{"product_id":"in-the-margins-by-gail-holmes","title":"In the Margins by Gail Holmes","description":"\u003cb\u003e''Gail Holmes has written a beautiful, compelling and emotionally rich story about a woman who wrote herself into the margins of books at a time when women were voiceless. An extraordinary debut. I loved it.'' -Pip Williams, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Dictionary of Lost Words\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Bookbinder of Jericho\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e''richly imagined''\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e-Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e We are the spaces between the words. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eInspired by a real person, \u003ci\u003eIn the Margins\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of spirited book-collector Frances Wolfreston--the woman who uniquely preserved the earliest part of Shakespeare''s legacy. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eEngland, 1647.\u003c\/b\u003e As civil war gives way to an uneasy peace and Puritanism becomes the letter of the law, Frances Wolfreston, a rector''s wife, is charged with enforcing religious compliance by informing on her parishioners. This awful task triggers memories of her mother, Alice, who inspired Frances''s love of books and secretly practised Catholicism at great risk. Conflicted, she doesn''t report a reclusive and mysterious midwife to delay her going to gaol.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e As Frances takes increasingly bold steps to help the women and children of the parish, she attracts the ire of a patron of the church who questions why Frances collects books that she charges are entertainment. When her mother is gaoled for religious crimes, the secrets Frances hides from her husband begin to surface, and she is faced with an impossible choice: comply with the strict dictates of the new laws, or risk everything to free the women she cares for. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eIn this tender and powerful work of imagination, the life of a remarkable woman who wrote and lived in the margins in a time when women''s voices went unheard is restored to history. Beautifully written and deeply moving, \u003ci\u003eIn the Margins\u003c\/i\u003e is a testament to the way literature can illuminate our inner lives and set us free when the world around us is covered in darkness.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e PRAISE FOR \u003ci\u003eIN THE MARGINS\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e ''A compelling, beautifully written story of a spirited, principled woman ahead of her time.'' -\u003ci\u003eGood Weekend\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e''\u003c\/b\u003eThe significance of this novel goes beyond Holmes''s beautiful narrative voice and illuminates a hero known to us solely because the real Frances Wolfreston signed her name in each of her books. In an era marked by low female literacy rates and limited women''s ownership rights, this highlights the immense value Wolfreston placed on her books and underscores our progress since then. This deeply moving debut will appeal to fans of Pip Williams'' \u003ci\u003eThe Bookbinder of Jericho\u003c\/i\u003e and Kayte Nunn''s \u003ci\u003eThe Silk House\u003c\/i\u003e.'' -\u003ci\u003eBooks+Publishing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e ''A riveting novel of women''s solidarity and Shakespeare amidst the societal limitations of Puritan England. Holmes rekindles the intriguing story of Frances Wolfreston in this accomplished debut.'' -Eleanor Limprecht, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Coast\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Passengers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e ''In lyrical, powerful prose, Gail Holmes lures us into the repressive world of seventeenth-century England, bringing it to life through the eyes of Frances Wolfreston, rector''s wife, keeper of secrets, collector of books and careful observer. Beautifully written, \u003ci\u003eIn the Margins\u003c\/i\u003e is a captivating novel: vivid, wise and moving.'' -Suzanne Leal, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Watchful Wife\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Deceptions\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e ''\u003c\/i\u003eSparkling prose and tender clarity make the journey in Frances ''Frannie'' Wolfreston''s shoes a sheer delight. Gail Holmes''s potent but poignant nod to the pursuit of male approval, urges us to remember that solidarity between women is finespun but resilient. And its lustrous threads carry the necessary strength to weave HIStory with HERS.'' -Sally Colin-James, author of \u003ci\u003eOne Illumined Thread\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eISBN: 9781761153112\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ultimo Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43440796500031,"sku":null,"price":20.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0647\/8626\/8223\/files\/832273482815.jpg?v=1782031786","url":"https:\/\/bookconnection.com.au\/products\/in-the-margins-by-gail-holmes","provider":"The Book Connection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}