The Gifts
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- Create Date：2022-03-21 08:51:35
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Liz Hyder
- ISBN：178658073X
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Summary
October 1840。 A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders。
Meanwhile， when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London， a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession， one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger 。 。 。
THE GIFTS is the astonishing debut adult novel from the lauded author of BEARMOUTH。 A gripping and ambitious book told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London， it explores science， nature and religion， enlightenment， the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition。
Meanwhile， when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London， a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession， one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger 。 。 。
THE GIFTS is the astonishing debut adult novel from the lauded author of BEARMOUTH。 A gripping and ambitious book told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London， it explores science， nature and religion， enlightenment， the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition。
Reviews
Rebecca Rouillard
，
Loved this: a tale of mysteries， miracles， difficult women and angels， set in Victorian London。 There are a lot of characters and storylines to follow at first but all the threads tie up beautifully at the end。 A captivating story， perfect of fans of Things in Jars and The Leviathan。
Haleena Hussain
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Too many POVs， generally unsatisfying。 A pretty average book。
Anschen Conradie
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#thegifts – Liz Hyder#manillapress#jonathanballOctober 1840， London and surrounds。‘She turns her head， half dazed as if in a dream。 And yet there they are。 Russet wings， larger than an eagle’s， fanning slowly out from her shoulders…’Etta finds solace in botany and the exquisite world of plants after the death of her father; her half-brother， Walter， only too grateful to banish her to a small cottage where she can study and illustrate her plant samples。 Natalya has the gift of storytelling and th #thegifts – Liz Hyder#manillapress#jonathanballOctober 1840， London and surrounds。‘She turns her head， half dazed as if in a dream。 And yet there they are。 Russet wings， larger than an eagle’s， fanning slowly out from her shoulders…’Etta finds solace in botany and the exquisite world of plants after the death of her father; her half-brother， Walter， only too grateful to banish her to a small cottage where she can study and illustrate her plant samples。 Natalya has the gift of storytelling and the uncanny ability to see the world as a collection of building blocks， constructed through and by history itself。 Mary is a talented writer， using her word and language skills to complete work that her caregiver uncle is unable to do due to alcoholism。 Annie is a brilliant artist， infatuated by the smell of paint and the magic of brushes and canvasses。 But none of them can live out their talents; can receive no acknowledgement and suffer the humiliation of their gifts referred to as mere hobbies – simply because they are women。 An intoxicated fisherman then makes an astonishing find: the body of a winged woman is found in the Thames。 In a desperate bid to benefit from his find， he secretly sells the body to an ambitious young surgeon， Edward Meakes and this starts an avalanche of events that will change their lives。 The novel is a combination of historical fiction and magical realism; female power and scientific ambition， discussing feminism; religion; superstition; art and misogyny。 The four lead female characters each has a unique voice: drawing the reader into their respective worlds， ambitions， obstacles and triumphs。 Edward’s descent into emotional instability， fuelled by relentless and desperate ambition， is opposed to the female characters’ emotional awakening， his downward spiral the stark contrast to their rise to power。As is fitting in historical fiction， the milieu is described authentically and convincingly， from the dress codes to the transport， language， customs and beliefs。 The touch of magical realism adds a lighter touch， creating a novel that is provides escapism at its best。 Readers who enjoy strong female characters and who often ponder the classic ‘what if…。’ question， will love this novel。⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️#uitdieperdsebekJonathan Ball Publishers 。。。more
Mia Holland
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An endurance read rather than enjoyable， I couldn’t wait to finish it and have done。
Karen Huxtable
，
Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for my invitation to the tour and to Zaffre books for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review。Set in 1840 the story begins with shocking occurrence which set the scene for the rest of the book， the story takes the reader to London where we meet Edward and Samuel and Edward’s wife Annie。 There is a rivalry between the two men who are both surgeons。 Annie has been trying for a child with Edward and is desperate to make this wish come true Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for my invitation to the tour and to Zaffre books for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review。Set in 1840 the story begins with shocking occurrence which set the scene for the rest of the book， the story takes the reader to London where we meet Edward and Samuel and Edward’s wife Annie。 There is a rivalry between the two men who are both surgeons。 Annie has been trying for a child with Edward and is desperate to make this wish come true。 Edward is also desperate for success and one day he is given the chance to accomplish the fame he craves。The book is very much of its time， women are oppressed and the men are very much in control。 The female characters are complex， strong and brave。 The women all have interesting back stories and I loved Mary， Etta and Natalya and how their characters develop throughout the story。 It is a dark read in places， and I loved Natalya’s fairy stories and Mary’s pursuit to be a writer。 This is really gripping read， intricate an historical read with clever storytelling that draws the story to its conclusion。 。。。more
