Fayne
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- Create Date：2022-10-16 10:51:50
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ann-Marie MacDonald
- ISBN：0735276633
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Summary
A beloved writer returns with
a tale of science， magyk， love and identity。
In the late nineteenth century， Charlotte Bell is growing up at Fayne， a vast and lonely estate straddling the border between England and Scotland， where she has been kept from the world by her adoring father， Lord Henry Bell， owing to a mysterious condition。 Charlotte， strong and insatiably curious， revels in the moorlands， and has learned the treacherous and healing ways of the bog from the old hired man， Byrn， whose own origins are shrouded in mystery。 Her idyllic existence is shadowed by the magnificent portrait on the landing in Fayne House which depicts her mother， a beautiful Irish-American heiress， holding Charlotte's brother， Charles Bell。 Charlotte has grown up with the knowledge that her mother died in giving birth to her， and that her older brother， Charles， the long-awaited heir， died soon afterwards at the age of two。 When Charlotte's appetite for learning threatens to exceed the bounds of the estate， her father breaks with tradition and hires a tutor to teach his daughter "as you would my son， had I one。" But when Charlotte and her tutor's explorations of the bog turn up an unexpected artefact， her father announces he has arranged for her to be cured of her condition， and her world is upended。 Charlotte's passion for knowledge and adventure will take her to the bottom of family secrets and to the heart of her own identity。
In the late nineteenth century， Charlotte Bell is growing up at Fayne， a vast and lonely estate straddling the border between England and Scotland， where she has been kept from the world by her adoring father， Lord Henry Bell， owing to a mysterious condition。 Charlotte， strong and insatiably curious， revels in the moorlands， and has learned the treacherous and healing ways of the bog from the old hired man， Byrn， whose own origins are shrouded in mystery。 Her idyllic existence is shadowed by the magnificent portrait on the landing in Fayne House which depicts her mother， a beautiful Irish-American heiress， holding Charlotte's brother， Charles Bell。 Charlotte has grown up with the knowledge that her mother died in giving birth to her， and that her older brother， Charles， the long-awaited heir， died soon afterwards at the age of two。 When Charlotte's appetite for learning threatens to exceed the bounds of the estate， her father breaks with tradition and hires a tutor to teach his daughter "as you would my son， had I one。" But when Charlotte and her tutor's explorations of the bog turn up an unexpected artefact， her father announces he has arranged for her to be cured of her condition， and her world is upended。 Charlotte's passion for knowledge and adventure will take her to the bottom of family secrets and to the heart of her own identity。
Reviews
Ali Oppenlaender
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Where to begin？ Fayne is a magical， spell-binding masterpiece that is a tome of read at over 700-pages。 TBH， I shy away from books of that length for fear that I won’t be able to finish， but Reader， Fayne was the opposite， I was engrossed in the lyrical writing， setting and characters from page one。 Fayne by Canadian writer， Ann-Marie MacDonald is Victorian tale of gothic proportions with a blend of romanticism， magyk， feminism and science， that covers intense subject matter – infertility， infan Where to begin？ Fayne is a magical， spell-binding masterpiece that is a tome of read at over 700-pages。 TBH， I shy away from books of that length for fear that I won’t be able to finish， but Reader， Fayne was the opposite， I was engrossed in the lyrical writing， setting and characters from page one。 Fayne by Canadian writer， Ann-Marie MacDonald is Victorian tale of gothic proportions with a blend of romanticism， magyk， feminism and science， that covers intense subject matter – infertility， infant loss， sexual and gender identity， parent-child relationships， the role of a women， wife， mother， and more。 Set in the late nineteenth century， somewhere between Scotland and England on a vast moor， is the House of Fayne - a home full of family secrets。 Here lives Lord Henry， his twelve-year old daughter， Lady Charlotte Bell， along with the estate’s small staff and the ghosts of her late mother， who to Charlotte’s knowledge died giving child-birth to her， and her brother， Charles’， who died shortly after， at the age of two。 Charlotte is a precocious young girl， who is home-schooled by her bird-loving father， as her mysterious “condition” is not suitable for the harmful germs of the outside world。 With the desire of obtaining a university education in the hopes of becoming a Dr of Medicine， Charlotte’s father hires a tutor to teach his daughter as if she were his “son。” What follows is interwoven tale of one young person’s search for their true identity， a mother’s devotion to her child， a Baron who is trying to not live a life full of lies， a cruel aunt， and many other characters who all somehow connected to each other。 If the length doesn’t scare you， and if you’re a fan of Victorian gothic historical fiction， than Fayne is for you！ Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the advance copy。 。。。more
Lindsay Harris
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Wow。 This book was incredible。 Thank you to Net Galley for the Advanced copy。 I had no idea what to expect with this novel。 I had never read Ann-Marie MacDonald before。 I am a huge fan now。 This book is truly a masterpiece。 The writing was beautiful as were the themes and how everything ended。 IT took me a few chapters to get into the book as I had to adjust to the English being used。 But once I had a glimpse of what was going on， I could not wait to see how the plot would unfold。 The book is ab Wow。 This book was incredible。 Thank you to Net Galley for the Advanced copy。 I had no idea what to expect with this novel。 I had never read Ann-Marie MacDonald before。 I am a huge fan now。 This book is truly a masterpiece。 The writing was beautiful as were the themes and how everything ended。 IT took me a few chapters to get into the book as I had to adjust to the English being used。 But once I had a glimpse of what was going on， I could not wait to see how the plot would unfold。 The book is about Charlotte Bell and her family。 There are many twists and turns and surprises。 The characters are fantastical and so well developed。 I loved every minute of reading this book。 Please read this。 Please。 I am sad that it is over。 。。。more
Carol
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I loved this book。 Yes it was long， yes it was predictable at times， yes it was fantastical…。But mostly it was wonderful， magical， atmospheric and beautifully written。 It was full of yearning and emotion。 I was amazed at the cruelty and the kindness exhibited within。It took a few pages to grab me but when it did， I couldn’t get enough。 I am recommending it to all my reader friends！Thank you to NetGalley， Ann-Marie MacDonald and Penguin Random House Canada for the advanced copy to read and review I loved this book。 Yes it was long， yes it was predictable at times， yes it was fantastical…。But mostly it was wonderful， magical， atmospheric and beautifully written。 It was full of yearning and emotion。 I was amazed at the cruelty and the kindness exhibited within。It took a few pages to grab me but when it did， I couldn’t get enough。 I am recommending it to all my reader friends！Thank you to NetGalley， Ann-Marie MacDonald and Penguin Random House Canada for the advanced copy to read and review。 。。。more
OpenedBooks
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The book opens with a quote by Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim， a。k。a。 Paracelsus: “I am different。 Let this not upset you。” And having no insight at the beginning of the book， I come back at the end to fully understand this statement。 Full circle is what they call coming back to the origin， and here I am， back where I started but with brighter eyes， a fuller heart and a more open mind。 It’s as if I gained a lifetime of experiences throughout this 700+ pages book， and the The book opens with a quote by Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim， a。k。a。 Paracelsus: “I am different。 Let this not upset you。” And having no insight at the beginning of the book， I come back at the end to fully understand this statement。 Full circle is what they call coming back to the origin， and here I am， back where I started but with brighter eyes， a fuller heart and a more open mind。 It’s as if I gained a lifetime of experiences throughout this 700+ pages book， and thereby I’m forever grateful。We are welcomed to the world of Fayne， an estate owned by Lord Henry Bell of the DC de Fayne， which is adjacent to a mysterious moor – the Fen – in the late 19th century。 Following his daughter， The Honourable Charlotte Bell， on her treacherous journey to find her true identity。 Separated into seven parts， we learn how Charlotte came to be with the help of different perspectives of family， friends and servants。Even though this book is set in the late 19th century， it is more than relevant in its core to this date， as it embraces differences as something to be cherished rather than despised。I had a hard time at first finding my way around this book， but I didn’t give up， and I am glad I didn’t because even though I had expected something else， I am happy that this book led me on a completely different path。 It was more than worth it。It was an absolutely genius whirlwind of emotions。 I was in awe， in shock， in love， and I will be enriched for a very long time。 Every character had a richness to them， a multitude of facets that made me， at moments， want to embrace them and， other times， yell at them。 I basically became a member of the Fayne family。So let this book not upset you， for it is different… 。。。more
Doreen
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3。5 StarsI loved Ann-Marie MacDonald’s previous novels， particularly Fall on Your Knees and The Way the Crow Flies。 This one didn’t wow me as much， though I’m willing to admit that this is my second consecutive 700+page book so I might be fatigued。Charlotte Bell lives on the large estate known as Fayne on the English/Scottish border。 Her childhood has been without friends her own age; she has been kept isolated by her father， Lord Henry， because she has a mysterious illness which she has been to 3。5 StarsI loved Ann-Marie MacDonald’s previous novels， particularly Fall on Your Knees and The Way the Crow Flies。 This one didn’t wow me as much， though I’m willing to admit that this is my second consecutive 700+page book so I might be fatigued。Charlotte Bell lives on the large estate known as Fayne on the English/Scottish border。 Her childhood has been without friends her own age; she has been kept isolated by her father， Lord Henry， because she has a mysterious illness which she has been told leaves her “morbidly susceptible to germs。” Her mother died giving birth to Charlotte， and her older brother Charles， who would have been the heir to the estate and the title， died at the age of two。 Charlotte loves the bogs and moors and spends a great deal of time with Byrn， an old hired man who teaches her about the fen。 She also educates herself by reading through her father’s library， but for her twelfth birthday， her father gifts her a tutor。The arrival of that tutor changes her life。 She decides she wants to attend university， though that is not really an option for women in the late 19th century。 Her father takes her to Edinburgh for an examination which she assumes is the first step towards admission， but it turns out to be entirely different from what she foresees。 The treatment for her ailment is also something she never imagined。 Thus begins the unravelling of deep and dark family secrets。Charlotte is a very intelligent girl who knows “Latin， Logic， Rhetoric， and 。 。 。 a tolerable grasp of Greek，” but she is also naive; because she has been so sheltered， she misunderstands so much。 For instance， when she visits an area in Edinburgh known for its fallen women， she “scanned the street for a fallen woman， but all were upright。” There are also topics which are never discussed with her， so she has little understanding of her body and sexuality。 I did find myself at times wondering if such a perceptive and curious girl would not realize sooner what is really happening to her and around her。 The novel has dual time lines。 Charlotte’s story is interspersed with that of her mother。 Via flashbacks， we meet Lady Marie when she first meets Lord Henry who has been given strict instructions by his sister Clarissa to find a wife and produce an heir。 Unfortunately， this approach results in some repetition: the same event is repeated， though from the perspective of a different character。 There are a lot of plot twists， so readers shouldn’t read too many reviews of the book beforehand; some reviewers tend to divulge events and thereby lessen their impact on readers。 Some of the twists revolve around connections between characters which seem rather coincidental。 For instance， the mothers of two characters are revealed to be characters previously featured in the book。 Key discoveries are made so conveniently just in time。 Characters are developed in great detail and very realistically。 As I continued to read， my feelings about characters changed， as more and more was revealed。 A positive impression might not remain so and the same is true for characters who give a poor impression initially。 For both Lord Henry and Lady Marie， in particular， I felt various emotions。 Even for a villain， I could not but feel some sympathy because the reader is made privy to thoughts not openly expressed。 Given the time period， women were not able pursue dreams， and a life lived in a secondary role may cause bitterness。There are elements of magic realism which I didn’t appeal to me。 Likewise， the philosophical musings at the end of the book seem superfluous。 At 700+ pages， the book could use some trimming， and I don’t think the magic realism is needed to develop theme。 The book has a number of themes: role of women， gender and identity， and even humanity’s abuse of the earth。 The novel， therefore， is very relevant， despite its setting。 The main message for me is that we should accept and appreciate all of nature and nature’s creations。 One man says， “’Nature doesnae deal in mistakes so much as differences。’” The bird that Charlotte and her father create from bits and pieces of other birds serves as a symbol of our unwillingness to accept differences。 Lord Henry says， “’It is a chimera。 。 。 。 other birds would peck it to death’” and Charlotte feels “a pang of pathos at how the creature was innocent of its own monstrosity。” There is a great deal in this book to analyze and applaud。 Its examination of dualities alone is worthy of an essay。 Unfortunately， the book just felt too long for me。 As I stated at the beginning， I may have been suffering reader fatigue。 I certainly recommend the book to those who have enjoyed Ann-Marie MacDonald’s previous novels。Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley。Please check out my reader's blog （https://schatjesshelves。blogspot。com/） and follow me on Twitter （@DCYakabuski）。 。。。more
