen to it was double awkward (i.e.: Mary & Henry). 

 

The author narrated this herself, but she would have done well to find a narrator who could pull off genuine Southwest Scottish and North English accents, as well as the American. In the end, her characters had mere hints of the intended accent, which caused the story to lack authenticity. I feel that might have gone off better in my own head if I’d read it to myself. 

 

Overall, an intriguing and insightful dive (deep waters, nearly 30h/800pgs) into the historical minds of a certain number of marginalised individuals. I recommend this novel to social-sciences, law & ethics, and psychology majors—reams of content for discussion, that’s for sure.