I’ve decided to let my inner nerd out
and write this post about another passion: books. Today, I’m going to be shining the spotlight
on one of my favourite fiction authors – Kate Furnivall. I am what you would call a die-hard fan. I literally own (with my sister) every single
book that Furnivall has ever written.
Quick background story: Furnivall actually wrote her first novel
about her mother’s real-life story that became The Russian Concubine. I
bought The Jewel of St. Petersburg for my sister for Christmas one year, which
is the story that precedes this and we were both instantly addicted.
I’ve been dying to somehow write about
Furnivall’s latest release, The Betrayal (2017), because it is one of
the finest pieces of writing I have ever laid my eyes upon. More importantly, the themes struck several
chords within me and I have fallen even more in love with Furnivall’s
writing.
First of all: Immensely strong female
characters who take charge of their own ambitions and lives in Nazi-occupied
France, 1938.
Secondly: one goody-two-shoes sister
who sticks to the rules prescribed by her family and one wild rebel sister who
does what she wants, when she wants.
Erm... forget Florence and Romaine, sounds more like Meagan and Melissa
Hutchons.
Then again, I wish I was as badass as
Romy. I also have an intense fear of flying and she’s a pilot, so.....
I love this book because even though
it’s not an exact mirror-image of my relationship with my own sister, it
certainly has many parallels and it’s a unique experience to be able to see
your own relationship from an outsider’s perspective. If you know me personally, you’ll know that
my sister and I have one of the weirdest relationships ever. We fight like absolute cat and dog, and we’ll
rip each other to pieces almost, but we’ll be fine the next day.
Romy and Florence are much the same,
in that they both deliver hard truths to each other and drive each other mad,
but they are 100% committed to one another and the preservation of their
unusual relationship with each other.
If you’re keen to read a pro-feminist
novel, Furnivall’s books in general are perfect. This book, however, takes it one step further
by having two equally powerful women who each have their own brand of
feminism.
Romy is a gambling alcoholic who has a
“male” profession and indulges in vaguely promiscuous sex. She embraces a “devil-may-care” attitude when
it comes to what others think of her.
She takes complete ownership of her body and her choices in an age where
women were still expected to be demure and modest.
Florence, on the other hand, is the modest
and obedient wife, doting on her daughter.
How is this feminist? It is a choice
that she makes as a young 17 year-old, in the beginning of the story. As the book progresses, you see how Florence
willingly submits to her husband in order to play her incredibly powerful part
in the pre-WW2 politics of the time.
Furnivall has successfully merged the
two extreme and somewhat opposing ends of the feminist spectrum to create this totally
inclusive atmosphere of acceptance for any brand of feminism. The story of the Duchamps twins reconciles
the most extreme brand of bra-burning feminism with the most conservative kind
of simply taking ownership of yourself.
While all of Furnivall’s books are led
by strong female protagonists, I strongly recommend this book if you’re looking
for an historical adventure with breath-taking attention to detail in terms of
the depths of the characters.
Until next week, wishing you love and
light and feminist good wishes ♡♡♡