{"product_id":"the-confessions-of-frannie-langton-a-novel-isbn-9780062851895","title":"The Confessions of Frannie Langton: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDon't miss the TV miniseries, streaming now exclusively on BritBox!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A blistering historical thriller.” \u003c\/strong\u003e— \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA servant and former slave is accused of murdering her employer and his wife in this breathtaking debut that moves from a Jamaican sugar plantation to the fetid streets of Georgian London—a gripping historical thriller with echoes of \u003cem\u003eAlias Grace,\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe Underground Railroad\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Paying Guests.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll of London is abuzz with the scandalous case of Frannie Langton, accused of the brutal double murder of her employers, renowned scientist George Benham and his eccentric French wife, Marguerite. Crowds pack the courtroom, eagerly following every twist, while the newspapers print lurid theories about the killings and the mysterious woman being tried at the Old Bailey.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe testimonies against Frannie are damning. She is a seductress, a witch, a master manipulator, a whore.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut Frannie claims she cannot recall what happened that fateful evening, even if remembering could save her life. She doesn’t know how she came to be covered in the victims’ blood. But she does have a tale to tell: a story of her childhood on a Jamaican plantation, her apprenticeship under a debauched scientist who stretched all bounds of ethics, and the events that brought her into the Benhams’ London home—and into a passionate and forbidden relationship.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThough her testimony may seal her conviction, the truth will unmask the perpetrators of crimes far beyond murder and indict the whole of English society itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA brilliant, searing depiction of race, class, and oppression that penetrates the skin and sears the soul, it is the story of a woman of her own making in a world that would see her unmade. \u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo one knows the worst thing they’re capable of until they do it. . . .\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll of London is abuzz with the scandalous case of Frannie Langton, who is accused of the brutal double murder of her employers, renowned scientist George Benham and his eccentric French wife, Marguerite. Crowds pack the courtroom, eagerly following every twist, while the newspapers print lurid theories about the killings and the mysterious woman being held in the Old Bailey.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe testimonies against Frannie are damning. She is a seductress, a witch, a master manipulator, a whore. Frannie claims she cannot recall what happened that fateful evening, or how she came to be covered in the victims’ blood, even if remembering could save her life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut she does have a tale to tell: a story of her childhood on a Jamaican plantation, her apprenticeship under a debauched scientist who stretched all bounds of ethics, and the events that brought her into the Benhams’ London home—and into a passionate and forbidden relationship.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThough her testimony may seal her conviction, the truth will unmask the perpetrators of crimes far beyond murder and indict the whole of English society itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Confessions of Frannie Langton\u003c\/em\u003e is a breathtaking debut: a murder mystery that travels across the Atlantic and through the darkest channels of history. A brilliant, searing depiction of race, class, and oppression that penetrates the skin and sears the soul, it is the story of a woman of her own making in a world that would see her unmade. | \u003cp\u003e“A startling, compelling historical debut novel. . . should be on top of your vacation reading pile.”   - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSara Collins takes the gothic genre by the scruff of the neck and boldly positions a black Jamaican woman as the protagonist in London 200 years ago. It’s a triumph of powerful characterization melded with suspenseful plotting while also breaking new ground in subverting a familiar genre. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[An] impressive debut. . . . a bold and timely reinvention of the classic gothic novel. . . . reminiscent of the best of Sarah Waters. . . . Collins has created a truly memorable heroine and written a compelling gothic novel for our times.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A well-crafted, searing depiction of race, class and oppression.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A spectacular, dark novel, with elements of \u003cem\u003eJane Eyre\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eParadise Lost\u003c\/em\u003e. . . Just like all really good Gothic stories, it keeps you balancing right on the edge of not wanting to look, but feeling like you can’t look away. . . An absolute gem that points at you and asks whether it might be a sign of horrifying privilege, to enjoy a genre devoted to the grotesque.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNatasha Pulley author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“It’s truly remarkable that \u003cem\u003eThe Confessions of Frannie Langton\u003c\/em\u003e is Sara Collins’ first novel. The plotting is so assured, the characters so layered, the prose so searing. . . . the historical setting hums with life. . . . Collins has gifted us with a powerful new heroine while shining a brilliant spotlight on a swathe of history that is too often relegated to footnotes.