Nancy Miles
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Not yet available in the US？ Everyone listed as reading it must be in Canada or reading an early release version。
Erin Clemence
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Special thanks to NetGalley and the author for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: October 11， 2022 Charlotte Bell is the daughter of Lord Henry Bell， and as a result of an invisible yet deadly illness， she has been confined to the grounds of her family estate， Fayne。 Torn between England and Scotland， the grounds sit betwixt the two， belonging to both countries and neither。 Charlotte’s aunt， Clarissa， is determined th Special thanks to NetGalley and the author for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: October 11， 2022 Charlotte Bell is the daughter of Lord Henry Bell， and as a result of an invisible yet deadly illness， she has been confined to the grounds of her family estate， Fayne。 Torn between England and Scotland， the grounds sit betwixt the two， belonging to both countries and neither。 Charlotte’s aunt， Clarissa， is determined that Henry marry， so that the legacy of the Bell name and the ownership of Fayne， can be secured， as Charlotte， being a female， cannot inherit property。 Charlotte is desperate to travel to Edinburgh and study medicine， another dream denied her on the basis of sex， so instead， her father hires a tutor for her so that she may learn and study as if she were a boy。 However， when the tutor uncovers something mysterious about Charlotte， and the Bell family， Henry decides to take matters into his own hands and take care of the problem， before Charlotte realizes that it exists。 Ann Marie MacDonald is a Canadian author and playwright， and has some very powerful novels under her belt （“The Way the Crow Flies” being a favourite） and “Fayne” is destined to become another literary masterpiece。 Beautifully written， “Fayne” covers intense subject matter， including intricate parent-child relationships， infant loss and infertility， sex （both of the physical kind and the identification of a physical gender-and its related stereotypes） and for a historical novel， it holds extreme relevance and importance。 A beautifully atmospheric coming-of-age novel， “Fayne”’s pages are reminiscent of Jeffrey Eugenides’ “Middlesex”， and leaves just as much of an infallible mark。 The novel is long， divided into six parts， each narrated in the third person from the viewpoint of either Charlotte， or her mother， Mae。 The first sections focus on Charlotte’s development on the grounds of Fayne， raised by a single father， believing that her mother died in childbirth。 The middle portions have Mae taking over， where her struggles to procreate and produce an heir for Henry are forefront。 For a historical novel， MacDonald still manages to include a few delicious twists， and the latter sections of the novel alternate between both Mae and Charlotte， once their surprises have been outed。 This was a slow burn for me， but each turn of the page provided a deeper view of MacDonald’s characters， and the heartbreaking struggles they faced， both as females in the late nineteenth century， and as Bell’s。 “Fayne” setting was beautiful and lonely， as were its characters， and this was one of those novels I was glad to enjoy slowly。 。。。more
Amudha
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Thank you to NetGalley， Ann-Marie MacDonald。， and Penguin Random House Canada for my free eARC in exchange for an honest review。 Fayne is a whimsical and well-written book that took awhile for me to get into， which coupled with the fact that it was quite a long book made it a bit exhausting to read。 I did like this book in totality as I could appreciate the purpose of the length， the language and the need to create the setting but was personally not in love with it。 I do think， however， that thi Thank you to NetGalley， Ann-Marie MacDonald。， and Penguin Random House Canada for my free eARC in exchange for an honest review。 Fayne is a whimsical and well-written book that took awhile for me to get into， which coupled with the fact that it was quite a long book made it a bit exhausting to read。 I did like this book in totality as I could appreciate the purpose of the length， the language and the need to create the setting but was personally not in love with it。 I do think， however， that this book is worthy of praise and would not be surprised to see it be well regarded in its genre。 。。。more
Judy Odom
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4。5 stars rounded up。 Fayne will no doubt be a Book Club Selection and I would not be surprised if it was not nominated for some awards。The author slowly draws you into the story of Charlotte Bell but once you are drawn in you wont want to put this book down。 The story is long but it did not seem long as I was so captivated by Charlotte and her "mysterious disease" and her father who is more than controlling 。I loved the letters from her Mother that were interwoven into the story。This book is bo 4。5 stars rounded up。 Fayne will no doubt be a Book Club Selection and I would not be surprised if it was not nominated for some awards。The author slowly draws you into the story of Charlotte Bell but once you are drawn in you wont want to put this book down。 The story is long but it did not seem long as I was so captivated by Charlotte and her "mysterious disease" and her father who is more than controlling 。I loved the letters from her Mother that were interwoven into the story。This book is both magical and full of family secrets that will keep you turning those pages。 A must read。I certainly will be buying a hard copy 。 This is one book I could read again which I seldom do。 Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada， Knopf Canada for a captivating read 。。。more
Zena Ryder
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A book that I found both beautiful and engaging。 The main character， Charlotte Bell， will stick with me a long time。 I hope it's a huge hit when it's published later this month and that it wins All The Prizes。 It deserves to。Admittedly， the first three pages or so worried me， because I had to force myself to get through them。 They consisted of a fairly static description of the moor and architecture of the Fayne estate on the border of England and Scotland。 But as soon as I met Charlotte on the A book that I found both beautiful and engaging。 The main character， Charlotte Bell， will stick with me a long time。 I hope it's a huge hit when it's published later this month and that it wins All The Prizes。 It deserves to。Admittedly， the first three pages or so worried me， because I had to force myself to get through them。 They consisted of a fairly static description of the moor and architecture of the Fayne estate on the border of England and Scotland。 But as soon as I met Charlotte on the next page， I was hooked！ I absolutely LOVE this character and MacDonald does such a wonderful job of creating a powerful， unique， vivid voice for 12-year-old Charlotte。 I was immersed in Charlotte’s way of experiencing and thinking about her world — which is Fayne in the 1880s， its household， her father， and his books。（Another book I read recently that also nailed this mysterious voice thing was Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being。 The character of Nao is also unique and vivid。）Because I loved Charlotte so much， I was a tad disappointed to switch to the point of view of Mae， her mother， a bit later in the book。 But Mae’s voice was distinct and skilfully done too。 In the novel， there are lots of perspective changes， shifts between first and third person， and between past and present tense。 But it’s never confusing。 MacDonald is a confident writer， and takes the reader in hand as we gladly follow her through the treacherous moor。Fayne — the moor and the house — is so well-evoked that it feels like another character in the story。 To my mind， a rather creepy one， but I could also understand and appreciate Charlotte’s love for the place。 To achieve both feelings at once in the reader is in itself a huge accomplishment。The language of this book is beautiful and evocative of both the time and the place。 Some words are made up; some are archaic; the occasional one is dialect， Gaelic， or Doric Scots; some are simply adapted to suit MacDonald’s purpose。 All are wonderful。 （One of the adapted words I especially love is “a havoc of freshly fed children”。）Because I read an eBook， I didn’t realize until I looked it up afterwards that this is a long book （700+ pages on paper）。 It didn’t feel long to me。 It was entirely engrossing。 I think this is in large part due to the many plot reveals and twists。 It’s not a mystery， so it didn’t matter that I guessed some of them。 They all added to the rich texture and tangled feeling of the story， as the characters themselves gradually learn more about the family secrets and lies — or dig themselves into deeper holes as they try to keep them hidden…（See my review of A Tale for the Time Being here。）*Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advance reader copy， in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Krissy
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Thank you to Netgalley， Penguin Random House Canada， and Knopf Canada for an eARC copyIn this one of a kind story， with spot on atmosphere， a dual timeline， and characters you love and hate at the drop of the hat， get ready to enter the moorlands of FayneCharlotte has grown up in isolation on her family estate with her father under the impression she is being kept from the world due to a condition。 Charlotte has grown up with the knowledge her older brother died young and her mother died in chil Thank you to Netgalley， Penguin Random House Canada， and Knopf Canada for an eARC copyIn this one of a kind story， with spot on atmosphere， a dual timeline， and characters you love and hate at the drop of the hat， get ready to enter the moorlands of FayneCharlotte has grown up in isolation on her family estate with her father under the impression she is being kept from the world due to a condition。 Charlotte has grown up with the knowledge her older brother died young and her mother died in childbirth。 Charlotte has always had a thirst for knowledge， but when her determination steers her in the direction of what happened all those years ago to the other half of her family， secrets and a web of lies begins to unravel。 This is my first Ann-Marie MacDonald， and I throughly enjoyed it。 It was the perfect read for fall， and the atmosphere is this book was top notch。 The way the past and present intertwine， and the twist and turns this story took kept me hooked and eager to continue。 。。。more
Mary
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I have just closed the book on Fayne and am immediately beginning this review without having read any other reviews or information about the book。。。。my gut reaction: what a story！ And no wonder this is the first book in a long time from Ann-Marie MacDonald; this must have taken her YEARS to research and write。 Well done！It took about 20% to get into this book。 The language is extremely old， bordering on archaic with extensive use of Latin， Gaelic （I think） and old Scottish expressions。 The vocab I have just closed the book on Fayne and am immediately beginning this review without having read any other reviews or information about the book。。。。my gut reaction: what a story！ And no wonder this is the first book in a long time from Ann-Marie MacDonald; this must have taken her YEARS to research and write。 Well done！It took about 20% to get into this book。 The language is extremely old， bordering on archaic with extensive use of Latin， Gaelic （I think） and old Scottish expressions。 The vocabulary throughout the book is very advanced。 I will usually skip over a word I don’t recognize， getting the meaning from the context。 Not always possible to do in this book – I used the dictionary multiple times。 We realize how English has evolved as a language。 The writing style seemed very true to its time period setting。The time setting started out around 1885， but it took many pages for me to figure that out！ 12 year old Charlotte Bell lives with her widowed father Lord Henry Bell on 12000 acre estate called Fayne， that divides the border between England and Scotland。 Charlotte’s mother died giving birth to her， and her brother Charles died shortly after at the age of 2。 Charlotte has had a reclusive upbringing， because of her mysterious Condition which has precluded her from attending school or socializing with others。 The story moves forward from that point， and then also goes back to Lord Henry’s marriage to Irish/American Marie Corcoran。 The dual time line is at times confusing， and is also repetitive， because events are repeated from different viewpoints。 This is a long book and not a quick read， but I always looked forward to picking it up and immersing myself in Fayne。 By the time I was at 50%， I was completely engaged。 I did have to go back to review some of the details in the beginning chapters， which may have been easier to do with a paper book。 The characters in this story became so real for me。 Although I did not always agree with the choices they made， I feel the author did an outstanding job of creating characters who acted according to the time period in which they lived。I would love to give my opinion on some of the subject matter， character development and plot points in this story， but at risk of spoiling it， I will only say to future readers: go in with a very open mind to read a book that touches on many social conditions and conflicts。 There is also a thread of magic or old world beliefs throughout the story which lends itself delightfully to the setting in the countryside of Scotland。 The parts of the story that are set in Edinburgh also give a very strong sense of place。 A strong 4 star rating from me。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Russeller
