Caroline Woods's third novel, The Mesmerist, entrances and intrigues with its thrilling mix of fact and fiction. Set in Minneapolis at the turbulent end of the 19th century, in the wake of the latest banking panic, this murder mystery features a number of historical figures and composites, and invokes the spiritualism of the time.
The novel begins with the arrival of Faith, a young woman who sets the Bethany Home of Unwed Mothers off-kilter. Not only is Faith ostensibly mute, she possesses an unearthly beauty, and her very presence seems to spark a chain of unfortunate events. While most of the girls lay blame on their mysterious new housemate, Faith's roommate, May, befriends her. May endeavors to leave Bethany House with a ring on her finger, while Faith seems terrified of leaving altogether. As May's present and Faith's past collide, all hell breaks loose, including women routinely turning up dead.
Woods (The Lunar Housewife) shines a light on the outcasts of society: prostitutes, madams, unwed mothers, and the poor. Discerning readers will detect what Woods does so well, which is to complicate simple female archetypes--such as the crone, the mother, and the harlot--by having characters occupy many of these roles simultaneously or move between them fluidly. While relationships with men propel the novel, the relationships women form with each other are front and center.
Woods takes care to highlight the oppressive environment of late Victorian America, where freedom is perhaps best won for women by becoming a wealthy widow. Yet ever an author of complication, Woods avoids painting any one identity or life path as ideal. --Nina Semczuk, writer, editor, and illustrator