The Confessions of Frannie Langton, by Sara Collins

A historical fiction (and kind of a murder mystery) book set in the 1800s about a girl called Frannie who is born on a cane plantation in Jamaica. She knows that one of her parents is black, and the other white, but does not know who they are, and starts her role as a house girl when she is about 7. The story begins at the end, where Frannie is in England awaiting her trial as she is accused of murdering her master and mistress, and jumps back and forward in time between her growing up and the trial.

The book covers many topics including slavery, science, race, guilt, lgbtqia+ relationships, addiction, prostitution, education, gender - it’s an important, upsetting and interesting read. It was really nice to read a historical fiction book from a non-white perspective, and Sara Collins did a lot of research for this novel to make sure that aspects of the book were historically accurate.

How accessible is it?

It’s written in a mix of the first person past tense for when she tells her story, and the second person present tense for the trial. I thought the use of the second person perspective was really interesting and although it took some getting used to it was really unique and engaging. I found the whole thing fine to read - there were just enough characters for me to be able to remember, and the language used is quite accessible and easy to follow.