Carolyn Huckfield

This is an exciting and very moving story set on an almost uninhabited island called Dohahal Tartelin arrives on the island to work for the mysterious Miss Stourbridge. Her job is to catch and kill butterflies for the collection the Miss Stourbridge that she and her family have been collecting for many years. The story tells both the lives of Miss Stourbridge and her family through many years and Tartelin gradually finds out what has happened to both the island and the Stourbridge family. It maybe a dual timeline but gradually everything becomes clear. The long lost sister of Miss Stourbridge is also on the island. Tartelin finds her and also meets a scientist who is also exploring the island. This is a beautifully written story that brings the concept of environmental damage done to the island by war as well as love and family secrets to light. The story of a family and a father who seeks wealth that fails and the disasters that happen on this isolated island are well told. The start of the story doesn’t reflect what happens when Tartelin starts to investigate the events and manages to get Miss Stourbridge the answers she needs. This is a very moving and thought provoking read.

Lily knows that she will be hanged for a murder she has committed and this is her story. She was an abandoned baby found by a policeman who takes her to the foundling hospital. Babies are fostered out to families until they are seven. Lily lives on a lovely farm and she is very happy. However when she is returned to the foundling hospital her nightmare begins one nurse calls her miss disobedience and sexually abuses her right up until she can leave. Lily gets a good job and reconnects with the policeman who found her. He loves Lily and she confesses to the murder she committed to protect younger children being abused by this nurse. He gives Lily 24 hours to escape and this she does by going back to the farm when she was happy. This is a well told story that pulls no punches over Victorian life for the poorest in the land. It is moving and beautifully done and you will want Lily to get away with the murder.