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Received as an ARC through NetGalley。Interesting story， exquisite word play， engaging characters。 Perhaps a bit long。
Rose
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I have just finished reading Fayne by Author Ann-Marie MacDonald。This is a beautifully written book， with the words feeling almost magical and whimsical。 This is an author who can really tell a story。 It takes place in the late nineteenth century on a vast property between England and Scotland in the moorlands。The prose makes you feel like you are in the setting while reading it。Charlotte Bell is growing up at Fayne， which is a lonely large estate with her father， Lord Henry Bell。 It is a ver I have just finished reading Fayne by Author Ann-Marie MacDonald。This is a beautifully written book， with the words feeling almost magical and whimsical。 This is an author who can really tell a story。 It takes place in the late nineteenth century on a vast property between England and Scotland in the moorlands。The prose makes you feel like you are in the setting while reading it。Charlotte Bell is growing up at Fayne， which is a lonely large estate with her father， Lord Henry Bell。 It is a very secluded life for the young girl， who is sheltered from life outside of the estate。 Charlotte’s mother and infant brother have died， and young Charlotte has a brightness about her and a longing to go to school and become a doctor。Her father brings on a tutor to teach her daughter， and it is an uncommon tradition of teaching girls。 She takes to learning and has great ambitions。This is an extremely long book and commanded a great deal of my time to finish， at over 700 pages。I did like this book， and the Author’s words， but was not in love with it to be all right with the length of it。I do however think this book will be enjoyed by many readers。Thank you to NetGalley， Author Ann-Marie MacDonald。， and Penguin Random House Canada for my advanced copy to read and review。#netgalley 。。。more
Lisa Goodmurphy
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I loved this sweeping late 19th century story of Charlotte Bell and Fayne - the estate in the moorlands on the border of England and Scotland that has been in her family for centuries。 At the novel's beginning， Charlotte is about to turn 12 and has lived her life thus far in isolation on the estate with her father， Lord Henry Bell， presumably due to some mysterious "Condition" that she has。 Charlotte's mother died in childbirth and her older brother who was the heir to the estate died shortly af I loved this sweeping late 19th century story of Charlotte Bell and Fayne - the estate in the moorlands on the border of England and Scotland that has been in her family for centuries。 At the novel's beginning， Charlotte is about to turn 12 and has lived her life thus far in isolation on the estate with her father， Lord Henry Bell， presumably due to some mysterious "Condition" that she has。 Charlotte's mother died in childbirth and her older brother who was the heir to the estate died shortly after at the age of 2。 Charlotte is an intelligent and curious child who has educated herself by reading through her father's extensive library。 Although it is unheard of at the time for a girl to receive a proper education， Lord Henry arranges for a tutor to come to Fayne and instructs this tutor to "teach my daughter as you would my son， if I had one"。 The arrival of the tutor sets into motion many changes for Charlotte and her father including their departure from Fayne to Edinburgh where Charlotte hopes to be admitted to medical school while her father intends to consult a doctor about her condition。 The narrative also alternates between Charlotte's first person account and a third person telling of the story from the point of view of her mother Lady Marie Bell beginning with her introduction to Lord Henry。If Fayne hadn't been 700+ pages， I would have devoured it in one sitting - definitely worth the time it takes to read！ The novel is atmospheric and full of twists， includes some magical realism and addresses many themes including gender and identity and the lack of women's rights at the time。 I read nothing about the plot of Fayne before I started reading and that is what I would recommend - I would not have wanted to have even a hint ahead of time of the surprises and twists that Fayne held in store。 A wonderful and highly recommended read if you're in the mood for a literary novel！！Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
The Starry Library
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Fayne is an epic story that explores nature- both touched and untouched。 Themes surrounding the transformative aspects of nature and its impossibilities are explored in this book。 It's a very long read that requires patience as it can feel overwrought with details and dialogue that makes it boring at times。 The story starts off with Charlotte Bell and her isolated upbringing on her family estate Fayne。 This was my favourite part of the story as the author described the enchanting landscapes and Fayne is an epic story that explores nature- both touched and untouched。 Themes surrounding the transformative aspects of nature and its impossibilities are explored in this book。 It's a very long read that requires patience as it can feel overwrought with details and dialogue that makes it boring at times。 The story starts off with Charlotte Bell and her isolated upbringing on her family estate Fayne。 This was my favourite part of the story as the author described the enchanting landscapes and environment of the mystical bog and land in a spellbinding way。 Charlotte is young， perceptive， curious， and intelligent but harbouring an unusual secret that she is not aware of。 The subsequent parts of the book focus on Charlotte's parents and the shocking truth about Charlotte that will have devastating consequences for the family， Health， medicine， and gender collide in difficult ways for the Bell's which leads back to the mysterious bog at Fayne。 I wasn't expecting the story to be about a reproductive anomaly but it was interesting nonetheless。 Charlotte was a brave and admirable character who lived a successful life despite her challenges。 Nature is infinite and no two things are alike， but if we can appreciate the beauty of the earth， that means we should attempt to appreciate the beauty of all of earth's creations。Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Maria
