Gothic Readers Book Club

In her novel Affinity, Sarah Waters takes us to Victorian England. Exploring a dual system of oppression, the prison system and the social condition of women, Waters weaves a master multi-layered tale. Imprisoned for a seance gone terribly wrong, Selina Dawes sits festering in horrific conditions in a women's prison. Margaret Prior, recovering from a suicide attempt, tends to the women and their needs as charity. These two women's lives collide, changing both forever. Affinity is a tale of forbidden arts, forbidden love, and forbidden social rights. The story unfolds in dense, complex layers, leaving the reader questioning motivations, actions, and the reality of the supernatural. The prose is elegant, drawing us into a tangled web of ghosts, fear, and ever-increasing tension. Hints of madness creep around the edges in classic Gothic tradition and the uncertainty builds to a feverish pitch.

If You Like: Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe