Month: July 2026

Women’s Prize shortlist book review – “Dominion” by Addie E. Citchens

This is my fourth review from the Women’s Prize shortlist, which was won recently by Virginia Evans for The Correspondent. Dominion is a remarkable debut novel and could easily have been the winner for me; although I did love The Correspondent there is something weightier about Dominion and it is beautifully written. The title refers to the town in Mississippi in which the novel is set but also the hold that men, the church and societal expectations (ie the patriarchy) have over the women at the centre of this story. 

Sabre Winfrey is the ultimate patriarchal figure, much-beloved Minister at the church, local businessman, affluent and at the top of the social hierarchy. His status lends some degree of power also to his wife Priscilla, but as mother to his five sons, none of whom truly appreciate her, she is hemmed in by the men around her. She has beauty and power, which does not make her a favourite among many of the women in the community and she is referred to somewhat disparagingly as ‘First Lady’. Priscilla has her flaws – a limp, a result of a childhood accident, a dependence on prescription drugs which she obtains from a local dealer, and a conviction for driving under the influence which puts her, quite literally, at the mercy of her husband and sons for getting around. Priscilla is nobody’s fool, however; she knows her husband is having a liaison with another beauty in the congregation, and as the novel progresses and she learns more about her sons, particularly her youngest and her favourite Emmanuel, she begins to question everything about her family and the society in which she moves.

Diamond is in many ways the antithesis of Priscilla – born into a broken family she was adopted as a child, rescued from a life of chaos and poverty, but still has contact with some of her siblings. Diamond is also beautiful, however, and is deeply in love with Emmanuel, or ‘Wonderboy’ as she calls him, the youngest Winfrey son, smart and gifted both athletically and musically. Diamond and Priscilla are cool and suspicious of each other, but when Emmanuel’s mistakes catch up with him and he and Diamond attempt to flee Dominion, both women go on a journey of seeing how their devotion has been misguided. 

The novel is set in the 1990s and while racial discrimination is never very far away, particularly around the life chances of young black men not born into affluent homes, it is not the main thrust of the novel as it goes in the direction of looking at the way that the community has hemmed in the two intelligent and thoughtful women at its centre. Separated in age by a few decades, Priscilla and Diamond lives are irrevocably impacted by men (arguably the same man!). Men who enjoy the undeserved adoration of their community. Diamond dislikes Priscilla and her airs and graces; Priscilla dislikes Diamond and where her beauty and her body might lead her precious son. Both women will go on a journey to find out a bit of the truth about each other and, more importantly, their flawed men.

This novel is a stunning debut from Addie E Citchens and I enjoyed it immensely. I can only think it was a coin toss away from winning the Women’s Prize! The chapters alternate mostly between Priscilla and Diamond, but occasionally also Emmanuel and the author gives each one a distinctive narrative voice. The turns of phrase are a joy.

I listened to it on audiobook and the performances were excellent and the use of music was also an interesting addition, giving the novel a real sense of time and place.

Highly recommended.

Audiobook review – “The Pretender” by Jo Harkin

Fifteenth century England is something I know very little about but reading this book has taught me a great deal. It is a work of fiction but is based on a real person and events. I listened to this on audio so I have not read a disclaimer or author’s note. 

The plot is complicated (as indeed were political events at this time), but is told chronologically and is therefore easy to follow. John Collan is a young boy living in rural Oxfordshire with his widowed father and two older brothers. The scene is set of a young innocent with a carefree life and a loving family and people around him who are keen to protect him, most notably his friend Jennet, the milkmaid, a fantastically coarse but lovable character. That fairly idyllic upbringing is brought to an abrupt end, however, when two fine gentlemen turn up and take John away. The boy is told that he is in fact of royal lineage and was placed in the care of the Collan family for his own protection when he was a baby, but that the time has now come for him to rise to his destiny. He is to be taken away and prepared for the role that awaits him.

John is taken to Oxford and given his new name Lambert Simnel – this is the name of the person who is known to have existed. Initially, the boy has mixed feelings – he is excited at his new prospects, but also misses his family. He is not permitted any remnants from his old life but secretes one or two simple reminders among the meagre belongings he takes with him. It soon becomes clear that the two so-called gentlemen have very little care for the boy, and are simply lining their own pockets at his expense. In fact, it will become clear that no-one really has the boy’s best interests at heart, he is simply a pawn in a dangerous political scheme. 