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Rarely did I come across a book that enchanted and invited me into its magical embrace to the extent Fayne did！ The book is introduced as 'a tale of science， magyk， love and identity'。 It is that， but much， much more。 The heroes are Charlotte and Fayne， both hidden from public scrutiny， slowly revealing their secrets and both becoming what they were always meant to be。 The overtly overarching theme is Charlotte's 'Condition'， seemingly unknown to all but her father， even Charlotte herself - but Rarely did I come across a book that enchanted and invited me into its magical embrace to the extent Fayne did！ The book is introduced as 'a tale of science， magyk， love and identity'。 It is that， but much， much more。 The heroes are Charlotte and Fayne， both hidden from public scrutiny， slowly revealing their secrets and both becoming what they were always meant to be。 The overtly overarching theme is Charlotte's 'Condition'， seemingly unknown to all but her father， even Charlotte herself - but then， it might not exist at all。。。 Until we learn of its nature， bit by astonishing bit; until we learn of its all-encompassing importance and its power to destroy not only Charlotte， but all those around her; a power derived solely from the picture society created of itself。 The characters are unique and alive in all their happiness， exuberance， despair， denial， selfishness， pain， or neglectful indifference， and the prose to achieve this effect is exquisite。 Just one example of a letter: 'Dear X， It was a girl。 Dead。' What a mountain of despair in those five words！ In spite of the slow start and the very end that fizzles out into an condensed overview of Charlotte's old age， provisions for Fayne， and philosophical musings， all of which I thought somewhat superfluous， this book enriched me and made me reflect on the human condition apart from providing wonderful entertainment。 My thanks go to NetGalley， publishers， and author for granting me an eARC of this book and the opportunity to write an unbiased， voluntary review。 。。。more
Laurie Burns
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"And it occurred to me that memory is shaped not merely by events and their retention， but also by the telling， and by the listening。 Thereby， too， is shaped the future。" A large， sweeping tale that needs reading。There are twists and turns and plenty of surprise， but I dare not tell you all of it。The language is difficult （old， Scottish， Irish） and I had to stop a lot， but oh， oh it is worth it。 A sweeping and magical tale。 "And it occurred to me that memory is shaped not merely by events and their retention， but also by the telling， and by the listening。 Thereby， too， is shaped the future。" A large， sweeping tale that needs reading。There are twists and turns and plenty of surprise， but I dare not tell you all of it。The language is difficult （old， Scottish， Irish） and I had to stop a lot， but oh， oh it is worth it。 A sweeping and magical tale。 。。。more
Linda
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This is an epic book。 There are so many twists that even as I'd start to wonder if certain things were possible， they came as a surprise if those things were true （that happened a few times）。 The twist at the end was completely unexpected， though。I loved that Fayne felt like another character in a book of exceptional characters。 You really feel for Charlotte as her world gets turned upside down and she goes from freedom and exploration， a delight for learning and growth to the realities of a Vic This is an epic book。 There are so many twists that even as I'd start to wonder if certain things were possible， they came as a surprise if those things were true （that happened a few times）。 The twist at the end was completely unexpected， though。I loved that Fayne felt like another character in a book of exceptional characters。 You really feel for Charlotte as her world gets turned upside down and she goes from freedom and exploration， a delight for learning and growth to the realities of a Victorian woman， trussed up in skirts and unable to persue her own dreams and ideas。 But there is so much more to her story than just the constraints against women of her time。This book is as deep and rich as the bogs surrounding Fayne。 As full of disputed areas as the Disputed County of Fayne。 Just a brilliant book all around。 。。。more
Lara Kleinschroth
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I finished this book a few days ago and have needed time to digest and let it settle in my brain a bit。 I had a very visceral reaction， both while reading and getting thoroughly sucked in as though the bogs of Fayne themselves were pulling me， but also upon finishing。 I can’t remember the last time a book has had such an incredible impact。 Set in the borderlands straddling England and Scotland in the 1880’s， MacDonald’s style， vocabulary and imagery were， to me， evocative of Charlotte Brontë and I finished this book a few days ago and have needed time to digest and let it settle in my brain a bit。 I had a very visceral reaction， both while reading and getting thoroughly sucked in as though the bogs of Fayne themselves were pulling me， but also upon finishing。 I can’t remember the last time a book has had such an incredible impact。 Set in the borderlands straddling England and Scotland in the 1880’s， MacDonald’s style， vocabulary and imagery were， to me， evocative of Charlotte Brontë and Wilkie Collins。 A gothic， sweeping saga with themes of duality and the in between… the setting in the borderlands， old， crumbling， archaic vs new and modern， science and magyk， male and female， old world and new world， hidden and known， education and naïveté， youth and age… An astonishing absolute must read， one of the most brilliantly crafted works of fiction I’ve read in years。 Best book of at least the year， most likely the decade， quite possibly the century。 。。。more
Kira Ogilvie
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I adore Ann-Marie Macdonald。 This I know to be true。 Fayne was no exception to my adoration。 The book starts off slowly， focusing on a young girl living with her father in an estate bordering England and Scotland。 Lots of descriptions of books， bogs， and Latin translations。 At first I was struggling a bit to get into the story but I'm so glad I kept going because I was fully absorbed and by the end I did not want it to be over。 Macdonald continues to delight and make me weep。 Thank you to the pu I adore Ann-Marie Macdonald。 This I know to be true。 Fayne was no exception to my adoration。 The book starts off slowly， focusing on a young girl living with her father in an estate bordering England and Scotland。 Lots of descriptions of books， bogs， and Latin translations。 At first I was struggling a bit to get into the story but I'm so glad I kept going because I was fully absorbed and by the end I did not want it to be over。 Macdonald continues to delight and make me weep。 Thank you to the publishers and net galley for the e-arc。 。。。more
Diane Merritt
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A beautifly crafted piece of wonderful words put together to create a charming and wonderful story。 Took me on and off reading this as was long。 9 hrs。。but well worth letting yourself take it all In and enjoying it。Thanks to the author， the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book
=^。^= Janet =^。^=
