Who knew Christian charity could be so draconian? This week, Jane and her cohort at Lowood continue to suffer from a lack of nutrition and comforts, the chill in the air is met with the return of the dreaded Mr. Brocklehurst, and Ms. Temple proves herself once again to be an angel in disguise.
Spooky season may be over y’all, but it’s gonna take more than a new month to get yr girls out of Scotland. This week, Morgan and Isabeau embark on a historical romp through the Highlands in The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. Our titular character, Lord Ian, is shrouded in rumors and hearsay when he crosses paths with our heroine Beth, on the arm of her then fiance. As her fiance’s appetites wend beyond the scope of Beth, our heroine is thrown further into the orbit of the mysterious Lord. But as suspicions gather around Lord Ian’s potential role in a double homicide, our lovers are forced to question the very fiber of their beings. What helps ensure the successful portrayal of neuro non-typicality? How do we account for perceived limitations of accurate historical representation? Could this election finally be over? All this and more on your favorite pod sluicing app.
It’s day two at Lowood y’all, and things are looking bleak. This week, Jane wakes to frozen wash water, her new best-friend-in-the-making Helen Burns is publicly dragged by the repugnant Miss Scatcherd, and our heroine confides in Helen her desire to smash all those who treat her unfairly. We feel you girl.
It’s Jane’s last morning at Gateshead, and despite the ever-present rain, things are looking up. This week, our heroine takes a slow coach to Lowood, meets the esteemed faculty, and maybe makes a friend.
Yr girls are fresh from the cliffs and ready to slay some fey. This week, Morgan and Isabeau are back at the Ball with another selection from The Monster Ball Year 2; Assassin’s Match by Everly Frost. Our heroine Tanzanina (yikes) is a born-witch whose power and love have been stripped from her by an evil curse. But when her only hope of lifting the curse, a special spellbook, is stolen, our heroine must put herself in danger for a night of thrills and passion at the Monster Ball. Are magic-at birth-narratives ultimately trojan horses for eugenics? Is Paradise Lost just Bible fan fiction? How do we cope when our love is not reciprocated? All that, plus musings on birth order, gargoyles, and the perfect hot buttered rum. Happy spooky season y’all.
With an out from Gateshead on the horizon, the anxiety is palpable. This week, Jane squares off with purity wonk Mr. Brocklehurst, tells her aunt where to shove it, and finds a new candor in Bessie.