That Bonesetter Woman: the new feelgood novel from the author of The Smallest Man

I adored Frances Quinn’s debut novel, The Smallest Man, and That Bonesetter Woman is again historical fiction and with a main character that finds herself out of step with everyone else.Endurance (Durie) Proudfoot has not been blessed with grace nor beauty and speaks as she finds – her honesty often being her downfall. Her elder sister Lucinda is the opposite, graceful and pretty who has no trouble attracting men and whose ambition for the stage is a perfect match for her talents.Durie however has a talent of her own unfortunately it is not one that women are known for. Her father is a bonesetter, a trade which is traditionally passed from father to son. Even though Durie is much more suited to the task than her brother, she has to take a back seat simply because she is the wrong sex.For reasons which are unfortunate to say the least, Lucinda and Durie find themselves living in London, with their Aunt Ellen, a sharp minded, straight talking spinster businesswoman with her own bakery. Durie is less suited to baking than she was to sewing and when an opportunity arises to use her bonesetting skills, she does so. Durie begins her new career with enthusiasm. However she may be talented but she is rather naïve in other ways and she will soon need all her self preservation to get her through if she is to succeed both professionally and personally.I don’t want to delve into the plot on this because Durie’s story really is one that you must discover for yourself. I really took Durie to my heart – I loved her for her compassion and her determination not to give in and felt sadness at the unwise decisions and the prejudice she suffered. Durie and Lucinda really were chalk and cheese, Lucinda was flighty and rather self centred and it was Durie who showed the most humanity when Lucinda turned her back.With this second book, Frances Quinn has found her place on my list of auto-buy authors. I just love her style of writing which is so very readable – her evocative descriptions bring to life the characters and locations without being overdone nor flowery. This fictional story is also a commentary of the times and is told against the background of women’s rights upon marriage (or rather the lack of), prejudice and misogyny.I loved this and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Durie is an unforgettable character who undertakes both an epic personal and professional journey and I would love to see another book that follows the future of some of these characters. That Bonesetter Woman will definitely have a place on my favourite books of the year list.

When I picked up this book from my TBR pile I couldn't remember why I had bought it. I often enjoy historical fiction but this isn't a period that I know particularly well (starts in 1757) so I hoped to learn something, as well as enjoying a good read.This was first published in 2022 - there are 438 pages split into 82 chapters.At the start I didn't even know what a Bonesetter was but it soon became clear.The characters are all well developed and given plenty of time to grow with the story. Life moves slowly in the 18th century and the plot mirrors that as the years roll by. The author occasionally mentions the year or the season but relies on the readers intelligence to work out the passing of time.There are many references to social norms of the time with the contrasts of city and country being well observed.Overall it's an easy book to read without huge amount of complications in the plot and it didn't take me long to read.I always love a character who doesn't fit in. It is predictable that Durie is going to struggle for years as she learns to enjoy her differences - there are no major surprises although a few minor ones along the way. I do love reading about her struggles though and it lifts my heart when I think about people living their lives like this today.I was rooting for Durie all the way through which showed to me that the book was succeeding.It's not high brow literary fiction, the language is straightforward but it tells a good story. I would recommend this as an uplifting read that is not too challenging on the reader.The ending happens very quickly - I think that the author always knew what she wanted to happen at the end, as will most of the readers - the majority of the book is just a way to get to the end.Interestingly, there is an Authors Note at the end which details some of the facts behind the novel. It is an insight into the author's head as she tell us about the "facts" she read then how she altered them to create the drama for the novel.

It arrived on time just as represented. Very pleased.

That Bonesetter Woman was a nice surprise, pulling me out of a reading slump of three star stories that just didn’t grab me. This one hooked me from the first chapter, with vivid characters, a wonderful sense and time and place, plus a lively narrative style that kept me fully engaged till the end.The only reason That Bonesetter Woman isn’t a five star read for me lies in certain turns of the plot. Sometimes the author’s choices felt too obvious, relying on overused, predictable, melodramatic tropes…such as the interfering relative who destroys a VERY important letter meant for the protagonist. It takes years for the truth about the letter to come out, and I found that plot device completely unnecessary. There is already so much to love about this book. The story didn’t need old clichés cluttering it up. They only served to diminish the freshness and believability, which were otherwise such strong elements of the novel.Despite my one complaint, this was a really enjoyable read, with a unique setting, unusual subject matter, and a marvelous protagonist. I look forward to reading more from this author.