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCriminal Element\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Impressive. . . . Retrieving the truth—all sorts of truth—is the transfixing work of this rich and extravagantly well-written novel.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An absorbing, utterly searing read . . . . As immersive as \u003cem\u003eThe Confessions of Frannie Langton\u003c\/em\u003e is, its real power is in how it will make you want to engage with your own reality differently.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Globe and Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Powerful. . . .both a highly suspenseful murder mystery and a vivid historical novel, but best of all is the depiction of Frannie, a complex and unforgettable protagonist. This is a great book sure to find a wide—and deserved—audience.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly starred review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Deep-diving, elegant + tough.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMargaret Atwood via MargaretAtwood\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“There is lots to love in this impressive debut. Sara Collins is interesting on race and power. Frannie is an unforgettable character with a delicious, wicked turn of phrase. . . . Collins is a star in the making.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times (London)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A formidable debut.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRefinery29 11 Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Spring\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Captivating. . . . a beguiling story with strong feminist overtones.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIrish Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A blistering historical thriller.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“By turns lush, gritty, wry, gothic and compulsive, \u003cem\u003eThe Confessions of Frannie Langton\u003c\/em\u003e is a dazzling page-turner. With as much psychological savvy as righteous wrath, Sara Collins twists together the slave narrative, bildungsroman, love story and crime novel to make something new.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEmma Donoghue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“From the sweltering heat of the West Indies to the rain-slicked cobbles of London, Collins transports her readers to the nineteenth century with an enthralling historical thriller. Frannie Langton is an unforgettable heroine, one who boldly reclaims her narrative within the context of a history that seeks to silence her. \u003cem\u003eThe Confessions of Frannie Langton\u003c\/em\u003e is gorgeous—Gothic writing at its very best.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristine Mangan bestselling author of Tangerine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Collins’ debut novel administers a bold and vibrant jolt to both the gothic and historical fiction genres. . . . Most of all, she has created in her title character a complex, melancholy, and trenchantly observant protagonist. . . . as dynamic and compelling as any character conceived by a Brontë sister. . . [a] gripping, groundbreaking debut.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews Starred Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Frannie’s voice is compelling: tender and furious and wholly deserving of attention.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJessie Greengrass author of Sight\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Collins’s propulsive spine-tingler uses the conventions of historical fiction but infuses the genre with edgy beauty. . . . In her deft hands, defiant Frannie summons courage and cunning to tell a story of colonialism, racism, and the yearning to connect.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eO: The Oprah Magazine, “The Best Books by Women of Summer 2019”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A highly accomplished debut. . . . Large, lavish and gutsy, a skilled and intoxicating mash-up of slave narrative, gothic romance, whodunit and legal thriller. Collins—who lives in London and is of Jamaican descent—pays careful attention to historical detail while at the same time ensuring her reader stays immersed in her emotional drama and invested in her full-bodied characters.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMinneapolis Star Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Destined to become a benchmark for historical fiction, \u003cem\u003eThe Confessions of Frannie Langton\u003c\/em\u003e is at once fiercely raw and remorselessly beautiful.... A book to be devoured, marveled at, applauded—and yes, studied, for its ability to turn grim history into a wildly romantic expedition into the darkest corners of the human heart.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLyndsay Faye internationally bestselling author of Jane Steele and The Gods of Gotham\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Sara Collins has created a tough, fiery, vividly alive character. Beautifully written, in crisp and careful prose; but more than that, it comes across as a story that’s been waiting to be written for a very long time…[Collins] has picked up the tradition of gothic fiction and made it brand new.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eStef Penney bestselling author of The Tenderness of Wolves\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888958861541,"sku":"NP9780062851895","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062851895.jpg?v=1730230183","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-confessions-of-frannie-langton-a-novel-isbn-9780062851895","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}