Georgie
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I love a bit of historical fiction mixed with an element of fantasy so the gifts was right up my street。 Liz managed to suck me into victorian London with her language and warmed me to her female characters， who were fierce and independent despite being curtailed by the men surrounding them！
Alva
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A vivid， fantastical， poignant， sometimes disturbing debut novel for adults by Liz Hyder。 With a central theme of the unusual， we are plunged into Victorian London where we meet four women - fiery， determined， and challenged by the changes that befall them individually。 Little do they know how their lives will be dominated by Edward Meake who aims to finally make his name in the surgical world。 This is a fierce， dark story， relentless in its pounding of the imagination， to see these women， runni A vivid， fantastical， poignant， sometimes disturbing debut novel for adults by Liz Hyder。 With a central theme of the unusual， we are plunged into Victorian London where we meet four women - fiery， determined， and challenged by the changes that befall them individually。 Little do they know how their lives will be dominated by Edward Meake who aims to finally make his name in the surgical world。 This is a fierce， dark story， relentless in its pounding of the imagination， to see these women， running in their fight against society， yet powerless at the hands of Edward Meake。 There's a human element in the characters of Edward's wife Annie， Mary Ward， and in little Charlie Meckin。 This was not always an easy read but it was a challenging one， one that dug into this reader's psyche。 。。。more
Michelle Ryles
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I think The Gifts is a novel that we will be hearing about a lot this year， and rightly so。 The writing is beautiful， the plot is completely immersive and the finished copies （complete with illustrations） will be stunning。Through the character of surgeon Edward Meake， Liz Hyder has really captured the Victorian obsession with science and the workings of the human body。 So it's no wonder that Edward's interest is piqued when he hears rumours about the body of an angel being found in the Thames。 I I think The Gifts is a novel that we will be hearing about a lot this year， and rightly so。 The writing is beautiful， the plot is completely immersive and the finished copies （complete with illustrations） will be stunning。Through the character of surgeon Edward Meake， Liz Hyder has really captured the Victorian obsession with science and the workings of the human body。 So it's no wonder that Edward's interest is piqued when he hears rumours about the body of an angel being found in the Thames。 Intent on capturing and studying a live angel， Edward begins his quest to acquire the impossible: a live angel。It's both fascinating and horrifying to see the way that women were treated in the 19th century。 Not just the angels， who were treated as things rather than women， but Edward's wife Annie and budding writer Mary。 Annie is very much kept in the dark about her husband's work and Mary has to adopt a male pseudonym for her writing to be taken seriously。 I absolutely loved the character of Mary; she's bold， courageous and strong， especially when she's following a story。Although the story is completely immersive， I had difficulty getting into the rhythm of the book as most of the chapters are very short and they swap between the viewpoints of several characters。 I think the finished copy with illustrations will be better as it allows the reader to pause and absorb what they have just read。 I loved the newspaper articles that are scattered throughout the novel - it really brings the book to life。Haunting， powerful and mesmerising， The Gifts is an astonishing novel that combines historical and feminist fiction with a touch of the ethereal。I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Rachel
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This is an unusual book and very different from anything else I have read。 Set in the 19th century when superstition and an obsession with anything out of the ordinary was common place。 It opens with a young lady sprouting wings which is unusual in itself but before you have time to question what and why the story moves to London and 2 surgeons caught up in discovering all there is to know about the human body through dissection。 The book unfolds through a number of characters and it is difficul This is an unusual book and very different from anything else I have read。 Set in the 19th century when superstition and an obsession with anything out of the ordinary was common place。 It opens with a young lady sprouting wings which is unusual in itself but before you have time to question what and why the story moves to London and 2 surgeons caught up in discovering all there is to know about the human body through dissection。 The book unfolds through a number of characters and it is difficult to say anymore without giving the plot away。 An unusual book。 。。。more
Demelda Penkitty
