When We Lost Our Heads
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- Create Date：2022-02-10 10:52:08
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Heather O'Neill
- ISBN：1443451576
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Summary
A spellbinding story about two girls whose friendship is so intense it not only threatens to destroy them， it changes the trajectory of history。
Marie Antoine is the charismatic， spoiled daughter of a sugar baron。 At 12 years old， with her blond curls and her unparalleled sense of whimsey， she’s the leader of all the children in the Golden Mile， an affluent strip of 19th century Montreal。 Until one day in 1873， when Sadie Arnett， dark-haired， sly， and brilliant， moves to the neighborhood。
Marie and Sadie are immediately united by their passion and intensity， and they attract and repel each other in ways that light each of them on fire。 Marie with her bubbly charm sees the light and sweetness of the world， whereas Sadie’s obsession with darkness is all consuming。 Soon their childlike games take on a thrill of danger and then become deadly。
Forced to separate， they spend their teenage years engaged in acts of alternating innocence and depravity—until a singular event unites them once more， with dizzying effects。 And after Marie inherits her father’s sugar empire and Sadie disappears into the city’s gritty underworld， a revolution of the working class begins to foment。 Each of them will have unexpected roles to play in events that upend their city—the only question is whether they will find each other once more。
Traveling from a repressive finishing school to a vibrant brothel， taking readers firsthand into the brutality of factory life and the opulent lives of Montreal’s wealthy， When We Lost Our Heads dazzlingly explores gender and power， sex and desire， class and status， and the terrifying power of the human heart when it can’t let someone go。
Marie Antoine is the charismatic， spoiled daughter of a sugar baron。 At 12 years old， with her blond curls and her unparalleled sense of whimsey， she’s the leader of all the children in the Golden Mile， an affluent strip of 19th century Montreal。 Until one day in 1873， when Sadie Arnett， dark-haired， sly， and brilliant， moves to the neighborhood。
Marie and Sadie are immediately united by their passion and intensity， and they attract and repel each other in ways that light each of them on fire。 Marie with her bubbly charm sees the light and sweetness of the world， whereas Sadie’s obsession with darkness is all consuming。 Soon their childlike games take on a thrill of danger and then become deadly。
Forced to separate， they spend their teenage years engaged in acts of alternating innocence and depravity—until a singular event unites them once more， with dizzying effects。 And after Marie inherits her father’s sugar empire and Sadie disappears into the city’s gritty underworld， a revolution of the working class begins to foment。 Each of them will have unexpected roles to play in events that upend their city—the only question is whether they will find each other once more。
Traveling from a repressive finishing school to a vibrant brothel， taking readers firsthand into the brutality of factory life and the opulent lives of Montreal’s wealthy， When We Lost Our Heads dazzlingly explores gender and power， sex and desire， class and status， and the terrifying power of the human heart when it can’t let someone go。
Reviews
Leslie Bock
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I just love her。 Nobody writes like she does。
Rebecca
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The storyline was great but wasn't crazy about the writing。 3。5 The storyline was great but wasn't crazy about the writing。 3。5 。。。more
Rhonda Lomazow
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Heather O’Neill has written another creative unique page turner。From the opening pages when we meet two girls one dark one blonde as their friendship grows we are taken on a wild ridge of emotions violence twists and turns。A book that drew me in kept me so involved turning pages。Will be recommending thanks to Riverhead for my arc。
Laura Rose
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Heather O’Neill is a living genius and without a doubt my favourite author。 I don’t have the words to expand on that。 That’s why I’m not an author。
Penny （Literary Hoarders）
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Excellent and a book only Heather O'Neill could write。 A fantastical， wonderful， absurd look into class， gender， sexuality and female friendships。 How fraught with love， competition， jealousy they may be。 A similar theme running with O'Neill is the rights of girls and women and the violence of men towards women and girls and is of course very present here。 Wonderful storytelling as always。 Excellent and a book only Heather O'Neill could write。 A fantastical， wonderful， absurd look into class， gender， sexuality and female friendships。 How fraught with love， competition， jealousy they may be。 A similar theme running with O'Neill is the rights of girls and women and the violence of men towards women and girls and is of course very present here。 Wonderful storytelling as always。 。。。more
Kari
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My first book by this Author & I was enthralled。 The book’s narrative develops and unwinds unexpectedly from a formation of two young girls， Marie & Sadie， to their eventual envy of each other leaving them committing a murder and being torn apart。 These girls who had a love /hate relationship really have such admiration and love that they don’t really feel it until Sadie is sent away to boarding school。 They think of each other through the years with such yearning and lust。 Marie being rich and My first book by this Author & I was enthralled。 The book’s narrative develops and unwinds unexpectedly from a formation of two young girls， Marie & Sadie， to their eventual envy of each other leaving them committing a murder and being torn apart。 These girls who had a love /hate relationship really have such admiration and love that they don’t really feel it until Sadie is sent away to boarding school。 They think of each other through the years with such yearning and lust。 Marie being rich and spoiled tries to learn her father’s sugar empire and how to run it， knowing one day it will all be hers。 Sadie gets her frustrations out through her scandalous writing that she shares with the other girls at school。 Eventually leading her to live in a brothel working and writing about taboo women topics。Both of them will ultimately cross paths again and they vow to never be separated。 They are best friends， lovers and confidants that will push everything to the extreme。 From Marie’s power while running the sugar factory to Sadie’s writing and Women’s Revolution。 Their past as kids comes back with a surprise twist and a chest full of secrets that Marie’s father has kept hidden will shock you and keep you reading with your jaw hanging open。 This was a spellbinding read that I recommend to all Literary lovers。 。。。more
hc smith
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10s 10s 10s across the board。 every novel heather oneil writes is so picteresque i could swallow them whole。 the metaphors and similies are cinematic like no other。 i could literally be in Montreal in 1873 and no one could tell me otherwise
Caroline
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It was as though she was finally getting tired of the author’s writing style…
Cheryl DeFranceschi
