Eynhallow

Gripping, atmospheric, dark, and beautifully written. Can you feel the wind, the damp, the chill in the air? I could with Tim McGregor’s wonderful and vivid descriptions of Eynhallow. Oh, how I felt for Agnes Tulloch. She has a hard life. Married to a harsh, temperamental, and abusive husband on a remote island with twenty inhabitants. The only joy she has in her life is her four children and her friendship with her neighbor Katie.

When a mysterious and wealthy man by the name of Frankenstein arrives on the island, the villager’s interest is piqued, and the gossip flows from their lips like the waves flowing on their shores. Her husband jumps at the chance to make some extra money by hiring Agnes out as a cook to the mystifying and peculiar scientist. Agnes has always stood out on the island due to her height and not being a native of the island. She forms a bond with the newcomer who is also looked at with judgmental eyes.

I was fully invested in this book from the very beginning. I loved how the author captured the time (1797) and the feel of life on the island. The harsh way of life, the small group of people, the roles they played, and the struggle to survive. I also enjoyed seeing Agnes with her children and enjoying conversation with her friend, Katie. It was nice to see her relax and enjoy herself during these tiny moments in time.

I enjoyed how the author captured the character’s feelings and themes of love, obligation, longing, friendship, loss, companionship, and strength. I also enjoyed the trapped feeling that took place in many forms in this book. Being trapped in a marriage, trapped in obligation, trapped in societal expectations and norms of the time, trapped on a remote island, trapped in never-ending work, and trapped in harsh conditions.

I also appreciated how the plight of women living during that time (1797) was shown. They had little to no say in their lives, about their bodies, about their dreams. What they did have was expectations, obligations, hard work, and hard lives.

As the book progresses so does the slowly building sense of dread and tension which I love in books. I read this book slowly so I could savor it and the passages. This book was moving, maddening, horrific, beautiful, and simply wonderful. I don’t think I have ever felt so much while reading a horror book which is a testament to the author’s writing and characters.

This is the second book that I have read by McGregor. The first being Wasps in the Ice Cream. I look forward to reading more of his books in the future.

Gripping, Atmospheric, horrific, beautifully written, and moving.

Thank you to RDS Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.