To convey this dichotomy accurately and comprehensively would require nearly faultless writing and execution. His perspective really serves to spotlight the chasm between the male and female experience in late Edwardian London, which was further complicated by the ongoing class struggle.
We’re also shown the flipside of Lotta’s experience through the eyes of William, her lawyer. Much of it is unknown to the other characters, of course, and the fact that we’re the only ones privy to it makes for a real tension-infused treat. The indelible rage she feels towards her situation and perpetrators is quiet but never quelled, simmering dangerously beneath the skin of the story. Her growth isn’t linear, and she constantly fades in and out of moral clarity. Instead, to tell this convincing and emotionally-charged story, she taps into the rich history of women’s rights in the UK, as well as her deep and innate understanding of the unique hurdles women have to overcome in a male-dominated society.Īnother win in my books is that Lotta does not have Main Character Syndrome. That said, MacGowan doesn’t force her female characters through tribulation to prove a point. Because Lotta Rae isn’t a story about women’s truth, but how that truth is perceived (and consequentially warped) in a system designed to keep them acquiescent and benign.
The visceral horror and emotion of the situation unfolding before your eyes will have you tearing at your hair in frustration - until you remember that the injustice was (and still is) the sickening reality for many women all around the world. With the cadence of a court testimonial, we begin from the fateful Halloween night in 1906, before accompanying Lotta through the trial and the subsequent trainwreck of events. Despite spanning over a decade, the novel never loses momentum. MacGowan’s storytelling is like getting punched in the face… in the best possible way.
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