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IN THE MARGINS
Literary historical fiction at its best, In the Margins unveils a triumphant herstory inspired by the remarkable life of Frances Wolfreston, a real-life 17th-century book lover who stands as a feminist and literary pioneer. Through her daring efforts, not only did she rescue Shakespeare's inaugural work but also safeguarded countless literary treasures, making her collection the most substantial surviving compilation of the era.
Advance Praise
‘The 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’ The Bookbinder of Jericho and Kayte Nunn’s The Silk House.’ –Books+Publishing
Publication details
In the Margins will be published by Ultimo Press in September 2024. Bold Type represents translation rights on behalf of the author’s agent, Margaret Connolly & Associates.
About In the Margins
England, 1647. 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.
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.
In this tender and powerful work of imagination, the life of a remarkable woman who wrote and lived in the margins in a time where women's voices went unheard is restored to history. Beautifully written and deeply moving, In the Margins 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.
About the author
Gail Holmes grew up in Scotland, the youngest of seven children and the only girl. She graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering and a Master of Business Administration. She moved to London to join an international energy company and had an international career there for twenty-three years as a project manager and commercial manager. During this time Gail also married and had five children. She moved to Australia in 2013. Her creative writing journey began when she was a working mum with very young children in Shanghai, China. Unable to get back to sleep one night, Gail started writing short stories about living in Shanghai. As this writing habit continued to grow, she attended short courses at the City College of Literature in London and then later studied the Melbourne University’s Master of Creative Writing, Editing and Publishing programme, graduating in 2021. In the Margins is her first novel. www.gailholmesauthor.com
Praise for In the Margins
‘If you loved Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites and Pip Williams’ Dictionary of Lost Words, Scottish-born Gail Holmes’ debut novel, In the Margins is likely to hit the spot. A compelling, beautifully written story of a spirited, principled woman ahead of her time.’ The Age / Sydney Morning Herald
‘Unflinching on the realities of non-aristocratic women's lives in 17th-century England - a society largely run by increasingly paranoid and intolerant men - while filling with quiet heroism the gaps left by history.’ Sydney Morning Herald
‘A compelling, beautifully written story of a spirited, principled woman ahead of her time.’ Good Weekend
‘Gail Holmes’ In the Margins offers a richly descriptive and engaging look at 17th century England, blending elements of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility with the dramatic flair of Shakespeare. The book’s rich language and detailed descriptions create a setting where the moral discussions of the time come alive.’ ArtsHub
‘The 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’ The Bookbinder of Jericho and Kayte Nunn’s The Silk House.’ Books+Publishing
‘In this love letter to literature, language, and to the women who have, quietly, allowed for the proliferation of it, Gail Holmes highlights the power of the ordinary. Her women are not radicals or fighters – they are readers, mothers, friends, teachers. They are the women usually doomed to remain in the margins of our history books. However, Holmes shows that ‘well-behaved’ women can make history – the power of words, books and community can change the world.’ Readings
‘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 The Dictionary of Lost Words and The Bookbinder of Jericho
‘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 The Coast and The Passengers
‘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, In the Margins is a captivating novel: vivid, wise and moving.’ –Suzanne Leal, author of The Watchful Wife and The Deceptions
‘Sparkling 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 One Illumined Thread
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