By: Zadie Smith
Goodreads description:
It is 1873. Mrs Eliza Touchet is the Scottish housekeeper – and cousin by marriage – of a once famous novelist, now in decline, William Ainsworth, with whom she has lived for thirty years.
Mrs Touchet is a woman of many interests: literature, justice, abolitionism, class, her cousin, his wives, this life and the next. But she is also sceptical. She suspects her cousin of having no talent; his successful friend, Mr Charles Dickens, of being a bully and a moralist; and England of being a land of facades, in which nothing is quite what it seems.
Andrew Bogle meanwhile grew up enslaved on the Hope Plantation, Jamaica. He knows every lump of sugar comes at a human cost. That the rich deceive the poor. And that people are more easily manipulated than they realise. When Bogle finds himself in London, star witness in a celebrated case of imposture, he knows his future depends on telling the right story.
The ‘Tichborne Trial’ captivates Mrs Touchet and all of England. Is Sir Roger Tichborne really who he says he is? Or is he a fraud? Mrs Touchet is a woman of the world. Mr Bogle is no fool. But in a world of hypocrisy and self-deception, deciding what is real proves a complicated task…
Based on real historical events, The Fraud is a dazzling novel about truth and fiction, Jamaica and Britain, fraudulence and authenticity, and the mystery of ‘other people.’
Helen says: DNF
I feel like a fraud for reviewing this book because I didn’t finish it. My first thoughts were how surprisingly funny it was- great observational humor. It was a good character study in ridiculous people. It ambled on though…and on…and on…I just got sick of it so I decided to start a new book.
Holly says: DNS
That means “Did Not Start”, just couldn’t get excited about it, but in my defense, I did complete two other books this month that I would be happy to discuss – Milkman by Anna Burns and Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger. Wow, were these two totally opposite books (!), and I actually enjoyed them both, especially the second one, as it was a super easy and fast-paced read, perfect for spring break vacay! Milkman was a little more difficult, and I admit I put it down once, but I picked it back up and persevered. It is NOT an easy read, but maybe worth it for those who are willing to take the time and really focus. I have to say it did not kick in for me until about page 200. Unlike some of the reviews, I found the prose and vernacular fairly easy, it’s just that initially you are not even sure what the book is about. Summing it up in one word…Interesting. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six in one word…Fun.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 