You know Miss Havisham.
The world's most famous jilted bride.
This is her daughter’s story.
Raised in the darkness of Satis House where the clocks never tick, the beautiful Estella is bred to hate men and to keep her heart cold as the grave.
She knows she doesn’t feel things quite like other people do but is this just the result of her strange upbringing?
As she watches the brutal treatment of women around her, hatred hardens into a core of vengeance and when she finds herself married to the abusive Drummle, she is forced to make a deadly choice:
Should she embrace the darkness within her and exact her revenge?
A stunningly original, gripping Gothic read, perfect for fans of Stacey Halls, Madeline Miller and Jessie Burton.
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Estella's Revenge by Barbara Havelocke was published in hardback on 9 May 2024 by Canelo/Hera. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.
A total change of genre for this author, who many will know as Barbara Copperthwaite. So totally different to her usual psychological thrillers, so new name, new genre, and wow, it's fabulous!
I will be the first to admit that the classics such as Dickens don't really rock my boat. I found them such a struggle when I was in school, always desperate to get back to my Jackie Collins, Shirley Conran and other forbidden fruits. However, Great Expectations was one of my studied books at O Level (yes, I am that old!), and it's not a story that many will forget.
Estella's Revenge is a re-telling of Great Expectations, told by the tragic Miss Haversham's adopted daughter and I loved every word of it. Estella played a small part in the original story, but here she take centre stage throughout and Havelocke has created a magical character. An isolated child, living among the dust and cobwebs of Satis House with a mother who has mourned her lost love for as long as Estella has been living there. With only the vermin as friends, Estella is groomed by her mother to learn that men can never be trusted, that she must never give her heart to a man and must always treat them as unkindly as possible.
It's a dual time line story (which I love), we hear from Estella as a child as she comes up against family members who would like to see the back of her, and we also hear from her as a grown woman; married but totally let down by her husband, she's beginning to realise that her mother often spoke the truth, despite her hysteria and drama.
This is a wonderful book. From the dark, dusty room of Satis House, to the streets of Paris, it is so vibrant and rich. The descriptive prose is so imaginative, the characters are a joy to discover and the compelling and intriguing plot line just keeps the reader hanging on for more.
Don't worry if you've not read Great Expectations, or if you don't remember the story. Don't worry if you are not really a fan of the classics, because this novel stands firmly on its own. It is so refreshing to read a story set in those times that see things from a woman's point of view, there's a definite feminist slant to the telling and for me, that adds so much depth and so much more to think about.
Highly recommended by me, get a copy and immerse yourself into Estella's world, you may not always like her, or the things that she does, but I can assure you, you will love her story.
I will be the first to admit that the classics such as Dickens don't really rock my boat. I found them such a struggle when I was in school, always desperate to get back to my Jackie Collins, Shirley Conran and other forbidden fruits. However, Great Expectations was one of my studied books at O Level (yes, I am that old!), and it's not a story that many will forget.
Estella's Revenge is a re-telling of Great Expectations, told by the tragic Miss Haversham's adopted daughter and I loved every word of it. Estella played a small part in the original story, but here she take centre stage throughout and Havelocke has created a magical character. An isolated child, living among the dust and cobwebs of Satis House with a mother who has mourned her lost love for as long as Estella has been living there. With only the vermin as friends, Estella is groomed by her mother to learn that men can never be trusted, that she must never give her heart to a man and must always treat them as unkindly as possible.
It's a dual time line story (which I love), we hear from Estella as a child as she comes up against family members who would like to see the back of her, and we also hear from her as a grown woman; married but totally let down by her husband, she's beginning to realise that her mother often spoke the truth, despite her hysteria and drama.
This is a wonderful book. From the dark, dusty room of Satis House, to the streets of Paris, it is so vibrant and rich. The descriptive prose is so imaginative, the characters are a joy to discover and the compelling and intriguing plot line just keeps the reader hanging on for more.
Don't worry if you've not read Great Expectations, or if you don't remember the story. Don't worry if you are not really a fan of the classics, because this novel stands firmly on its own. It is so refreshing to read a story set in those times that see things from a woman's point of view, there's a definite feminist slant to the telling and for me, that adds so much depth and so much more to think about.
Highly recommended by me, get a copy and immerse yourself into Estella's world, you may not always like her, or the things that she does, but I can assure you, you will love her story.
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Her writing career started in journalism, interviewing the real victims of crime - and the perpetrators. The realistic, complex characters who populate her fiction reflect this deep understanding.
When not writing, Barbara is found walking her two dogs, Scamp and Buddy, or taking photos of wildlife.
Instagram @barbaracopperthwaite
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