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⁹In an age defined by men， it will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are 。 。 。October 1840。 A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders。Meanwhile， when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London， a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession， one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger 。 。 。This was a ⁹In an age defined by men， it will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are 。 。 。October 1840。 A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders。Meanwhile， when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London， a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession， one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger 。 。 。This was a fabulous read， a literary historical novel that has at its heart a wondrous， fantastical， transformation。 I absolutely loved it！I was completely swept away both in the writing and by the story。 The novel is told through the perspectives of five characters， four women and one man， and moves quickly between them。 Each of the five is assigned a symbol that appears as a small drawing at the start of their sections so there is never any confusion。 The story looks at the shifting spheres of science and religion， the relationship between humanity and the natural world as well as role of women in the patriarchal society of the day。 The writing was emersive and the history clearly well researched， characters that felt very real， perfect pace throughout and a story cleverly told， bringing all the threads together perfectly。 The book itself is beautifully presented with a breathtaking cover and occasional delightful illustrations scattered throughout。 The print edition is finished off with a bibliography， suggested questions for reading groups， and a note from the author on the inspirations for ‘The Gifts’。A haunting and atmospheric tale。 Highly recommended 。。。more
Tillymintball
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A wonderful cautionary tale set in the 1840s with relatable， likeable characters and an authentic atmosphere。 The author has created a well-crafted novel which captivates the reader and transports you to a different and more unsophisticated era。 I couldn't put it down - definitely an angel delight！ A wonderful cautionary tale set in the 1840s with relatable， likeable characters and an authentic atmosphere。 The author has created a well-crafted novel which captivates the reader and transports you to a different and more unsophisticated era。 I couldn't put it down - definitely an angel delight！ 。。。more
Paige
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Thank you to Manilla Press for the early review copy of The Gifts！ I really enjoyed The Gifts。 Told from several perspectives it starts with a hook and doesn't let you go until it is over。 This is a story that is both incredibly dark but told in such a way that the real darkness of the story never actually really comes to the surface。 We all know that back in the late 1800s the only way to learn medicine was through the use of real human bodies。 It's a part of history that is both somehow super Thank you to Manilla Press for the early review copy of The Gifts！ I really enjoyed The Gifts。 Told from several perspectives it starts with a hook and doesn't let you go until it is over。 This is a story that is both incredibly dark but told in such a way that the real darkness of the story never actually really comes to the surface。 We all know that back in the late 1800s the only way to learn medicine was through the use of real human bodies。 It's a part of history that is both somehow super creepy but we don't think too hard about。 Cue women with wings and a man who thinks he has discovered angels and the real dark side of this time really appears。 It had the capacity to be so much darker than the story ended up being and a part of me wishes that Liz Hyder had really sunk into the horror that the women were experiencing。 This book does not provide many answers。 I had so many questions at the end of the book and while I appreciate an open ending and the chance to form my own theories it felt like there was revelation that never quite came。 Instead the story is more about the women and what they go through at the hands of the man who finds them， or tracks them down。 I spent all of the book rooting for the women， and towards the end I really wasn't sure what was going to happen。 It became hard to put down as I just wanted to know what was going to happen。 Overall I did enjoy this book， but it just needed a little something more for me to truly love it。 It's a fascinating story and has some truly dark undercurrents that will have you questioning some things。 。。。more
Tiah
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My Book Bite for the Sunday Times: https://bit。ly/3I6mJ6K~And yet， are we not in our own way gods you and I， eh？~~Tomorrow is a new start。 Tomorrow is a new story。~~She had bared her soul with her stories， exposed her heart last night and been left with nothing in return。~~She has come to realise that the monsters in life are not the same as those in tale - they are far more dangerous。~ My Book Bite for the Sunday Times: https://bit。ly/3I6mJ6K~And yet， are we not in our own way gods you and I， eh？~~Tomorrow is a new start。 Tomorrow is a new story。~~She had bared her soul with her stories， exposed her heart last night and been left with nothing in return。~~She has come to realise that the monsters in life are not the same as those in tale - they are far more dangerous。~ 。。。more
Lucie Morningstar
