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| Landon |
Since her untimely death in Ghana circa 1838, several theories have
been put forward by historians, among them accidental overdose, suicide, and
murder.
Faced with this real-life mystery, author Audrey Thomas chose to tell
Letty’s story using first-person accounts. The novel opens with Letty’s
posthumous voice stating, “I can speak freely now that I am dead.”
Letty’s life was an unconventional one. When her father lost his fortune
and died of a heart condition, Letty became the sole breadwinner, supporting
her mother and siblings with her poetry. As one of the most widely read poets
of her day, Letty attracted considerable attention and incited several rumours
about her personal life. Still unattached in her thirties, Letty wryly
contemplated her future as an older, single woman: “’Do offer Auntie the last
crumpet.’ And Auntie, with butter dripping down her whiskery chin and death
spots on the backs of her hands, gives a grateful mew.”
Her chance meeting with Captain George Maclean at a dinner party
inspired a lukewarm courtship that eventually morphed into marriage. In Letty’s
mind, it was an excellent opportunity to escape London society and reinvent
herself as the governor’s wife and chatelaine of a castle on the Gold Coast of
Africa.
But when we hear George’s voice, we learn that Letty was the last
person he should have married. He tried to dissuade her with talk of snakes and
poison berries, but she refused to listen. He confided to his father: “This is
a woman who lives in her head; she has no idea...In fact, I think she finds all
this exotic.” On the verge of breaking the engagement, he receives a letter
from Letty’s brother accusing him of dishonourable behaviour. Left with the
choice of fighting a duel or marrying Letty, George resigned himself to the
inevitable.
Three other voices emerge in the narrative: Mrs. Bailey, a female
companion; Thomas Freeman, a Wesleyian missionary, who provoked and frightened
Letty with tales of poisonous plants and slave mistreatment in the dungeons
below the castle; and Brodie Cruickshank, another displaced Scot, who provided
companionship and helped ease Lettie’s culture shock. When George objected to Brodie’s
afternoon visits, she commented, “He’s become one of my best friends. Maybe my
only friend.”
In writing this novel, Audrey Thomas has demonstrated excellent
storytelling ability and meticulous attention to detail. I was fascinated by
her description of insect life on the Gold Coast: “Termites chewing away,
mosquitoes whining at night, driver ants who can deliver a sting like a wasp,
things munching, marching along, relentless armies of minute destroyers. And
spiders! Huge spiders. Everything seemed excessive out here and vaguely—or not
so vaguely—tinged with malevolence. There were only two things I grew fond of: the
little geckos that hid behind picture frames waiting for unsuspecting flies,
and the orange-tailed lizards that sunned themselves on the battlement and
gazed at me with such ancient, knowing eyes.”
Easily read in one sitting, this captivating account of Lettie Landon’s
life and mysterious death will appeal to fans of historical fiction.
After
retiring from a 31-year teaching career, Joanne Guidoccio launched a second act
as a writer. Her articles, book reviews and short stories have appeared in
newspapers, magazines and online. In September 2013, Soul Mate Publishing
released her debut novel, Between Land and Sea, as an eBook on Amazon. You can
visit her website at www.joanneguidoccio.com
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