The Other Side of Mrs. Wood by Lucy Barker - Book Review

Publication Date: 22nd June 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction 

3.5 Stars 

One Liner: Intriguing premise; mixed results 

1873, London 

Mrs. Violet Wood is a popular Medium in Victorian London. She has a steady following among the elite and stands still as a genuine Medium even as others get exposed and are sent out of society for being frauds. 

However, with more American Spiritualists arriving in the city and promising fantastical visions, Mrs. Wood finds it hard to keep her audiences entertained. Then, the news of her crumbling finances turns her desperate. Mrs. Wood decides to train and launch a fresh face as her pupil, a certain nobody Miss. Finch, whom she finds outside her home. 

Soon, Mrs. Wood finds that things may have gotten worse. But will she give up and surrender or show the world why and how she had survived to be the greatest Medium in London? 

The story comes from Mrs. Wood’s third-person POV. 

What I Like: 

I love the premise and the setting. Mediums competing with each other and the ever-increasing demand for their services are intriguing themes. 

The setting (Victorian London) is wonderful. There’s no denying the research that went into the plot. The fascination with Spiritualism during that era and the role of women in promoting Mediums is very well done. 

Even the séances are well-described, without going into too much detail but providing enough to know how it works. The focus here is not on the paranormal elements. Instead, it deals with the tricks of the trade and the effort behind the scenes to ensure a smooth and entertaining séance. 

Though the book has many characters (a Medium needs clients, after all), it is easy to track who is who. The main characters are Mrs. Violet Wood, Miss. Sarah Newman (friend and assistant to Mrs. Wood), and Miss. Emmeline Finch (Mrs. Wood’s pupil). 

The atmosphere throughout the book is slightly heavy to suit Mrs. Wood’s situation. She sure has quite a few issues to deal with. It also aligns with the kind of setting needed for a séance. Even when the Mediums talk, laugh, and eat loads of cakes, the heaviness hangs on the edges, ready for the next step. This is an advantage and a disadvantage.

What Could Have Been Better for Me: 

However, the book is slow from start to finish. (I completed it in two days because I had a couple of hours extra time to spare.) The story actually starts at around 30%. The initial portion focuses on setting the stage and introducing the various elements that would later contribute to the central conflict. 

The book has very little action. Whatever action we see is buried under the atmosphere’s weight and struggles to shine through on its own. Even the crucial climax scene doesn’t get dramatic enough to elevate the story. In fact, it gets over too soon, even if there’s scope for a lot of intensity. 

The content could have been 30 pages shorter and crisper to make it more engaging. Of course, a little more exploration of Miss. Finch’s arc would be even better. 

Mrs. Wood’s character is a sort of paradox. It works to an extent, though I’d have loved it if we get a little more about her past. Most of it comes through her thoughts, and there’s quite a bit of repetition of the same and less additional information that could add more layers to the arc. 

I do love epilogues and positive endings. However, this one doesn’t do justice to the plot until then. I don’t particularly like how it’s done. After going through so much, it could have been better. 

To summarize, The Other Side of Mrs. Wood is indeed an atmospheric novel with some interesting elements. However, it is mostly a mixed read that doesn’t fully reach its potential. I hope the final version has the author’s note (there isn’t one in the ARC). 

Thank you, NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers Australia, and Fourth Estate, for the eARC. 

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