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Victorian England， women finding their voices and the dark descent of a mad mind - as soon as I read the synopsis I bought a copy and made short work of it。 Every time I put it down， I had the need to pick it up again and continue reading。An enthralling story told through five different perspectives， four women and a doctor with high aspirations， it explores science， nature and religion， enlightenment， the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition。I enjoyed all the different chara Victorian England， women finding their voices and the dark descent of a mad mind - as soon as I read the synopsis I bought a copy and made short work of it。 Every time I put it down， I had the need to pick it up again and continue reading。An enthralling story told through five different perspectives， four women and a doctor with high aspirations， it explores science， nature and religion， enlightenment， the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition。I enjoyed all the different characters， and rooted for all four women equally。 The mix of heritage， social standing and personal circumstances gave a great view into other aspects of what also held back women at this time in history。 Whilst I would have enjoyed more explanations of how and why， the mystery didn't detract from the tale。Also， I would have enjoyed another male viewpoint in the mix。 Whilst there were other male characters we are introduced to， I wanted more from the 'madness' side of things。Overall， a brilliant tale and I will be looking out for more by Liz。 。。。more
Caroline Deacon
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What a wonderful book Full of surprises yet it flows smoothly towards the final satisfying ending
Annarella
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The Gifts is a multilayered and riveting story， a fascinating piece of historical fiction with elements of fantasy and gothic。There're multiple voices， there's the representation of a society and the inner patriarchalism of the Victorian age。The author did and excellent job in delivering plot and characters， the historical background is vivid， and the storytelling great。I can't wait to read another story by this author。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， a The Gifts is a multilayered and riveting story， a fascinating piece of historical fiction with elements of fantasy and gothic。There're multiple voices， there's the representation of a society and the inner patriarchalism of the Victorian age。The author did and excellent job in delivering plot and characters， the historical background is vivid， and the storytelling great。I can't wait to read another story by this author。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Karly
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Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK， Manilla Press for an eARC of 'The Gifts' by Liz Hyder。I really enjoyed this historical fantasy， and was drawn in by the beautiful cover and synopsis。 Initially， I found it quite hard to get into as there are many different characters to follow， and at the start of the book it took me a while to familiarize myself with them。 However once I got more into the book and got to know the characters and stories more， I could not put it down， and grew to love Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK， Manilla Press for an eARC of 'The Gifts' by Liz Hyder。I really enjoyed this historical fantasy， and was drawn in by the beautiful cover and synopsis。 Initially， I found it quite hard to get into as there are many different characters to follow， and at the start of the book it took me a while to familiarize myself with them。 However once I got more into the book and got to know the characters and stories more， I could not put it down， and grew to love the main female characters of this book。'The Gifts' is set in 1840's Victorian England， and follows four very talented women， Annie， an artist and wife of Edward Meake， a power hungry surgeon， Etta， a botanist， Mary， a writer， and Natalya， a storyteller， whose stories I adored。It explores some important themes， such as abuse， religion， class， and nature， and I would highly recommend。 。。。more
Kat
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 It’s …fine。 The split narrative means that not enough time is spent with each character to really understand who they are as a fully formed character。 The most formed was Edward， who I did find unpleasant to read in the way he was intended to be unpleasant and creepy to read - and the creeping anxiety it was to watch him bet more and more on jam tomorrow。 I would have liked more on the actual nature of the wings to be honest more than edward’s obsession about them， and more about the poor body i It’s …fine。 The split narrative means that not enough time is spent with each character to really understand who they are as a fully formed character。 The most formed was Edward， who I did find unpleasant to read in the way he was intended to be unpleasant and creepy to read - and the creeping anxiety it was to watch him bet more and more on jam tomorrow。 I would have liked more on the actual nature of the wings to be honest more than edward’s obsession about them， and more about the poor body in the river。 For me， mostly the thing I found most jarring was that the Etta and Natalya that were imprisoned were completely different characters the the Etta and Natalya who we had seen before that point。 Before， Etta is a social recluse with little companionship who is in botany letter arguments and yet on capture she is serene and graceful， manipulative and calculating。 Natalya is a maternal and helpful woman who loves folk stories but is a hellcat going forward。 I did enjoy this book， and I think I’m writing negatively because it teeters so close to being excellent but something doesn’t quite land。I liked that each perspective character had their own chapter symbol。It’s the sort of book that reading it - I feel is almost better suited to something like a BBC 3-part adaptation？ 。。。more