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Telling us flat out that humorous books are the most subversive， this book has a quite a bit to say。 The imagery is stellar， the story is wry， twisting and wise and I loved it。 I didn’t think I would love anything better than Lonely Hearts， but I was wrong！ And happily so。
Stacy40pages
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When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Marie Antoine is the daughter of the wealthiest factory owner in 19th century Montreal。 When she meets clever and manipulative Sadie Arnett they are a forced to be reckoned with。 Their dangerous friendship ends in tragedy and catapults their lives in unexpected ways。 This book drug me in from the very first page。 It’s a saga of two women’s lives。 They spend their childhood together until a tragedy tears them apart。 They never stop thinking of e When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Marie Antoine is the daughter of the wealthiest factory owner in 19th century Montreal。 When she meets clever and manipulative Sadie Arnett they are a forced to be reckoned with。 Their dangerous friendship ends in tragedy and catapults their lives in unexpected ways。 This book drug me in from the very first page。 It’s a saga of two women’s lives。 They spend their childhood together until a tragedy tears them apart。 They never stop thinking of each other as they live separate and very different lives。 The characters were all very well developed and very uniquely done。 Even the secondary characters were incredible。 While this was a novel of excess and indulgence， it was also a novel of feminism and class warfare。 This was an amazing read that really affected me。 “How could you not love someone who you secretly feared was better than you？ And naturally their success terrified you because it meant they were going to move off to somewhere in the universe far， far above you。 So， yes， occasionally you struck out against the love of your life。”When We Lost Our Heads comes out 2/8。 。。。more
Doreen
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I found this novel both entertaining and thought-provoking。 In some ways， it reminded me of a Victorian novel。The book opens with the friendship between two girls。 Marie Antoine is the spoiled daughter of the owner of a sugar factory。 She lives on the Golden Mile， home to the wealthiest and most powerful families in late 19th-century Montreal。 In 1873， Marie meets Sadie Arnett when her status-conscious family moves into the neighbourhood。 Though opposites in appearance， the two girls immediately I found this novel both entertaining and thought-provoking。 In some ways， it reminded me of a Victorian novel。The book opens with the friendship between two girls。 Marie Antoine is the spoiled daughter of the owner of a sugar factory。 She lives on the Golden Mile， home to the wealthiest and most powerful families in late 19th-century Montreal。 In 1873， Marie meets Sadie Arnett when her status-conscious family moves into the neighbourhood。 Though opposites in appearance， the two girls immediately form such a passionate， intense friendship that they become obsessed with each other。 They engage in daring behaviour often instigated by Sadie who is fascinated with death and the darker aspects of life and is introduced as “strange” and “different” and “devilish。” A tragic event leads to their being separated during most of their teenage years， but it is inevitable that they will be reunited。 It is also inevitable that their reunion will be consequential。 The friendship between the girls is complicated。 An observation is made that “Every decent friendship comes with a drop of hatred。 But that hatred is like honey in the tea。 It makes it addictive。” This seems to be true because though the two love each other， as soon as they met， they experience jealousy。 Sadie comments， “It was a strange feeling， jealousy。 When she saw the way her parents treated Marie， she was jealous。 Once this feeling had been awoken in her， it was impossible to make it dormant again。” When Marie meets Sadie who is as intelligent and talented as she， “It planted the seed of jealousy in her。 And that seed began to grow and it bore thoughts that were like tendrils。” When the two are reunited， Sadie believes， “Their characters were both too strong。 There was just no way they would ever be able to coexist peacefully。 They could either resume their explosive love affair that would somehow bring down everyone around them or they ought to be on opposite sides of the Atlantic。” There is suspense as the reader wonders what mayhem the two will cause。 The reader will definitely have an emotional reaction to Marie and Sadie。 They possess lavish personalities: they are intelligent， ambitious， determined， and manipulative。 I was fascinated， just as I was also often repelled。 I certainly don’t agree with all their decisions and actions， but their motivations are always clear and understandable。 This is also true for secondary characters like Mary， George， and Jeanne-Pauline。 I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between the names of characters in the book and important figures in the French Revolution: Louis Antoine （Louis XVI）; Marie Antoine （Marie Antoinette）; Sadie （Marquis de Sade）; Mary Robespierre （Maximilien Robespierre）; Jeanne-Pauline Marat （Jean-Paul Marat）; and George Danton （Georges Danton）。 Since the novel includes more than one type of revolution and an uprising of the lower classes， these parallels are appropriate。 A major focus is gender roles。 Again and again， statements about the expectations of female behaviour are mentioned: “Ladies were supposed to moderate their physical behavior。 They were supposed to speak in an articulate and reserved fashion。 They were not supposed to act as though they were transported by their emotions。” And “There was a pervasive idea that girls were all on the brink of madness。 It took much less than anyone previously believed to push a girl over the edge。 A single novel could do it。 A complicated idea could do it。 Having ambition and wanting to have an occupation could definitely do it。 It was too taxing on the female brain。 They had to be monitored carefully to make sure they stuck to exclusively feminine subjects。 It was disturbing and unnatural for women to engage in male endeavors。” And women had to learn the basics of history “so they could follow men’s conversation。 They were not， however， to form an opinion on anything。 It was up to men to do that。 Women would simply marvel at their ideas。” And “A woman ought to be pleasing to others， even when they were at their most miserable。” Women were expected to marry because “being aligned with a real man brought a woman so much social standing in the world。” Of course， once married， they were expected to live in “a state of humbled servility，” and to be subjected to abuse: “It was usual for women to suffer abuse at home。 There were no laws against it。 It wasn’t exactly socially acceptable， but everybody did it。” Women were not allowed to be idle: “Women never got to be alone。 That was too much of a luxury。 Women always had someone to take care of。”Particular attention is given to women and sexual desire。 The Madonna-whore dichotomy is mentioned: “Women are either one thing or the other 。 。 。 indisputably wicked and terrifying， [or] 。 。 。 sheltered and pure。” If a woman were the former， “they would have her committed。 The most socially approved way of ruining a girl。 She would never be heard from again。” Women’s sexual pleasure was secondary to a man’s: “There were no guidebooks for women’s pleasures。 