At this time, Richard III is on the throne – the Wars of the Roses have caused great turbulence in the country and there are many plots and counter-plots at play as others with claims to royalty seek to further their ambitions in the face of a weak and embattled crown. After Oxford, Lambert will be taken to Mechelen in Belgium where he is patronised by noblemen and women there with their own plans for the English throne. Lambert is told he is the Earl of Warwick and as his identity goes through changes we watch him evolving into his role. Both his speech and his worldview change – the innocent boy takes on the mantle of the pretender to the throne.

From Mechelen, Lambert will travel to Ireland where he lives under the protection of an Irish nobleman. He falls in love with Joan, one of the man’s daughters – which will have consequences for them both. This part is poignant since we are reminded that he is merely a teenager experiencing the first pangs of lust and love. And that he did not seek the destiny that has been thrust upon him. 

When Henry VII replaced Richard on the throne in 1485 it began a period of stability in England which was a great contrast to what had gone before. Lambert’s situation becomes increasingly bleak, but yet the events of his life seem to be getting ever further beyond his control. His cynicism grows, so tragic in one so young, as the pressures on him grow. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it takes a small piece of English political history and explores the human story that might have lain behind it, something historians seldom do when they outline great events of past times. Its theme, how the people at the centre of events are manipulated  to serve others, is one we can see repeated in political machinations across the globe over the centuries. 

I recommended this book highly and with its smattering of love and sex as well, makes it perfect holiday reading!

Women’s Prize 2026 shortlist review – “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans

I was about halfway through this when it was announced as the winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction a couple of weeks ago and I am delighted that it won as I have enjoyed it very much. The story spans several years from 2012 to 2022 and is told almost entirely in the form of letters to and from the main character Sybil van Antwerp. Sybil is a woman in her 70s, divorced for twenty-five years from her Belgian husband. She has two adult children, one of whom, her daughter Fiona, lives in England, the other a son, Bruce, lives closer to her home in Maryland. We also learn quite early on that Sybil and her husband Dan had another child, Gilbert, who died at the age of eight.

Sybil is long-retired but had a distinguished career in law, as clerk to a judge. Her lifelong hobby has been letter-writing, and she writes to everyone! From lengthy, newsy, intimate letters to her childhood friend Rosalie (who married the brother of Sybil’s ex-husband), to shorter letters of admiration to favourite authors (she is a regular correspondent with Joan Didion, with whom she shares an interest in the grieving process), to very short and no-holds barred letters of disapproval to the Dean of the local college where she has for years attended courses (as an auditor) and now finds she is no longer permitted to do so. Though her first love is pen and paper, Sybil has also acquainted herself with email and there are a number of exchanges – one with a customer service agent named Bassam, a refugee from Syria, who deals with her queries and concerns about taking a DNA test after having been gifted a subscription by her son (Sybil was adopted as a baby). Sybil strikes up quite a friendship with him.

Sybil can come across as harsh and difficult at times, but we also see her softer, more caring side in the exchanges she has with Harry, the neurodivergent teenage son of a former colleague, now friend, with whom she seems to have a curious rapport, despite their large age difference. When Harry experiences some severe mental health difficulties it is Sybil who steps in, without question. 

This is a novel about ageing and self-discovery, and about making peace with the facts of your life. Sybil is losing her sight – she has a degenerative eye condition – and this is devastating to her, not least because it threatens to put an end to her letter-writing. But as her sight deteriorates she gains new insights into her past life; she explores the painful circumstances of her son’s death and faces up to the fact that while she will never stop grieving, she must look that grief in the face and truly feel it. In doing so, she may be able to liberate herself from the self-imposed life sentence of guilt and allow herself to find happiness in her later life. 

This is a really moving novel that explores some powerful universal themes, but tells its story in an accessible, entertaining, sometimes funny, sometimes very sad way. A really interesting idea, cleverly executed and beautifully written. 

I have still to read three of the other shortlisted novels, but this was the most compelling of the ones I have read so far. I listened to it on audio and the performances were excellent, really bringing to life the cast of characters.

Highly recommended.