BLOG TOUR: The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

1826, and all of London is in a frenzy.
Crowds gather at the gates of the Old Bailey to watch as Frannie Langton, maid to Mr and Mrs Benham stands trial for their murder. The testimonies against her are damning- slave, whore, seductress. And they may even be the truth. But they are not the whole truth.
For the first time Frannie has the chance to tell her story. It begins with a girl learning to read on a plantation in Jamaica, and it ends in a grand house in London, where a beautiful woman waits to be freed.
But through her fevered confessions, one burning question haunts Frannie Langton: could she have murdered the only person she ever loved?

Publisher: Viking Books

The Confessions of Frannie Langton is a beautiful debut from Sara Collins. Gothic in nature, it is set in 1826 where Frannie Langton is on trial for murdering her master and mistress, Mr and Mrs Benham. The problem is that Frannie doesn't remember anything from that  fateful night. She was found sleeping next to Mrs Benham's body, her hands and clothes covered in blood. Frannie cannot believe that she would kill Mrs Benham as she truly loved her.
As she awaits trial in the infamous Newgate Prison, she writes down her life story. Born on a Jamaican sugar plantation, Frannie has always defied her position. She taught herself to read and write and she has always spoken her mind. She was originally the property of the Langtons in Jamaica, where she received much cruelty but also grasped at any opportunity. Frannie was taken to England and gifted to the Benham's as a maid and her fate was sealed. But the reader and Frannie have to decide if she really is a murderer?
Frannie Langton is a hugely complex character which makes for fascinating reading. Her fate is in the hands of others but she does all she can to retain some form of control. Teaching herself to read and write is a powerful achievement and leads her to different opportunities but in some ways it also makes her vulnerable as it causes her to stand out.
I loved the comparison between Jamaica and England. The searing heat juxtaposed with the cold and damp in London. Everything is alien to Frannie and she has no chance of fitting into society. Collins explores the emancipation of slaves and the many complexities and issues during this turbulent time. Frannie never truly has her freedom, she is passed from perso
n to person due to her sex and ethnicity.
I think this book will be very popular. I enjoy stories set during this time and it was refreshing to be taken somewhere other than just London which is where many of the books in this genre seem to be set. I enjoyed Sara Colllin's writing style, her descriptions and use of language, especially dialect, are excellent.
I can highly recommend The Confessions of Frannie Langton and I think Sara Collins is one to watch.

Many thanks to Viking Books for inviting me to be on the blog tour, don't forget to check out the other blogs.