There were only guidebooks that instructed a woman on how to give other people pleasure。” But since the female orgasm has no reproductive function and no other purpose other than enjoyment， “All the strict matrimonial laws were put in place because men didn’t want to have to stake their future on female desire。” In fact， a man could use a woman’s orgasm against her: “It could never be considered rape if the girls had an orgasm。 He turned their orgasms against them。 He considered their orgasm to be a form of consent。” If raped， a woman “was not allowed to talk about what had happened to her。” If an unmarried woman became pregnant， “what had happened to her was her own fault。 She had spoiled herself。 She was a whore。” One of the most crushing statements is， “[Women] were so surprised by their own ruin， as though it had hit them like lightning and not through an inevitable path the world had set out for them。”Another focus is the radical disparity between the upper and lower classes， the rich and the poor， those who live on the Golden Mile and those who shelter on the Squalid Mile。 Sometimes the disparity is mentioned in statements like， “When you were that rich， you didn’t have to be angry with your child。 You hired a governess to do it。” But then there are detailed descriptions of conditions for workers。 Marie thinks “’Working at a sugar factory is quite wonderful。 We have the world’s most splendid machines。 And what’s more， you inhale and sugar gets in your lungs and stays there。 And when you cough， you cough sugar，’” but in reality accidents and mutilations occur on a regular basis。 Children are hired because they can be paid less， and women are “underpaid， overworked， sexually vulnerable。” The lyrical language is noteworthy。 There are many poetic descriptions of writing: “The tip of her pen made the flight pattern of neurotic birds mating。 The looping words on the page were like knots in a girl’s hair that had formed after she’s been standing in the wind。 They were like the tendrils of a plant if spring happened all in one moment。” And “Sadie moved the tip of her pen like a sailboat over the waves on a most perfectly windy day。 Her editing pen was making notes and slashes like a seabird dipping for fish。” And “the ink words turned into black goldfish， and swam off the page。” There is so much in this novel that a second reading would be useful。 O’Neill has written a raw and gritty novel about women who behave boldly and unapologetically; it reminded me of Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen in which a woman who does not conform to societal norms is branded a witch。 I think this book will cause a real stir – and deservedly so。Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley。 Quotations may not be exactly as they appear in the final copy。Please check out my reader's blog （https://schatjesshelves。blogspot。com） and follow me on Twitter （@DCYakabuski）。 。。。more
Tammy
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I don't know who I would recommend this to personally， but I was really captivated by this story。 Great writing。 Provocative gender and class themes。 I don't know who I would recommend this to personally， but I was really captivated by this story。 Great writing。 Provocative gender and class themes。 。。。more
Ashley Daviau
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This book is just。。。 It’s EVERYTHING I have EVER wanted from a book。 I knew I’d love it because I adore Heather O’Neill but I had no idea that I’d love it so much that it would become a contender for my favourite book not only of the year but one of my favourite books EVER！ It might be classified as a slow burn but it was absolutely riveting and I never felt like I wanted the pace to pick up， a slow burn was perfect for this story。 I was hooked from start to finish and I couldn’t put the book do This book is just。。。 It’s EVERYTHING I have EVER wanted from a book。 I knew I’d love it because I adore Heather O’Neill but I had no idea that I’d love it so much that it would become a contender for my favourite book not only of the year but one of my favourite books EVER！ It might be classified as a slow burn but it was absolutely riveting and I never felt like I wanted the pace to pick up， a slow burn was perfect for this story。 I was hooked from start to finish and I couldn’t put the book down， I had a deep burning desire to find out how it would turn out。 I really couldn’t have loved this book more， it had everything I love in a novel and heaps more， so many things about it were fascinating。 My favourite part by far was the characters。 Marie and Sadie are a spectacular duo and I revelled in getting under their skin。 I saw myself in Sadie so much that it was quite startling at times， she truly came alive for me and became a kindred spirit。 I felt like I truly KNEW her and she’ll forever be a part of me now。 Not only were our two main characters amazing but the whole cast was just so beautifully written and each of them was so unique and such an essential part of this dark and sprawling story。 And then the cherry on the sundae was the queerness and feminism and sexual acceptance that was such a prominent part of the story。 Scratch that， those things WERE the story。 Without the queer feminist sexual energy this book wouldn’t exist and it’s just absolutely breath taking。 I can feel the gushing starting and my sentences running together but that’s just the state this book has left me in！ I want to scream it from the rooftops and buy a million copies of it and shove it into everyone’s hands and demand more queer feminist fiction like this because it is a life changing read that everybody needs to experience。 I could ramble on and on but just shut up， buy the book and come talk to me about it after you’ve devoured it。 。。。more
Giovanna Centeno
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Disclaimer， I was sent a review copy of this book by the Publisher in trade for a fair review。 TW: domestic， sexual， class， and verbal violence。 Child abuse， murder， abortion， sexual exploitation， parental abuse。This is a 2。5 star for me。Overall this was a disappointing read， the first 200 or so pages were quite entertaining and the first 100 in particular had a wonderful atmosphere of a sort of fantastical almost steampunk inspired aesthetic with sprinkles of the uncanny。 It was compulsively re Disclaimer， I was sent a review copy of this book by the Publisher in trade for a fair review。 TW: domestic， sexual， class， and verbal violence。 Child abuse， murder， abortion， sexual exploitation， parental abuse。This is a 2。5 star for me。Overall this was a disappointing read， the first 200 or so pages were quite entertaining and the first 100 in particular had a wonderful atmosphere of a sort of fantastical almost steampunk inspired aesthetic with sprinkles of the uncanny。 It was compulsively readable until it wasn’t。 I’m not sure who I could recommend this for， if you want to read about terrible things again and again until the loose their emotional impact， or if you just want sexual language about literally everything possible maybe you can overlook that even and just go for the vibes，but those don’t last long either。 SPOILERS AHEADWhat can I say about this book？ Well first of all it is a very long book for only a 400 page novel。 By that I mean， it is a book that could be half of its length。 We start with the two main characters Sadie and Marie Antoine， having a fake duel as pre-teens and accidentally killing a maid jn the process。 From then until the point where we return to the scene the vibes are immaculate。 You get this dark and uncanny valley feeling of a pseudo 19th century society where feminity is constraint except in these two little shocking girls that seem to be extremely dark in nature and are just plotting the most horrid things。 And then they grow up。 