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Publication date: October 11， 2022Thank you to NetGalley， the author， and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book。 （FTC compliance met with this statement。） This in no way affects my review， all opinions are my own， are not a result of compensation and may be affected by the fact that I currently have nothing better to do than read multiple books a day as you would be AMAZED at how much reading you can get done when you are up 90% of the night Publication date: October 11， 2022Thank you to NetGalley， the author， and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book。 （FTC compliance met with this statement。） This in no way affects my review， all opinions are my own， are not a result of compensation and may be affected by the fact that I currently have nothing better to do than read multiple books a day as you would be AMAZED at how much reading you can get done when you are up 90% of the night due to anxiety！SYNOPSIS*****************A beloved writer returns with a tale of science， magyk， love and identity。In the late nineteenth century， Charlotte Bell is growing up at Fayne， a vast and lonely estate straddling the border between England and Scotland， where she has been kept from the world by her adoring father， Lord Henry Bell， owing to a mysterious condition。 Charlotte， strong and insatiably curious， revels in the moorlands and has learned the treacherous and healing ways of the bog from the old hired man， Byrn， whose own origins are shrouded in mystery。 Her idyllic existence is shadowed by the magnificent portrait on the landing in Fayne House which depicts her mother， a beautiful Irish-American heiress， holding Charlotte’s brother， Charles Bell。 Charlotte has grown up with the knowledge that her mother died in giving birth to her， and that her older brother， Charles， the long-awaited heir， died soon afterwards at the age of two。 When Charlotte’s appetite for learning threatens to exceed the bounds of the estate， her father breaks with tradition and hires a tutor to teach his daughter “as you would my son， had I one。” But when Charlotte and her tutor’s explorations of the bog turn up an unexpected artefact， her father announces he has arranged for her to be cured of her condition， and her world is upended。 Charlotte’s passion for knowledge and adventure will take her to the bottom of family secrets and to the heart of her own identity。I have been reading a fellow librarian's ARC of this book for weeks and weeks now 。。。 like all of Miss MacDonald's books it is excellently crafted and presented but it was way too long --- it never seemed to get to the point。 It danced around and around and around and I finally gave up as it could not hold my interest。 Of course， as a Canadian， this may get me shamed but I don't like Margaret Atwood either。 I LOVED "As the Crow Flies" but this book was decidedly not my cuppa but it might be yours。， Sometimes honestly backfires and one is not required to love Can-Lit even if the book club set will undoubtedly adore this book。 I choose to be the dissenter as I am sure that some people would agree with me that this makes a great doorstop with a novella hidden inside。 。。。more
Anne Logan
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Big books come out in the Fall – it’s book awards season and it’s when all the serious award contenders are released， especially those that should sell well for holiday shopping season a few months later。 In the case of Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald， this book is not only a big deal for Canadian publishing （she’s the beloved author of Fall On Your Knees， a true Canadian classic）， but it’s a physically big book – 736 pages to be exact。 It’s no secret I prefer a shorter read， but I really loved Fal Big books come out in the Fall – it’s book awards season and it’s when all the serious award contenders are released， especially those that should sell well for holiday shopping season a few months later。 In the case of Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald， this book is not only a big deal for Canadian publishing （she’s the beloved author of Fall On Your Knees， a true Canadian classic）， but it’s a physically big book – 736 pages to be exact。 It’s no secret I prefer a shorter read， but I really loved Fall On your Knees， and I was rewarded for this commitment with rich characters and some shocking twists。 There’s no getting around it though， this is a SUPER long book， so prepare yourself。Plot SummaryWe meet Charlotte in 1887 on the border of England and Scotland in a rambling mansion on a windswept moor。 She is an incredibly intelligent young woman， verging on the age of 13 and utterly dedicated to her father Henry， another gifted but somewhat quieter person， obsessed with birds and devoted to his only child。 Charlotte suffers from a mysterious ‘condition’ that is referred to， but only explained until about a third of the way through the book。 Her health has given her father an excuse to keep her secluded in their home and property， as vast as it is。 She rarely sees others until a male tutor is hired to continue her impressive education， but he doesn’t last long。 The first-person perspective of Charlotte is interrupted by occasional letters from decades ago written by her mother， giving the reader a vague of idea of what transpired before Charlotte’s birth。 Charlotte is shielded not only from the outside world， but the truth of her family and their many secrets。 Woven throughout the book are mentions of magical influence， found not only in the moor and its vast array of flora， but the ancient knowledge of their staff as well。My ThoughtsIf you’ve read my reviews before， you’ll know I don’t like an overly long book。 Fayne did not to be 700 pages long， but here we are。 I was resentful of its length before I picked it up， so I prepared myself for a slog but forced my interest any way， eager to find the magic in its pages that I recalled from her earlier book。 It took approximately 100sih pages to get into， but once the plot began to unroll and introduce the family secrets， I was hooked。 We jump back and forth through time quite a bit， which muddies the timelines that later become so critical to the lies the family clings to， but it also added to the suspense that builds about halfway through the book。MacDonald is an advocate and member of the LGTBQ community， and this is obvious in the telling of the story and the challenges Charlotte faces。 I can’t explain too much without giving away the whole book， but suffice it to say， Charlotte’s struggles are ones that can be related to， even 150 years later。 Gender is an important theme in this book， and like many works of historical fiction， it’s easy to demonstrate the unfair ways women were treated back then， but in this particular story， some women are even more dangerous than their male counterparts。 I love how MacDonald continues to surprise us – not only with the plot twists， but with the cruelty of some humans that were once depicted as ‘good’。 In the case of Charlotte’s father， his passiveness is one of the most dangerous aspects of his personality。I’ve got an idea of how this book could have been cut down in size （not that anyone’s asking me）。 There’s this subtle thread of magical realism that runs throughout。 It pokes through the narrative here and there， and then rears its full head at the very end。 I found this wholly unnecessary， and not really fitting the overall tone of the book。 It’s not annoying， but it certainly wasn’t needed。 MacDonald is such a powerful writer because of her characters， and I would have loved that focus to remain on them， rather than stray towards this supernatural element （which admittedly， fit the culture and timing， but still seemed superfluous。） This is a quibble from someone who doesn’t like a long book， and isn’t a reason to avoid it – I still highly recommend reading this novel， just set aside some time to do it。To read the rest of my reviews， please visit my blog:https://ivereadthis。com/Sign up for my newsletter here: https://ivereadthis。com/subscribe/Or follow me on social media！Facebook: https://www。facebook。com/Ivereadthis/Twitter: https://twitter。com/ivereadthisblogInstagram: https://www。instagram。com/ivereadthisYouTube: https://www。youtube。com/channel/UCD6E。。。 。。。more
Carolyn Walsh
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This was a book of literary delight and wonderment。 The language enhances the 'magyk' of the prose and draws the reader into its unique and thrilling plot。 There are archaic words， colloquialisms， a smattering of foreign and Latin words and phrases， the mainly incomprehensible and garbled speech of an old man， the contrast of some standard British and American terms， and some clever made-up words that are not in any dictionary （but should be）。 Don't let this deter you， as most meanings can be gu This was a book of literary delight and wonderment。 The language enhances the 'magyk' of the prose and draws the reader into its unique and thrilling plot。 There are archaic words， colloquialisms， a smattering of foreign and Latin words and phrases， the mainly incomprehensible and garbled speech of an old man， the contrast of some standard British and American terms， and some clever made-up words that are not in any dictionary （but should be）。 Don't let this deter you， as most meanings can be guessed from context， and for me enhanced the joy of the story。 Much of the conversations contain evasions， secrets， and lies， often from well-meaning characters。 The atmosphere is rich and vibrant， with a great sense of place。 It transports the reader from the crumbling ancient homes of the titled gentry with the household servants and groundskeepers to the taverns， the wild and destitute section of Edinburgh， to Universities， insane asylums， to the treacherous moors， with bogs， sinkholes， peat， mud， and mists， grazing farm animals， abundant bird， wild animal， and insect life。 The book addresses many themes: science， medical practice， mathematics， family， friendships， holding grudges， prejudice， grief， gender， identity， the place of women in society as chattels of their fathers and husbands， homophobia， the schism between the landed gentry and the working class， and the exploitation of heritage sites and natural spaces to be destroyed by industry。 Charlotte lives with her father， Lord Henry Bell。 She is an extroverted， lively girl who enjoys exploring the marshlands and moors that surround her home in the area of Fayne。 It is uncertain whether it is located in the north of England or the south of Scotland and is disputed territory by both。 Charlotte has been forced to live a very sheltered life because of a mysterious condition。 She has been forbidden to attend school and lacks friends her age because of the isolation of the countryside。 Hanging in the hallway of the home is a large painting depicting her mother holding a handsome， chubby baby， Charles。 Charlotte regrets she never knew her brother， who died in his second year。 Her mother died in childbirth when Charlotte was born near the time of Charles's death， so Charlotte feels the blame。 Her father， Lord Henry， dotes on Charlotte。 His other love is bird watching and assembling fantasy birds from discarded bones and feathers。 He is being urged to remarry in order to produce a male heir as females cannot inherit the property。 Charlotte wanted to become a doctor when it was rare for a woman to be admitted to study medicine。 She has a prodigious memory aided by her father's large library。 For her 12th birthday， her father gifts her with a hired tutor to prepare her for future endeavours to become a doctor。 The pages are filled with intriguing， memorable characters。 I won't attempt to summarize the plot。 I loved this enthralling， beautiful book。 Some mysteries were rather easy to figure out， but others came as a shock （ not always unpleasant）。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for my favourite book this year。 。。。more
Linda Lefler
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Fayne will win prizes， but more importantly， it will provide literal， literary delight and escape for thousands of readers。 It's historical， "magyk" and exquisitely written， but its also a cracking tale and a page-turner （722 of them！） I was captivated by the characters， the thrilling settings， the imaginative feats with unusual and bespoke words （sclicket！ scrunkle！）。 Penned by iconic Canadian writer Ann-Marie MacDonald， this is a most-anticipated book for fall 2022。 Told via dual timeline， it' Fayne will win prizes， but more importantly， it will provide literal， literary delight and escape for thousands of readers。 It's historical， "magyk" and exquisitely written， but its also a cracking tale and a page-turner （722 of them！） I was captivated by the characters， the thrilling settings， the imaginative feats with unusual and bespoke words （sclicket！ scrunkle！）。 Penned by iconic Canadian writer Ann-Marie MacDonald， this is a most-anticipated book for fall 2022。 Told via dual timeline， it's the story of the clever， unusual Charlotte Bell， her curious upbringing and coming into her power in the baronial estate in the "disputed county" of Fayne， located in northern England。 Or southern Scotland。 The earlier timeline is her father's search for a wife （to provide an heir） and their lives up until Charlotte and her father retire to Fayne to live。I concede the first fifty pages or so felt a little slow， but perseverance makes them worthwhile， and later， the detail in the early chapters is understood to be necessary。 This was a virtuoso performance， brava！ Every look， feeling， thought， consummately captured， and I loved MacDonald's generosity toward her characters， their motivations and identities。。。 it felt unique though I cannot express it better than that。Fayne is a world。 It will inspire art。 There will be a fandom。 Also， we need a voluptuous miniseries。 And a graphic novel。 I read an ebook version of this novel via #netgalley and thank them， the publisher， Penguin Random House Canada， @penguinrandomca and #annmariemacdonald for the early read in exchange for an honest review。 Publication date is October 11 （the day after Canadian Thanksgiving）。 #theobstacleistheway #bogbutter #claretithink #haverspooding #dcdefayne #faynenovel #bookstagramcanada #ireadcanadian #lml_reads 。。。more
JR is Reading
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Best book of 2022 calling it now。 PROVE ME WRONG。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Fayne
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Fayne&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Fayne&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0