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A review by per_fictionist
Killingly by Katharine Beutner
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Not many traces of Bertha can be found at Mount Holyoke College, besides a slim file in the archives with a copy of her transcript, some newspaper clippings, and Florence’s letter from 1915. After she was gone, Bertha seems to have disappeared from the communal memory of Mount Holyoke College as swiftly and completely as she had from its campus.
an excerpt from Mount Holyoke After Bertha
"Killingly" by Katharine Beutner is a hauntingly beautiful and richly textured novel that transports readers to the late 19th century, exploring the mysterious disappearance of a Mount Holyoke student. As a ardent fan of historical fiction, I found myself immediately drawn into the world Beutner meticulously constructs, where the line between reality and fiction artfully intertwines.
The novel centers around the true story of Bertha Mellish, a student who vanished in 1897 from the campus. However, Beutner skillfully transforms this historical incident into a rich fictional tale that examines the intricate psychological and social dynamics of that era. Through the character of Agnes, Bertha’s closest friend in the novel, who is a product of Beutner's imagination, she provides a lens through which the reader can explore the fictionalized story hile maintaining a strong connection to the authentic experiences of women during that period.
Beutner brilliantly captures the suffocating atmosphere of a women’s college at the turn of the twentieth century. From the intense friendships and the passionate crushes, the novel also captures the darker aspects of this world, including the casual racism and the deeply rooted prejudices that shaped the lives of these young women - all the while being a part of the fabric of their academic life. One of the most intriguing aspects of the novel is its exploration of the constraints placed on women, epecially in relation to their sexuality and reproductive rights inviting a discourse on women's history.
Shaped as a fictionalized mystery within a historical disappearnce, that we fortunately get a closure to, unlike the real Berth Mellish who still remains untraced. It’s a story about the ways in which society’s expectations can shape and even destroy lives, but it’s also a story about the resilience and complexity of women’s inner worlds.
"Killingly" is a powerful and unsettling novel that will stay with me for a long time.
an excerpt from Mount Holyoke After Bertha
"Killingly" by Katharine Beutner is a hauntingly beautiful and richly textured novel that transports readers to the late 19th century, exploring the mysterious disappearance of a Mount Holyoke student. As a ardent fan of historical fiction, I found myself immediately drawn into the world Beutner meticulously constructs, where the line between reality and fiction artfully intertwines.
The novel centers around the true story of Bertha Mellish, a student who vanished in 1897 from the campus. However, Beutner skillfully transforms this historical incident into a rich fictional tale that examines the intricate psychological and social dynamics of that era. Through the character of Agnes, Bertha’s closest friend in the novel, who is a product of Beutner's imagination, she provides a lens through which the reader can explore the fictionalized story hile maintaining a strong connection to the authentic experiences of women during that period.
Beutner brilliantly captures the suffocating atmosphere of a women’s college at the turn of the twentieth century. From the intense friendships and the passionate crushes, the novel also captures the darker aspects of this world, including the casual racism and the deeply rooted prejudices that shaped the lives of these young women - all the while being a part of the fabric of their academic life. One of the most intriguing aspects of the novel is its exploration of the constraints placed on women, epecially in relation to their sexuality and reproductive rights inviting a discourse on women's history.
Shaped as a fictionalized mystery within a historical disappearnce, that we fortunately get a closure to, unlike the real Berth Mellish who still remains untraced. It’s a story about the ways in which society’s expectations can shape and even destroy lives, but it’s also a story about the resilience and complexity of women’s inner worlds.
"Killingly" is a powerful and unsettling novel that will stay with me for a long time.