KtotheC
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When I saw the blurb for this book I was intrigued and was expecting somewhat of a different story。 I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning and the ending was satisfying。 However， I do think it lost its way slightly in the middle。 That could just be me though。We follow several characters and I have to say I liked spending time with Mary the most。 She was a charming character and， for me， the heart of the novel。 I was interested to see how the stories would connect， were they to do so as I assumed。 Th When I saw the blurb for this book I was intrigued and was expecting somewhat of a different story。 I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning and the ending was satisfying。 However， I do think it lost its way slightly in the middle。 That could just be me though。We follow several characters and I have to say I liked spending time with Mary the most。 She was a charming character and， for me， the heart of the novel。 I was interested to see how the stories would connect， were they to do so as I assumed。 This is quite cleverly done。There is a rather fantastical element to the story but apart from this one particular part the rest is grounded firmly in realism。 I did expect slightly more magical realism going in。 Once I realised that it wasn't to be that sort of story I did find this compelling and satisfying。My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jen
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5🌟
Erin
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Hmph！ I'd been looking forward to this one for ages， but it ended up being badly written。 The plot only got its oomph at 70% and even then， it fizzled out again towards the floppiest of conclusions。 I was generally disinterested the whole way through。 It's a bad state of affairs when， in the final chapters， I still couldn't differentiate between the insipid cast of characters: Annie/Mary， is there someone called Sarah？ Richard/Edward/Charles or Charlie。。。 It doesn't help that they have been give Hmph！ I'd been looking forward to this one for ages， but it ended up being badly written。 The plot only got its oomph at 70% and even then， it fizzled out again towards the floppiest of conclusions。 I was generally disinterested the whole way through。 It's a bad state of affairs when， in the final chapters， I still couldn't differentiate between the insipid cast of characters: Annie/Mary， is there someone called Sarah？ Richard/Edward/Charles or Charlie。。。 It doesn't help that they have been given the most bland names， I suppose。 This was a real disappointment for me， I'm afraid。 Too much 'tell'， not enough 'show'; Chekhov would not have been pleased。 。。。more
Claire Simons
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Intriguing and wondrously written。Left the real world and shared events and characters in historical London。 Loved it。。。wait for the next book by the Author。
Hannah
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Read through netgalley for an honest review。This one took me a while to get into but I’m glad I stuck with it。 It’s the story of 4 different women really and reminded me of “the rabbit queen” in a number of ways。 I liked the premise of the story and found myself excited to finish reading。 Would recommend and 4 stars for the slow and slightly confusing star。
Salmarambles
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My rating reflects my enjoyment of a given book and not what I believe to be its "value"。 This book left me rather perplex。 There were extremely interesting and heart wrenching elements mixed in with mass appealing PC bits of mediocrity。 It hurts me to say that these are my thoughts because for some reason I don't want to hurt the feelings of the author on the off chance that they might read this review。 I always feel awful when I have harsh things to see about a book which has truly brilliant a My rating reflects my enjoyment of a given book and not what I believe to be its "value"。 This book left me rather perplex。 There were extremely interesting and heart wrenching elements mixed in with mass appealing PC bits of mediocrity。 It hurts me to say that these are my thoughts because for some reason I don't want to hurt the feelings of the author on the off chance that they might read this review。 I always feel awful when I have harsh things to see about a book which has truly brilliant and moving elements which I believe for my tastes are obscured by nonsensical "fodder"。 The depiction of violence against women， the psychological portrait of Edward， the rise of domestic abuse， religious fanaticism， the roots of racism in the othering and objectifying of others were exquisitely portayed。 The story line of Edward and Annie was simply spot on and carried the book。 The characterization of Natalya， how truly complex she was， her rebelious character was brilliantly written。 She is both wounded and strong， rash and rational， you really empathize with her。 You understand the reasons for her pain， her suffering and rejection of society's norms and constraints。 She is not your run of the mill "strong female character" which has become the modern day equivalent of the "romantic fragile" female character archetype。 Her strength， complexity stems from a backstory we get to know and comprehend。 However the rest felt like fodder。 The trope of the rebellious victorian young girl dressing up as a man and defying society in a very stereotypical and infantile manner felt pretty exhausted and cliché。 