A Net for Small Fishes: ‘The Thelma and Louise of the seventeenth century’ Lawrence Norfolk

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Anne has gained a notoriety for her fashionable yellow starch lace and has a fine eye for dressing women for court. With lowered eyes, all I could see were clerks and their writing desks round their necks; it frightened me to know that these proceedings would be read for evermore. the writing and humour are reminiscent of a modernised austen - that same acerbic wit and satire viewed through a contemporary lens. Ultimately, though, this is the story of a female friendship that transgressed moral and social norms in a misogynist society.

The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Frances, also a Catholic, is from the powerful Howard family who always use calculation as a means to advance their cause and retain preeminence. When these two very different women meet in the strangest of circumstances, a powerful friendship is sparked. I welcomed a new author to me and also the opportunity to learn about this historical episode, unknown to me before. If this particular event or time period is of interest I would definitely recommend ‚The Poison Bed‘ over this.

Two women who have courage to seek what they believe is the happiness and safety, and who remain loyal to each other until the end. Language: I’ve seen reviewers on GR say the cod-historical over-bejewelled prose forced them to abandon this. Devine intervention, hushed speak of poisons, Humours out of balance, witchcraft, and a dry wit that will have your mouth twitching with amusement, this story of power and the struggle to be seen as what you could be is a total joy to read.

Turner, the widow of a London doctor, was a historical figure hanged at Tyburn for her part in the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury. It is told via the growing friendship of Frances (referred to in the book as Frankie) and Mistress Anne Turner, Catholic wife of well known physician Dr Turner. Having read rather dry accounts of the Overbury Affair previously, it was wonderful to experience the vibrancy of this reimagining. She was awarded a Double First Class Honours Degree from King's College, University of Cambridge, and a master's degree from the Courtauld Institute, London. My reservations lie in the fact that the book is slow initially and it takes a while to immerse yourself but once you connect to the storytelling it’s a compelling and excellent read.She needs to tone down that poetic over-phrasing and torches going force in general, and learn to not wonder off without continuing the crux or plot line sufficiently. As Frankie's eyes turn to another man, she becomes impetuous and careless in her efforts to gain a annulment of her marriage. Enjoyed the authors note at books end where she explains why she wrote this and what she was attempting to portray. Not that I’m proud of the treatment of marginalised women in Lancashire, but just putting the record straight).

Unlike ‚Hamnet‘, which is also a slow burn and which I absolutely loved, this book wasn‘t able to compensate for the slowness with stronger writing or characterization. Turner was the subject of the anonymous play The Widow, and features in Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s The World Tossed at Tennis. The corrupt, licentious court of England's James I makes a fittingly baroque backdrop for A Net for Small Fishes . Tried as “a whore, a bawd, a sorcerer, a witch, a papist, a felon and a murderer”, Anne, who has appeared in fiction before, is a fascinating figure, and Jago makes her a brilliantly engaging narrator.The writing sometimes becomes a bit stilted, because perhaps Jago is more at home with her non-fiction and documentary work. An era when rationalists believe in magic, this is also a time of uneasy change, with society worrying about a blurring of gender roles.

Jagos’s writing is very nice and I could read for hours without noticing it, and there are some wonderful quotes. Frances, in her determination to escape her marriage and shape her own romantic destiny, is at the vanguard of modernity, even as her relatives follow the traditional route of placing her as the mistress of a powerful man. Beautifully written, an enticing tale of female friendship and love set in the court of King James I. This novel begins and ends with yellow, the colour of deceit, treason and witchcraft during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.The genuine connection across the class divide was surprising and endearing, openly discussing secrets and desires, which was a risk for that era.