Their obsession with one another never goes away even when they don’t talk to the other and have this constant forgetting even of the other’s existence and we are just supposed to believe they always pick back up where they left off。 Even when it is explicitly stated they hate one another now or that the other has moved on。 This leads to a very unsatisfactory main plot。 The main two characters at stop developing very early and become annoying and obsolete as more side characters get introduced。 Plus those side characters which should actually been the focus not the two spoiled rich girls that think they are shocking because one of them cannot stop thinking of having sex with absolutely everything that moves， and the other is descried as an amoral business mogul whose nipples perk up and harden （yes that is literally in the page） when she meets her half sister for the first time。 On a tangent here but seriously I get that part of the plot is that Sadie becomes a smut writer but like what a disservice， this book isn’t sexy at all its just horny and in the worst icky ways， like the sexual abuse is always looked like a distant unemotional thing and the rape of underage girls who have been forced into sex work is described as “love making” at one point。 I understand the point of making pornography a empowerment thing in a 19th century For women writers， but what a terrible execution this writer had she just lost the entire plot of it by page 200 and just added as many shocking unrelated things as she could。 It became so ridiculous I found myself cringing every two sentences with the sheer absurdity of it all。On another point the side characters deserved so much more。 Those were the interesting people， like George， Mary and the murderous pharmacist I wanted the book to be about them and they were so reduced and frankly at one point their narrative was rushed to the point of messiness like the writer just got bored with them and just wanted to write more about how shocking Sadie is。 Like please give me a break about hearing about these women’s plump nipples for a second geez。 I think the way to summarize this is that I had high expectations and I was given an underdeveloped plot， characters， and descriptions of female sexuality that read as if they had been written by a male YA fantasy writer trying to subvert the way “sexy female characters are written” Ok rant over， lol。 On a last note I actually hope this isn’t a reflection on the authors overall work， which I want to seek out because I believe the base ideas were good just over stretched。 So let me know if you have read something else they have published and you enjoyed it。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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Gotta admit- this is a strange novel which some will， I expect， put down but to do so would be to miss a unique tale about two women who are twisted together and apart from childhood。 Know that here is a lot of sexual content。 Set in Montreal （and a boarding school in the UK）， it gives a bit of insight into life on several layers of the economic spectrum in the late 1800s。 Marie， the adored daughter of Louis and heir to a sugar fortune， meets Sadie ， daughter of strivers， when they are adolescen Gotta admit- this is a strange novel which some will， I expect， put down but to do so would be to miss a unique tale about two women who are twisted together and apart from childhood。 Know that here is a lot of sexual content。 Set in Montreal （and a boarding school in the UK）， it gives a bit of insight into life on several layers of the economic spectrum in the late 1800s。 Marie， the adored daughter of Louis and heir to a sugar fortune， meets Sadie ， daughter of strivers， when they are adolescents。 Their relationship is tortured， filled with jealousy and competition， and culminates in the shooting death of Agatha， a maid at Marie's house。 Sadie is sent away to the UK， where she discovers， wait for it， pornography。 Back in Canada， Louis encounters Mary， one of his daughters， who has a plan to get out of the horror of work in the sugar factory。 When Sadie comes home， all bets are off until she finds herself once against exiled， this time finding refuge in a brothel， where she meets George， who will loom large in both of their lives。 This has strong political commentary about the oppression of both workers and women （but especially women workers）。 Know that these aren't likable women， that you might well find yourself repulsed by them （and animal lovers should be forewarned）。 All of that said， O'Neill's storytelling is strong and I found myself turning the pages。 There's a bit of a twisty surprise or two at the end that I didn't see coming。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 An unusual but compelling read。 。。。more
Jenna Rideout
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I was granted eARC access to When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you for the opportunity！ My thoughts are my own and my review is honest。 When We Lost Our Heads is a dark and gritty coming-of-age story set initially/part of the time in 1873 Montreal and part of the time overseas。 Marie and Sadie are the best of friends， absolutely inseparable， until a terrible accident results in the death of a maid and the girls are to blame。 When one I was granted eARC access to When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you for the opportunity！ My thoughts are my own and my review is honest。 When We Lost Our Heads is a dark and gritty coming-of-age story set initially/part of the time in 1873 Montreal and part of the time overseas。 Marie and Sadie are the best of friends， absolutely inseparable， until a terrible accident results in the death of a maid and the girls are to blame。 When one friend betrays the other， the girls are separated into a nursing situation back home and a boarding school far， far away。 It's only when they've lost each other in addition to their innocence that they truly begin to understand what they had and what they've lost。 Content warning: sexually explicit scenes， rape and prostitution， abortion。I think this is one of those books that will be some peoples' new long-term favourite that burrows deep into the brains and hearts and keeps coming up when asked for recommendations for decades。 I can see this being used in college/university settings。 I can see this being compared to "the classics。" I think it's beautifully written for what it's meant to be。 Unfortunately， it didn't convince me that it's the best thing since sliced bread， but I recognize good writing when I see it， and this is a top-notch example of the flavour of literary fiction the author is going for。 I'm just clearly not the target audience。 This is going to be a love it or hate it title among everyone who isn't used to giving higher praise to things they didn't like even if it deserves it， so I firmly expect the average rating on this book to sink below what it's worth once it has had time to collect a lot of them。 If you like dark and gritty hard-truth life story fiction， don't be dissuaded by reviews from people who didn't like it。 This one is so brutally raw and honest that it's going to polarize the audience。 。。。more
Enid Wray
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SPOILER ALERT！This had potential… which was sadly unrealised。 Another author with whom I have a very hot and cold relationship。 In this case， more cold than hot。 Indeed， Lullabies for Little Criminals is still an all time favourite of mine （and not just because lime green is my favourite colour！）， but not so much most of what has come since。 There are so many things I didn’t enjoy about this title， but my biggest problem was that it is so slow and boring。 Almost the entire novel is the narrator SPOILER ALERT！This had potential… which was sadly unrealised。 Another author with whom I have a very hot and cold relationship。 In this case， more cold than hot。 Indeed， Lullabies for Little Criminals is still an all time favourite of mine （and not just because lime green is my favourite colour！）， but not so much most of what has come since。 There are so many things I didn’t enjoy about this title， but my biggest problem was that it is so slow and boring。 Almost the entire novel is the narrator running on and on - they did this， they did that， they thought this， they thought that。 And while there is some interesting use of imagery and metaphor， for the most part the writing is pretty mundane。 Every action， every thought， every important message that the author wants to drive home is ‘dictated’ to me by the narrator。 Writing 101: Show， don’t tell。 The narration is flat， abrupt， dispassionate… remote… and it serves to keep the reader at a distance。Given how unlikeable the two main characters - Marie and Sadie - are， they needed all the help they could get to make the reader warm to caring enough to read their story。 Not that protagonist’s have to be likeable… but… where they aren’t there had better be a riveting story and snappy pace to build tension and interest the reader。 There is none of the above here。 Indeed， so much of what transpires is so predictable， and the breadcrumbs - where they exist - are the size of croutons。 There is no dramatic tension here。。。 Everything is telegraphed well in advance。From the title to the character names - Marie Antoine （Antoinette）， （the Marquis de） Sad（i）e， Louise Antoine （Leon de Saint Just）， Mary （Maximillian/Marie） Robespierre， Pauline Marat （Jean-Paul）， Georgina （Georges） Danton - it’s all too ‘clever’ and so very heavy handed。 Yes， we get that the industrial revolution ‘turned people into cogs’ and that there was ‘revolution’ in the air… it doesn’t require that every major character be named for a real player in the French Revolution。 This is just one of numerous examples of ways in which events feel forced， contrived。 One that particularly irked me was ‘giving’ a chapter - right at the very end - to George - and titling it ‘A Room of One’s Own。’ With （I think） one other exception - also given over to George - the entirety of the narration focuses on Marie and Sadie。 This goes beyond homage…。 And insults the intelligence of the reader… I got it already。Then there is the last almost 20 of pages （give or take） - everything that comes after Marie’s funeral - that is absolutely unnecessary。 Besides that it wraps everything up in a bow - I so don’t need that - it is just a massive info-dump on the part of the author。 I don’t argue that there is a great story here… I take issue with the way in which it has been told。 Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting access to an early digital ARC。 。。。more
Katie H
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“It was like a Roman sculpture of a nude。 Its beauty transcended vulgarity。”TBH， 2021 had me feeling a little burnt out。 There was a lot of autofiction， a lot of myopic first person narrative， v internal， v soundbite-y。 And as a result， I was craving some plot， some third person narrative， some extravagance， something I could sink my teeth into。 And with When We Lost Our Heads， that is exactly what I got。 O’Neill’s latest work， set in 19th century Montreal， follows Marie Antione and Sadie Arnett “It was like a Roman sculpture of a nude。 Its beauty transcended vulgarity。”TBH， 2021 had me feeling a little burnt out。 There was a lot of autofiction， a lot of myopic first person narrative， v internal， v soundbite-y。 And as a result， I was craving some plot， some third person narrative， some extravagance， something I could sink my teeth into。 And with When We Lost Our Heads， that is exactly what I got。 O’Neill’s latest work， set in 19th century Montreal， follows Marie Antione and Sadie Arnett through a perverse coming-of-age story。 The through-line in O’Neill’s work is the use of poetic， almost musical， language， that is pushed to the limits of realism but is brought back by the very dark， very raw subject matter her books tackle。 The juxtaposition between tone and substance are an O’Neill hallmark。While you can simply enjoy this novel on the surface as an entertaining read， to fully appreciate O’Neill’s talent and intentions， its reader has to enjoy metaphors （big and small） and the unexpected vulgarity and commentary encased in beautiful （and sometimes crude） language。 I didn’t experience the emotional tug that I felt with O’Neill’s previous works （Lullabies made me sob）， but the book was nonetheless a romp to read！ Big thanks to Harper Collins Canada for the advanced copy！ 。。。more
Carly-Ann Rigby
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I was riding a serious high as I turned the final （digital） page and sat down to review this book while everything was fresh in my mind。 This is， without a shadow of a doubt， a five star read for me。 I can’t remember the last time I was taken so thoroughly away to a world that existed in a book。 That feeling that I had after finishing is the reason that we read and When We Lost Our Heads was an absolute masterpiece of an escape。Marie and Sadie have the kind of compelling childhood friendship tha I was riding a serious high as I turned the final （digital） page and sat down to review this book while everything was fresh in my mind。 This is， without a shadow of a doubt， a five star read for me。 I can’t remember the last time I was taken so thoroughly away to a world that existed in a book。 That feeling that I had after finishing is the reason that we read and When We Lost Our Heads was an absolute masterpiece of an escape。Marie and Sadie have the kind of compelling childhood friendship that makes them irresistible to one another even despite their differences。 When their daring and dangerous behaviour forces a separation between the two， they turn to different targets for their compulsion。 Marie， the more affluent of the two， uses her privilege as a power-play and to grow wealth and social status。 The heir to a sugar fortune， she has bright ideas that she struggles to turn into reality。 Sadie， who bore the brunt of their shared misdeeds suffers the consequences through alienation from her life as she knows it。 She turns her fury into fuel for her creative dreams and her revolutionary art。Throughout their early twenties， the girls move in and out of one another’s orbits， finding their own purposes and communities in the process。 Marie remains elevated from the public and the realities of life while Sadie lives in an opposite existence， exploring the city’s underworld。 The magnetism that exists between them never truly disappears as it thunders like a freight train in the distance。 The reader can’t help but feel it getting ever closer on its collision course as the story progresses。 What is impossible to predict was the web of interconnectivity that was revealed in the book’s explosive ending。Set in the mid-to-late-1800s， When We Lost Our Heads explores issues of class， gender and identity in a way that seems unimaginable in our current experience。 It addresses issues of societal tolerance and understanding and it also reveals a lot about the history of industry and， although not specifically addressed， the early origins of organized labour。 I loved that this entire book was built around strong female characters who were bold and unapologetic in their actions。O’Neill has an incredible knack for sharing her deep and diverse characters， painting a vivid setting and immersing the reader into the era。 There is so much to feel about Marie， about Sadie， and about those left in their wake。 “The book had had its way。 That was what a book wanted most: to have the most corrupt and devastating effect。 To change the world of those who read it。”Thank you， thank you， thank you to HarperCollins Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book。 It will be published on February 1st and I strongly recommend you get a preorder in before then。 。。。more
