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A review by brooke_review
The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Paulette Kennedy’s The Devil and Mrs. Davenport is 1950’s domestic noir at its finest. Finely crafted and utterly compelling, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport manages to be a heart-racing page turner and delicious slow burner, all at the same time.
Set during a time when women were given few liberties within their own lives, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport tells the story of Loretta, a housewife and mother who begins experiencing psychic visions after an illness. Naturally, Loretta’s newly acquired skills pose a problem to Loretta’s strait-laced, controlling husband, Pete, who holds a theologian position at the local university. To him, this gift can only come from the Devil, and he is determined to rid it from Loretta at all costs.
When Loretta secretly begins working with a local psychologist to further explore her nascent sixth sense, she finds she may hold the clues to the recent death of a local girl, but she worries that Pete may take her children from her if he discovers she is dancing with the “Devil.”. With Pete determined to keep Loretta under his thumb and bent to his will, Loretta finds herself suffocating under the limitations of her life, desperate to find a way out.
I am typically not a fan of novels that contain supernatural elements, but they work so well in The Devil and Mrs. Davenport that I did not mind their presence here at all. This novel is first and foremost a tribute to the women of the 1950s who were often relegated to the roles of housewife and mother, and of which many found themselves trapped in abusive relationships with no escape due to the laws and conventions of the times. This novel expertly demonstrates how women were expected to stay in their lane and not make waves … but what happens when a woman, such as Loretta, is experiencing something larger than herself? What does it take for a woman to be taken seriously and viewed as a person in her own right beyond her role in the home? All of that and more is explored in the dazzling The Devil and Mrs. Davenport.
With an intriguing storyline, complex characters, and thought-provoking consequences, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport will appeal to those who enjoy suspenseful and atmospheric historical fiction novels.
Set during a time when women were given few liberties within their own lives, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport tells the story of Loretta, a housewife and mother who begins experiencing psychic visions after an illness. Naturally, Loretta’s newly acquired skills pose a problem to Loretta’s strait-laced, controlling husband, Pete, who holds a theologian position at the local university. To him, this gift can only come from the Devil, and he is determined to rid it from Loretta at all costs.
When Loretta secretly begins working with a local psychologist to further explore her nascent sixth sense, she finds she may hold the clues to the recent death of a local girl, but she worries that Pete may take her children from her if he discovers she is dancing with the “Devil.”. With Pete determined to keep Loretta under his thumb and bent to his will, Loretta finds herself suffocating under the limitations of her life, desperate to find a way out.
I am typically not a fan of novels that contain supernatural elements, but they work so well in The Devil and Mrs. Davenport that I did not mind their presence here at all. This novel is first and foremost a tribute to the women of the 1950s who were often relegated to the roles of housewife and mother, and of which many found themselves trapped in abusive relationships with no escape due to the laws and conventions of the times. This novel expertly demonstrates how women were expected to stay in their lane and not make waves … but what happens when a woman, such as Loretta, is experiencing something larger than herself? What does it take for a woman to be taken seriously and viewed as a person in her own right beyond her role in the home? All of that and more is explored in the dazzling The Devil and Mrs. Davenport.
With an intriguing storyline, complex characters, and thought-provoking consequences, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport will appeal to those who enjoy suspenseful and atmospheric historical fiction novels.