Ayo Onatade is an avid reader of crime and mystery fiction. She has been writing reviews, interviews and articles on the subject for the last 12 years; with an eclectic taste from historical to hardboiled, short stories and noir films
Donna Moore's long awaited third novel spans three generations of a family set mainly in Glasgow and Stirling. It features three different women all connected by blood who find themselves despite all the odds battling injustice and systematic corruption all around them.
The Unpicking covers a period of social change from the late 1800s to the end of World War I where women had very few rights and could for example find themselves locked away on the whim of a male member of their family. This in despite of it being a period where women had certainly proved their place in the work force. None of the three women have had particularly easy lives and as we read their individual stories it is clear that they all had to struggle in their own different ways to achieve and to come to accept at times very reluctantly their goals in life.
One of the best things about this book is the way in which each woman's story is told. Donna Moore has made the wise decision in giving each woman a dedicated part of the book. This of course means that the reader is able to fully appreciate the individual characters and their stories.
There is also a great sense of place and characterisation from the description of Lillias as young teen and heiress who marries in haste and regrets it. To Clementina who is Lillas daughter and whose life is fraught with danger to Mabel (one of Scotland's first police women) and Lillas granddaughter who in her attempt to find out what really happened to her mother finds herself with more questions than answers. Not only that, each distinctive historical period is beautifully captured.
Their stories may be bleak, brutal and unflinching but they have been portrayed by the author in a way that is thoughtful, with incredible bravery and determination. If you want to read three heartfelt stories of courage along with their struggle and the fight for their voices to be heard amongst the dangers of Victorian Scotland while they also battle against a systemically corrupt police force then the Unpicking is the one to read. A brilliant book.
Read about The Unpicking in Donna’s article HERE