Kenzie Beatty
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Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review！ Heather O'Neill knocks it out of the park yet again！ I have always been drawn to O"Neill's stunningly gorgeous lyrical writing and When We Lost Our Heads is no exception。 She alludes to this near the end of the book， but her writing has a dark fairy tale quality to it， that reflects the grittiness of her characters lives。 Looking at the two main characters， Marie and Sadie， we see them become full， well-rounded Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review！ Heather O'Neill knocks it out of the park yet again！ I have always been drawn to O"Neill's stunningly gorgeous lyrical writing and When We Lost Our Heads is no exception。 She alludes to this near the end of the book， but her writing has a dark fairy tale quality to it， that reflects the grittiness of her characters lives。 Looking at the two main characters， Marie and Sadie， we see them become full， well-rounded （and to be honest not likeable） characters。 Even when they are children O'Neill does not cut corners， and gives them nuanced personalities right from the beginning。 And throughout both of their journeys the reader is not always going to agree with the choices that they make， but you are always aware of the motivations behind those actions。 So much of When We Lost Our Heads revolves around themes of class， gender， sexuality， and love， all within the setting of 1870s/80s Montreal。 And what I really loved was how the relationship between class and gender was explored。 At the beginning， when a tragic event happens， we see how Marie is able to escape consequences while Sadie cannot because of her status within society。 And throughout their lives they， along with all the women living in Montreal， experience various limitations because of their gender。 I will always recommend Heather O'Neill to people， and I have a strong feeling that When We Lost Our Heads will be a book that sticks with me for a long time。 。。。more
Jayme
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This is the most entertaining book I've read in a while。 One of those stories you can read through purely to enjoy the imaginative characters and raucous plot， but there's still lots to chew on if you're interested in a deeper read。 It reminded me somewhat of Lauren Groff's Matrix in style， as well as its fiercely female narrative。 The men in this story were almost McGuffin-like。 Existing mostly to move the plot forward， but ultimately completely unimportant。 It's a beautifully childish sentimen This is the most entertaining book I've read in a while。 One of those stories you can read through purely to enjoy the imaginative characters and raucous plot， but there's still lots to chew on if you're interested in a deeper read。 It reminded me somewhat of Lauren Groff's Matrix in style， as well as its fiercely female narrative。 The men in this story were almost McGuffin-like。 Existing mostly to move the plot forward， but ultimately completely unimportant。 It's a beautifully childish sentiment， 'no boys allowed'。I was also reminded of Inglorious Bastards， but instead of rewriting nazi history， O'Neill is rewriting the patriarchy in 19th century Canada。 There's nothing subtle in this book。 The main characters are named Marie Antoine and Sadie Arnett， directly referencing Marie Antoinette and the Marquis de Sade。 All the women in this story are fierce， extravagant in their personalities， and very flawed。 They're ambitious， they plot and scheme， they violently take back their own agency。 It's a ridiculous， Alice in Wonderland-type narrative， a scathing social commentary， and a beautiful ode to women。 Linked reads:Goblin MarketJustine， Philosophy in the Bedroom， and Other Writings 。。。more
Sarah
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“She wanted to tell them their desires were not little。 They were monumental。 That if they were squashed， it was a tragedy。 If they wanted to have time to read a book in the evenings， that was as important as any of Napoleon’s ambitions。 Because what a triumph it was for any woman to have time for herself - and to be able to do something that benefited her imagination alone。”Book trigger warnings: sexism， homophobia， rape， death of a loved one， prostitution， miscarriage， abortion， mild violenceT “She wanted to tell them their desires were not little。 They were monumental。 That if they were squashed， it was a tragedy。 If they wanted to have time to read a book in the evenings， that was as important as any of Napoleon’s ambitions。 Because what a triumph it was for any woman to have time for herself - and to be able to do something that benefited her imagination alone。”Book trigger warnings: sexism， homophobia， rape， death of a loved one， prostitution， miscarriage， abortion， mild violenceThank you to Harper Collins Canada for this ARC in exchange for my honest review！ When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill is out February 1！ It’s only January， but I think I may have already read one of my favourite books of 2022。 When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill is an incredible story about two women’s revolutionary love。 O’Neill’s writing is absolutely beautiful。 She created a cast of interesting characters who were all motivated in different ways， but all equally flawed。 I loved following Sadie and Marie and seeing how they changed and grew during their teens and 20s。This book also focused on some great themes like love， sexuality， feminism， and class in a way that was fitting for the time period， but is still very much relevant today。Did I mention there’s non-binary representation and wlw romance？While the story wasn’t action-packed， O’Neill’s writing hooked me in enough to want to find out what was next for Marie and Sadie。 I was also pleasantly surprised by the plot twists at the end of the story， and thought it was a satisfying ending。 Overall， I can’t think of anything bad to say about When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill。 I can’t recommend this book enough。 。。。more
Denise
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When We Lost Our Heads follows Marie and Sadie in a sort of coming of age novel。 The novel is set in Montreal in 1873。 As Sadie and Marie’s friendship unfolds， we see many familiar themes in young girls friendships- jealous， envy， competition。 The friendship implodes with a deadly accident， and their live’s paths are forever changed。 Although separate， their lives run parallel throughout the novel until the6 are again thrust into each other’s lives。 Again， ending badly。 Overall I liked this book When We Lost Our Heads follows Marie and Sadie in a sort of coming of age novel。 The novel is set in Montreal in 1873。 As Sadie and Marie’s friendship unfolds， we see many familiar themes in young girls friendships- jealous， envy， competition。 The friendship implodes with a deadly accident， and their live’s paths are forever changed。 Although separate， their lives run parallel throughout the novel until the6 are again thrust into each other’s lives。 Again， ending badly。 Overall I liked this book。 It was slow and long in parts but as the characters were further developed， I found myself getting more into the story。trigger warnings for sex， rape， abortion， prostitution * I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from HarperCollins Canada and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review * 。。。more
Maria
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Thank you Harper Collins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Heather O’Neill is a literal master of writing。 Every book she writes is just so enchanting and captivating， they’re so hard to put down。In this book， we get two girls who become friends， end up separated， and find each other again all against the backdrop of Montreal， 1873， and what it’s like being a girl from a privileged background。As they move into adulthood， we see the build-up of an uprising of girls demanding to b Thank you Harper Collins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Heather O’Neill is a literal master of writing。 Every book she writes is just so enchanting and captivating， they’re so hard to put down。In this book， we get two girls who become friends， end up separated， and find each other again all against the backdrop of Montreal， 1873， and what it’s like being a girl from a privileged background。As they move into adulthood， we see the build-up of an uprising of girls demanding to be paid equal， be treated equal， to not be owned by men。 The lower class are the ones fighting for this， while the men in power continue to benefit off of them。This book leaves you wondering， are Sadie and Marie likeable characters， or are they not？ Are they redeemable？ It’s up to us to judge。I absolutely loved this book， and it explores so many important themes like female love， friendship， women’s rights。 A definite must-read！ 。。。more
Jasmine
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When We Lost Our Heads has a similar quality to it as when Marie Antoinette purportedly said， “Let them eat cake。” Is it a coincidence that one of the main characters is named Marie Antoine？ I don’t know， but I like it。 This novel is set in 1873 Montreal and follows two young girls who form an intense friendship that quickly implodes after a deadly accident。 Twelve-year-old Marie Antoine is adored and loved by everyone around her。 Her mother died when she was very young， so her doting father has When We Lost Our Heads has a similar quality to it as when Marie Antoinette purportedly said， “Let them eat cake。” Is it a coincidence that one of the main characters is named Marie Antoine？ I don’t know， but I like it。 This novel is set in 1873 Montreal and follows two young girls who form an intense friendship that quickly implodes after a deadly accident。 Twelve-year-old Marie Antoine is adored and loved by everyone around her。 Her mother died when she was very young， so her doting father has made it his mission to give her whatever she wishes。 She knows she will one day be in charge of the sugar factory that she is the face of and that her father operates。Twelve-year-old Sadie Arnett and her family are new to the wealthy neighbourhood of The Golden Mile。 Her family has little wealth， but believe their new home will advance them politically and socially。 From a young age， Sadie observed that her family placed all their attention and hopes of raising their social status on her brother Phillip。 Perhaps because of their neglect， Sadie shows an interest in all things dark。 Her first memory is throwing herself off a cliff。 She finds joy in drowning kittens。 She spends her time writing material that others would consider shocking。 When the two girls meet， everything else around them disappears。 They love each other deeply， but they also feel intensely envious of one another。 Their jealousy culminates in the pair often competing against each other。 One such competition turns deadly， which inevitably forces the girls apart。 Throughout their lives， they will still feel connected in a way they do to no other。 Set against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution， extravagant wealth contrasts against the impoverished working class。 This novel masterfully tackles gender inequality， gender identity， sexuality and class。Twisted， decadent， gauche， lavish are all words that describe this literary delight。 The characters are not always likeable， but they are utterly fascinating。 My favourite parts of this novel were the girls growing up and discovering themselves。 Around the midpoint， I found it slowed down a tad。 The pace picked up again in the last quarter with its initial grandiosity and ended with a bang。I don’t know what Heather O’Neill’s other books are like， but I will for sure be checking them out now。 I recommend this to readers that like morally grey characters and to those wanting a dark yet wonderfully absurd coming-of-age tale。 CW: sexual assault。 Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 https://booksandwheels。com 。。。more
Incredible Opinions
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I am only cursing myself for not reading any previous books by this Canadian author。 Better late than never！Set during the Victorian period in Montreal， "When We Lost Our Heads" is about female friendship， female love， and so much more。 When two twelve-year-old girls， Sadie and Marie， are united by their passion， they barely know their unison will create history and spark revolution。"When We Lost Our Heads" is magical， poetic and， engrossing in every sentence。 It will be an injustice to categori I am only cursing myself for not reading any previous books by this Canadian author。 Better late than never！Set during the Victorian period in Montreal， "When We Lost Our Heads" is about female friendship， female love， and so much more。 When two twelve-year-old girls， Sadie and Marie， are united by their passion， they barely know their unison will create history and spark revolution。"When We Lost Our Heads" is magical， poetic and， engrossing in every sentence。 It will be an injustice to categorize this book under just historical fiction。 It is a unique mystery and a powerful book packed with gut-punching words。It is needless to say that all the main characters in this book are female。 They are strong-headed， full of struggles， fearful yet revolutionaries。 Not all of them are likeable， but that is close to reality， and they seem to fulfil the purpose。Heather crafted this book brilliantly by exploring gender， power， sexuality， desire， class and status。 It is heartbreaking yet hopeful to consider how long we have come and how far we have yet to go to abolish gender-specific rules in society， homes and workplaces。Thank you， Harper Collins Canada， for gifting me an advance copy of this book for reviewing purposes。 。。。more
Colleen Earle
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I cannot believe that this was the first Heather O’Neill that I’ve read。 Exquisitely written A beautiful exploration of love， sexuality， gender， and class。 I honestly can’t think of a more perfect book right now。 Thank you to Harper Collins for giving me access to an arc through my work #indigoemployee
Eva
