"CLEAVE. To cleave something is to cling to it with all your heart, he said, but to cleave something apart is to break it up. "
.... "We are cleaved together - we are cleaved apart - everything that draws me to you is everything that drives me away."

This is a novel which is as beautiful, intricate and dazzling as its cover. I was recommended this book by a teacher of mine as she reviewed my own work; suggesting I would enjoy it as I loved to write period fiction. She couldn't have been more right, it is a beautiful, heart-warming literary journey. Before I started reading this book, I had seen reviews suggesting it is 'a whole lot about nothing'. As much as people are entitled to their opinions regarding books as they are subjective; these people couldn't have been more wrong. It deserves all the recognition and praises it can get and maybe more... it is nothing short of perfection.

I don't say this often but maybe a masterpiece.

Every character shared my affections, and it is not often that this happens; from strong-willed, independent Cora Seaborne, to the weak and mild Stella Ransome. Even the knife-wielding Samuel Hall deserved my sorrow. Perry ensured the humanity of each character shone through, no-one is perfect; their flaws are there to behold.

Sarah Perry explores the complex relationships we all navigate as human beings; the highs and lows, the laughs, the cries and the arguments. Doing so with both flair and grace. By the end of the novel, I became so invested in the lives of these characters, it felt as if I knew them personally. I wanted them to succeed, to fail, so I could understand the characters more in-depth, to feel and think as they did. Through the central relationship between Cora and Will, Perry explores the dichotomy between religion and science. She skillfully balances on the thin line, not taking sides but allowing the reader to decide for themselves. We are immersed in the Victorian's intense fascination with the supernatural and the occult, which banishes the perception that these were extremely pious people; they relished the dark and the mysterious.

But what I admired most about this book is Perry's understanding of women; they are not prisoners subjected to harsh restrictions but people with freedoms like the rest of us. But to get this freedom, they have to fight hard, against prejudice, scorn and disbelief. Let me tell you, Perry's women fight hard! Cora's freedom arrives with the death of her monstrous husband; he is cold and brutal, and his personality remains within Cora's child Francis; a strange and unlikable child. Free from her bonds Cora can finally become her true self; traipsing around in the mud, wearing men's clothes and indulging in her passion for learning. But she has to learn to love and be loved again after being deprived of pure devotion and tenderness for so long. She finds this is many places; in her relationship with Will, friendships with Stella and Martha, but most importantly within herself. Being content with yourself can be just as rewarding as being in love with someone else.

Once I put this down, I immediately wanted to pick it right back up. I loved revelling in the gothic atmosphere, putting my heart and soul into attempting to decipher the mystery which lurked in the thick Aldwinter fog. The serpent manifested itself as a palpable sense of fear within each page; the fear of the unknown, the fear of desire and of progress. I think we share the same concerns as those Victorian villagers, what we cannot see or cannot control terrifies us. We do everything to repress those fears, whether it be through dismissal or acceptance. Still, those fears will always be there, lurking, waiting.