The character of Mary running around with attaching albeit shallowly portaryed Charlie was very reminiscent of Philipp Pullman's character Sally Lockhart in the Ruby and the Smoke， a watered down version of a rather complex character。 The whole Mary plot was rather useless。 Nothing really happened to serve the main plot， basically you already knew what she was investigating because the reader was always placed one step ahead of her。 So her viewpoint chapters added nothing new to the main intrigue。 Her side story was rather boring and felt like an excuse to add some PC stuffing in a victorian context。 By the end I was skipping her chapters altogether and basically that didn't modify much to my understanding of the plot。 The book would have benefitted a lot from removing the character of Mary altogether and focusing more on Etta and Natalya。 It would have made for a much more heart wrenching and moving book and made this novel breach its full potential。 This is of course only my opinion and I understand that it may be extremely flawed。 It's always tricky to honestly review a book one has such polarized and mixed feelings about。 I was really touched by the parts of this book I enjoyed but the parts I didn't， the parts that felt like pandering to modern day litterary fashion really did detract from what makes this work so special。 But perhaps that is what's necessary such a book to sell and be successful these days and therefore it may very well be worth it。 Sincerely， who am I to know better ？ （this last bit really isn't ironic）。 。。。more
Ruth
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This is a novel based on a slightly bizarre concept - in the mid-nineteenth century， a number of women grow wings。 In an age of scientific discovery also still heavily influenced by religious beliefs， this piques the interest of doctors and captures the public imagination。 The story is narrated in short vignettes， alternating between the voices of the two women with wings， a feisty would-be female journalist， and the wife of the surgeon who sees an opportunity to achieve fame and fortune by expl This is a novel based on a slightly bizarre concept - in the mid-nineteenth century， a number of women grow wings。 In an age of scientific discovery also still heavily influenced by religious beliefs， this piques the interest of doctors and captures the public imagination。 The story is narrated in short vignettes， alternating between the voices of the two women with wings， a feisty would-be female journalist， and the wife of the surgeon who sees an opportunity to achieve fame and fortune by exploiting the winged women， the ‘gifts’ of the title， sent to him by God。This is Liz Hyder’s first adult novel， and the style is more like that of a YA novel - short sections， quite a lot of telling not showing， just slightly overstated generally。 Some interesting themes are explored， but very clunkily - male arrogance， overweening pride， an assumption that women are inferior， and in amongst that， an emergence of female independence and the beginning of a change in some men’s attitudes towards that。 But the juxtapositions are rather clumsy and simplistic， the wings are never explained， the characters are not very well developed。 I did not really find this a satisfying read。 。。。more
Nicole Sweeney
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The Gifts is a beautiful and engrossing tale set in October 1840。 When a young woman finds a pair of wings protruding from her back， rumours of a fallen angel begin to take London by storm。 When a surgeon finds the most unbelievable corpse， he believes this will be the making of the fame and fortune he has always dreamt of。 As the obsession grips him tighter， he goes in search of others like the corpse， threatening the lives of those he seeks。The Gifts has quite a mysterious synopsis so I wasn’t The Gifts is a beautiful and engrossing tale set in October 1840。 When a young woman finds a pair of wings protruding from her back， rumours of a fallen angel begin to take London by storm。 When a surgeon finds the most unbelievable corpse， he believes this will be the making of the fame and fortune he has always dreamt of。 As the obsession grips him tighter， he goes in search of others like the corpse， threatening the lives of those he seeks。The Gifts has quite a mysterious synopsis so I wasn’t really sure what to expect going in。 I won’t say much about the plot – this is definitely one of those books that it’s best to go in knowing nothing。 Early on in the story， I was hooked and I raced through the book in a few days。 Hyder has written a really engaging story， one I could not look away from。 It was well-paced and the sights and sounds of London really came to life。 I really enjoyed the blend of historical fiction and magical realism and felt it was really well crafted。The Gifts has some really compelling characters and I grew really invested in the story of these women。 The story focuses in on the treatment of women and is at times quite hard-hitting。 The multiple perspectives in this book were also well crafted。 Rarely do I find a book where I enjoy all the points of view equally， but I was eager to see what was going to happen to all the characters in this one。 The Gifts is a dark and addictive read – in particular the short chapters had me turning pages faster and faster， desperate to know how it was all going to end。 If you’re looking for a story that will have you hooked right until the very last sentence， The Gifts should definitely be your next read。 。。。more
Mary Picken
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I am woman; hear me roar。 Liz Hyder’s scintillating novel is set in the past but has tremendous resonance for today。 I loved her YA book， Bearmouth， but with The Gifts， Hyder has excelled herself， using her love of nature and science to create a magnificent book that is both elemental and profound。The Gifts is about the importance of nature and treasuring your environment and at the same time it is a feminist cry。 Set in nineteenth century London， amid the male medical fraternity， it shows us in I am woman; hear me roar。 Liz Hyder’s scintillating novel is set in the past but has tremendous resonance for today。 I loved her YA book， Bearmouth， but with The Gifts， Hyder has excelled herself， using her love of nature and science to create a magnificent book that is both elemental and profound。The Gifts is about the importance of nature and treasuring your environment and at the same time it is a feminist cry。 Set in nineteenth century London， amid the male medical fraternity， it shows us in illuminating fashion just how vainglorious men can be and how ambition and vanity can come together with the dominant ideology of the patriarchy to create monsters。The Gifts is told from the perspective of 5 women。 Mary is a journalist， scraping a living and supplementing her income by sewing buttons onto card。 Etta is an outcast in her own home。 Spurned by her half-brother， she is sent to live in the grounds of her Shropshire home where she studies and documents the nature and wildlife around her。 Stupidly supposing her work will be of value to the men who write learned tomes about such things， she finds that her sex militates against her observations being taken in any way seriously。 With her brown skin， she is already an outcast before her sex is taken into account。Natalya is grieving a profound loss; she is hurting to her very core and being so far away from home， she is lost and so very alone。 She seeks refuge in a place where everyone should feel safe， but houses of worship are no barrier to those whose god like aspirations drive them forward。Annie is a painter。 Married to Edward， she wants to see her husband succeed in his chosen profession as a surgeon and man of science， but Edward has more grandiose dreams; dreams that come to obsess and consume him until he loses all reason。There is one other woman who is lost almost before we begin， but it is she who begins our magical journey and becomes the catalyst for all that follows。Each of these women is gifted in different ways。 Each is an individual who has suffered because of who they are and what life has bestowed on them。 Their experience manifests itself in a glorious， stunning fashion。Liz Hyder creates a fascinating， repressive world that is both gothic and magical。 Her gift is for the best kind of storytelling and I was entranced。 I was wholly drawn into this world and I loved that as I read and heard these stories， it made me think about my own life and my relationship to the values that I hold close。Verdict: An immersive， spell-binding， propulsive story with fabulous characters that allows you to get wholly drawn into the story of their lives which makes the violence perpetrated against them all the more devastating。 This is a glorious book that combines historical fiction with magical realism and yet carries huge contemporary resonance。 I absolutely adored it and it is undoubtedly one of my books of the year。 Go and buy it。 I promise you won’t be disappointed。 。。。more
Becky
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In Victorian London， the story of the Angel of the Thames isn't a new one。 But when rumors begin to circulate about an actual angel being pulled from the river， everything changes。 Edward Meake is one of the few who knows the truth。 He was lucky enough to be called for when the body was recovered and he paid to take it home to his basement lab。 After careful study he has determined that the angel was in fact real。 Such a discovery would not only make his career， but he feels it is a sign from Go In Victorian London， the story of the Angel of the Thames isn't a new one。 But when rumors begin to circulate about an actual angel being pulled from the river， everything changes。 Edward Meake is one of the few who knows the truth。 He was lucky enough to be called for when the body was recovered and he paid to take it home to his basement lab。 After careful study he has determined that the angel was in fact real。 Such a discovery would not only make his career， but he feels it is a sign from God himself。 And yet， he keeps his artist wife， Annie， and everyone else completely in the dark。 Mary may not be a formal journalist—it is not yet a career open to women—but when she hears of the angel， she thinks there could be more to it than just rumor。 And she's lucky enough to stumble upon just the right source for key information。 But is it a farce and a waste of her time？ Or is there truth to the rumor after all？Hyder's novel is one of magic and wonder， but it's also one of pain and sadness。 And it highlights the treatment of women and the poor in Victorian London。 There are a lot of characters to wrap your head around in this one。 In addition to Edward， Annie and Mary， chapters alternate between a bevy of additional POV characters including: Richard， a journalist and close friend of Mary's family; Natalya， a woman kicked out of her own community and traveling to London to meet her cousin in hopes of a new start; Etta， a botanist whose brother has kicked her out of her childhood home; and a few additional side characters along the way as well。 The Gifts is a slow burn and it takes a while before the angel appears。 But it is incredibly engaging and atmospheric。 In no small part because so much time is spent letting the reader get to know each individual character。 It's the women in particular who drive the story。 Etta， Natalya， Mary， and Annie。 Etta comes from a comfortable background and lucky enough to be taken in， raised， and educated by her father after her mother died。 And yet， after her father passes away， her own half brother has little love for her。 She's relegated to a ramshackle cottage on the estate's grounds and given an allowance but little else。 In fact， she has to sneak into her father's home to borrow books from the expansive library！ Her passion is botany and she spends her time collecting seeds and cataloging plants with her faithful dog， Scout， by her side。 Natalya is a storyteller， a gift she learned from her grandmother。 She's exiled from her home， an island off the coast， and is determined to make a new start in London。 She's saved money by doing small jobs along the way and means to connect with her cousin who moved there years ago。 But when she arrives， she finds her cousin died in a workhouse。 With nothing and no one， she has to decide whether to try and make a life in London or leave。 And luck is not with her。 Mary and her Uncle Jos are barely scraping by after the death of her Uncle George。 But the return of their family friend and Jos's one time protege， Richard， is reason for excitement。 And when he begins to offer her writing jobs—real writing jobs of her own， not just finishing her uncle's papers when he's too inebriated to do so himself—things are truly looking up。 But it's precarious considering there are few jobs open to women at this time。 And journalism certainly isn't one of them！Annie loves her husband， Edward。 But after three years， they have yet to be blessed by the children she longs for。 And Edward has been increasingly losing himself in his work。 Work he keeps hidden in their basement and secret from his wife。 But Annie trained as an artist and has decided to throw herself back into painting as a way to pass the time and keep herself from worrying about her husband's spending habits。 She believes， wholeheartedly， that things will work out in the end。 And then there's the angel situation。 There is never any real explanation as to why women start sprouting wings。 And there's certainly no explanation as to why the particular women who do grow wings grow them in the first place。 They do ponder over this themselves， wondering if it's the fact that they're "wild" women with an appreciation of the natural world， but ultimately it's left to the reader to decide。 The Gifts is one of those reads that straddles the borders of fantasy and historical fiction， making it perfect for fans of both genres （and book clubs especially）。 Hyder's writing is excellent as a whole but it's her characters that make this a truly special read！ I am glad to have read their story and that the kept me company during yet another bout of super fun insomnia :） 。。。more
Liz Duggan
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A bit random but I really enjoyed it
Vivienne
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My thanks to Bonnier Books U。K。 Manilla Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Gifts’ by Liz Hyder in exchange for an honest review。This superb literary historical novel has at its heart a wondrous transformation。I found myself completely swept up in this fantastical tale right from its opening pages。 However， its plot is rather difficult to summarise， so only a few details。October 1840 and a young woman is wandering in a Shropshire forest gripped with sadness over the death of her canine compa My thanks to Bonnier Books U。K。 Manilla Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Gifts’ by Liz Hyder in exchange for an honest review。This superb literary historical novel has at its heart a wondrous transformation。I found myself completely swept up in this fantastical tale right from its opening pages。 However， its plot is rather difficult to summarise， so only a few details。October 1840 and a young woman is wandering in a Shropshire forest gripped with sadness over the death of her canine companion。 Without warning a huge pair of wings erupt from her shoulders。 She is confused but then is struck by a crossbow bolt！ We then are transported to London eight days previously。 Quite an opening！In London， there are rumours that the body of a 'fallen angel' was found in the Thames。 An ambitious surgeon， desperate to make a name for himself， is gripped by a dangerous obsession。 Desperate to find a live ‘specimen’ he is willing to do anything achieve his goal。 ‘The Gifts’ is told through the perspectives of five characters， four women and one man， and moves quickly between them。 Each of the five is assigned a symbol that appears as a small drawing at the start of their sections。 In the audiobook edition the narrator helpfully states the character’s name with each change of perspective。Liz Hyder utilises her historical backdrop of the nineteenth century to great effect。 The novel explores the shifting spheres of science and religion， the relationship between humanity and the natural world as well as role of women in the patriarchal society of the day。Although I loved this novel， I did find the narrative a bit fragmented due to the frequent point of view shifts。 Yet after a while I became used to this rhythm of movement。 The cover art was breathtaking and there are occasional illustrations scattered throughout。 The print edition is rounded out with a bibliography， suggested questions for reading groups， and a note from the author on the inspirations for ‘The Gifts’。 I fell in love with ‘The Gifts’ from the opening in the Shropshire woods through to its dramatic conclusion。 I found Liz Hyder’s writing beautiful and loved the imagery of these mysterious transformations。Definitely one of my books of the year。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Gifts
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Gifts&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Gifts&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0