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Bravo！ Heather O’Neill is an author I have watched in the past and I think I even have a copy of one of her past books on my shelves。 I will be seeking out more books by her after this fantastic historical fiction novel。Most young girls are enamoured by Marie on the playground at age 12 but she sees them all interchangeably。 That is until she meets Sadie。 The pair hit it off like a house on fire and spend all their time together in 1800s Montreal in the Golden Mile。 Marie is the daughter of weal Bravo！ Heather O’Neill is an author I have watched in the past and I think I even have a copy of one of her past books on my shelves。 I will be seeking out more books by her after this fantastic historical fiction novel。Most young girls are enamoured by Marie on the playground at age 12 but she sees them all interchangeably。 That is until she meets Sadie。 The pair hit it off like a house on fire and spend all their time together in 1800s Montreal in the Golden Mile。 Marie is the daughter of wealthy parents who own a sugar factory。 Her father is raising her after the passing of her mother by a sorrowful event。One day the play between Marie and Sadie becomes all too real and ends in tragedy。 This marks a point of separation for the pair and will alter their futures。 Years later and Sadie is now living in the Squalid Mile in Montreal while Marie is running the sugar factory。 How their lives become intertwined again is the crux of this story。 Themes of classism， sexual freedom and equality as well as social change make for an interesting plot。 Add in some murder and mayhem and you won’t want to put this one down。 While I found most of the characters to be fairly unlikeable， I found them to be well crafted and purposeful。 O’Neill has reflected on a period of history that reads much differently in history books but is likely closer to the truth。 My heart broke a little for one of the characters who didn’t see themselves represented in their surroundings but still grew up as a confident human albeit overlooked by one of the main characters。 Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsca for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions。 There is still time to preorder When We Lost Our Heads。 It comes out February 1， 2022 and is sure to be a hit with literary and historical fiction fans。 。。。more
readbetween。the。wines
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Let me tell you， this book blew my mind。 I have been big on historical fiction these days and this book has absolutely surpassed my expectations。When We Lost Our Heads was a story about liberation and revolution。 Marie Antoinne and Sadie Arnett are polar opposites， but somehow， there's this energy between the two that cannot keep them apart。 What starts off as a friendship turns into a snowball of adventures and ideas that quickly leads to changing the world and its views of women and society。I Let me tell you， this book blew my mind。 I have been big on historical fiction these days and this book has absolutely surpassed my expectations。When We Lost Our Heads was a story about liberation and revolution。 Marie Antoinne and Sadie Arnett are polar opposites， but somehow， there's this energy between the two that cannot keep them apart。 What starts off as a friendship turns into a snowball of adventures and ideas that quickly leads to changing the world and its views of women and society。I could not put this book down at all， and it will definitely be a reread for me at some point。 Sadie has such an unapologetic persona - strong willed， driven and doesn't give a damn what people think。 Marie came from money， is well known in the city she is from and is pretty much royalty。 She cares what people think of her until it comes to Sadie。If you're going to read any book this year， I suggest this one， it won't disappoint！！ 。。。more
Amanda
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Hey book lovers！ I'm here with a book review for the first book I finished in 2022 - When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill。 I requested this ARC after giving five stars to The Lonely Hearts Hotel。 About The Book 📚 Title: When We Lost Our HeadsAuthor: Heather O'NeillPublication Date: February 1， 2022Publisher: HarperCollinsSuggested Reader Age: AdultGenre: Historical Fiction （Canada） About The Author "Heather O'Neill was born in Montreal and attended McGill University。 She pub Hey book lovers！ I'm here with a book review for the first book I finished in 2022 - When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill。 I requested this ARC after giving five stars to The Lonely Hearts Hotel。 About The Book 📚 Title: When We Lost Our HeadsAuthor: Heather O'NeillPublication Date: February 1， 2022Publisher: HarperCollinsSuggested Reader Age: AdultGenre: Historical Fiction （Canada） About The Author "Heather O'Neill was born in Montreal and attended McGill University。 She published her debut novel， Lullabies for Little Criminals， in 2006。 The novel won the Canada Reads competition （2007） and was awarded the Hugh Maclennan Award （2007）。 It was nominated for eight other awards included the Orange Prize， the Governor General's Award and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize。 It was an international bestseller。 Her books The Girl Who Was Saturday Night （2014） and Daydreams of Angels （2015） were both shortlisted for the Giller Prize。" https://www。goodreads。com/author/show/12676。Heather_O_Neill My Review › "Marie Antoine and Sadie Arnett had met in the park on Mont 17 Royal behind their homes when they were little girls of twelve years old。 It was 1873。" Marie Antoine had light hair， Sadie had dark。 Marie had blue eyes， Sadie had dark。 They may have appeared opposite in physical appearance， however， the universe brought Marie and Sadie together because inside they had the same struggles， and would contribute to the revolution in their own way。 As children， they shared their deepest， darkest thoughts with each other: "Then Sadie had an idea。 They sat at the veranda table in front of two bowls of chocolate pudding。 They both tied blindfolds around their eyes。 They spoke to each other with their blindfolds on。 Sadie thought up a bleak idea and then they took a bite of the pudding。 The dark idea would forever be associated with something delicious。"This entire pudding scene stuck in my head for the rest of the book。 The girls had a fascination with death - Sadie in particular。 She murdered animals and felt no remorse。 One day， while playing a game with guns， the girls killed a maid。 This event would change their lives。 They had a complicated on-again， off-again， friendship/attraction。 Neither had a firm grip on reality for their entire lives。 Their imaginations often left them losing family， friends， time， and each other。 Marie lived in Golden Mile， Sadie ended up living in Squalid Mile。 Although the Golden Mile is for the rich， and you'd think that would mean women living there had a better life， we see this is not the case。 Money doesn't change the battles women fought every day against sexism and violence。 › I use the CAWPILE method to rate books。0-3 Really bad4-6 Mediocre7-9 Really good10 Outstanding› Characters: 4› Atmosphere: 4› Writing Style: 5› Plot: 3› Intrigue: 3› Logic: 6› Enjoyment: 3Average 41。1-2。2 = ★2。3-4。5 = ★★4。6-6。9 = ★★★7-8。9 = ★★★★9-10 = ★★★★★My Rating ★★ › Final Thoughts• This is not the way I wanted to start a new reading year。 I'm terribly disappointed。 This book was way longer than it needed to be。 I was bored。 If it wasn't an arc I would have quit， and to start 2022 with a DNF would have been tragic。 When We Lost Our Heads is a raw， deadly， twisty story about tragedy， obsession， women's rights， gender roles， and class。 The reader is taken on a journey with Marie and Sadie through turmoil and triumphs as they discover more about themselves， the world， and each other。 I'd recommend this to adventurous readers who don't mind a lot of fluff and a slower pace。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review。 *Quotes taken from an ARC copy and subject to change* Connect With Me 😊 Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=When We Lost Our Heads
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=When We Lost Our Heads&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft