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About The Book
A young woman searches for the truth about her sister, who boarded a ship headed to the frozen Arctic and never returned in this “engrossing historical mystery” (The Washington Post).
Twenty-year-old Constance Horton has run away from her life in Victorian London, disguising herself as a boy to board the Makepeace, an expedition vessel bound for the icy and unexplored Northwest Passage of the Arctic. She struggles to keep her real identity a secret on the ship, a feat that only grows more difficult when facing the constant dangers of the icy North.
Even more dangerous than the cold, the storms, and the hunger, are some of the men aboard—including the ship’s scientist Edison Stowe. He’s watching Constance, and she knows that his attention could be fatal.
In London two years later: Maude Horton is searching for the truth. After being told by the British Admiralty that her sister’s death onboard the Makepeace was nothing more than a tragic accident, she receives a diary revealing that Edison Stowe had more of a hand in Constance’s death than the returning crew acknowledged.
In order to get the answers she needs, Maude shadows Edison. She joins him on a new venture he’s started to capitalize on the murder mania that has all of London in a frenzy—a travel company that takes guests around the country via train to witness public hangings—to extract the truth from him in any way possible.
Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge is a “brilliant” (Publishers Weekly), “addictive” (Emilia Hart, New York Times bestselling author of Weyword), “utterly compulsive” (Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters) novel about the lengths we will go to for justice—and for love.
Twenty-year-old Constance Horton has run away from her life in Victorian London, disguising herself as a boy to board the Makepeace, an expedition vessel bound for the icy and unexplored Northwest Passage of the Arctic. She struggles to keep her real identity a secret on the ship, a feat that only grows more difficult when facing the constant dangers of the icy North.
Even more dangerous than the cold, the storms, and the hunger, are some of the men aboard—including the ship’s scientist Edison Stowe. He’s watching Constance, and she knows that his attention could be fatal.
In London two years later: Maude Horton is searching for the truth. After being told by the British Admiralty that her sister’s death onboard the Makepeace was nothing more than a tragic accident, she receives a diary revealing that Edison Stowe had more of a hand in Constance’s death than the returning crew acknowledged.
In order to get the answers she needs, Maude shadows Edison. She joins him on a new venture he’s started to capitalize on the murder mania that has all of London in a frenzy—a travel company that takes guests around the country via train to witness public hangings—to extract the truth from him in any way possible.
Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge is a “brilliant” (Publishers Weekly), “addictive” (Emilia Hart, New York Times bestselling author of Weyword), “utterly compulsive” (Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters) novel about the lengths we will go to for justice—and for love.
Reading Group Guide
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1. The novel deals with a lot of shocking events and situations that, for its time period, were normalized. How did witnessing this world through the era and through Maude’s eyes affect your interpretation of these situations? What commentary, if any, does the book offer on the societal norms of the time? What’s been normalized in our current world that you think might have shocked Maude?
2. How does Lizzie Pook use alternating timelines, shifting between Constance's experiences in the Arctic and Maude's search for the truth in London, to create suspense and build the narrative? Did you find this technique effective?
3. The novel mainly focuses on two atmospheric settings: the Arctic and Victorian London. How did these two seemingly unrelated settings play off one another? Did you find one more dangerous than the other? How did each setting reflect each of the sisters and their personalities?
4. The British Admiralty dismisses Constance's death as a tragic accident. How does this institutional response to tragedy reflect the power dynamics and attitudes of the time? How does Maude navigate these challenges in her pursuit of the truth? What challenges were different then vs. now? What challenges are the same?
5. “Murder, after all, is still the story that London likes the very best,” writes Lizzie Pook at the end of the book. Do you think this is still true today? Why or why not?
6. Constance's journals are a crucial element in unraveling the mystery. How does the use of documents and personal accounts enhance the storytelling? In what ways do these elements contribute to the authenticity of the historical setting?
7. In what ways does the novel explore the complexities of sisterhood, loss, and the impact of secrets on familial relationships? How does Constance and Maude's relationship evolve throughout the story? How did Constance’s secret affect how Maude thought of her? Were you surprised by it?
8. The title, "Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge," suggests a powerful and satisfying resolution. Did the ending meet your expectations?
9. In the author’s Historical Note, she mentions Charles Dickens’ own words on witnessing a public hanging: “No sorrow, no salutary terror, no observance, no seriousness; nothing but ribaldry, debauchery, levity, drunkenness, and flaunting vice in fifty other shapes.” What could Dickens’ words be applied to today, if anything? How do you think the evolution of our obsession with morbidity has affected society and our perspective of murder, justice, and crime?
10. What do you think is next for Maude? Knowing what you know about Victorian London, how do you think she’ll change after enacting her revenge?
2. How does Lizzie Pook use alternating timelines, shifting between Constance's experiences in the Arctic and Maude's search for the truth in London, to create suspense and build the narrative? Did you find this technique effective?
3. The novel mainly focuses on two atmospheric settings: the Arctic and Victorian London. How did these two seemingly unrelated settings play off one another? Did you find one more dangerous than the other? How did each setting reflect each of the sisters and their personalities?
4. The British Admiralty dismisses Constance's death as a tragic accident. How does this institutional response to tragedy reflect the power dynamics and attitudes of the time? How does Maude navigate these challenges in her pursuit of the truth? What challenges were different then vs. now? What challenges are the same?
5. “Murder, after all, is still the story that London likes the very best,” writes Lizzie Pook at the end of the book. Do you think this is still true today? Why or why not?
6. Constance's journals are a crucial element in unraveling the mystery. How does the use of documents and personal accounts enhance the storytelling? In what ways do these elements contribute to the authenticity of the historical setting?
7. In what ways does the novel explore the complexities of sisterhood, loss, and the impact of secrets on familial relationships? How does Constance and Maude's relationship evolve throughout the story? How did Constance’s secret affect how Maude thought of her? Were you surprised by it?
8. The title, "Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge," suggests a powerful and satisfying resolution. Did the ending meet your expectations?
9. In the author’s Historical Note, she mentions Charles Dickens’ own words on witnessing a public hanging: “No sorrow, no salutary terror, no observance, no seriousness; nothing but ribaldry, debauchery, levity, drunkenness, and flaunting vice in fifty other shapes.” What could Dickens’ words be applied to today, if anything? How do you think the evolution of our obsession with morbidity has affected society and our perspective of murder, justice, and crime?
10. What do you think is next for Maude? Knowing what you know about Victorian London, how do you think she’ll change after enacting her revenge?
About The Author
Magdalena Smolarska
Lizzie Pook is a London-based travel writer and journalist whose work has taken her to some of the farthest-flung parts of the planet, from the trans-Himalayas—in search of elusive snow leopards—to the vast, uninhabited east coast of Greenland. She has written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times (London), Lonely Planet, and Condé Nast Traveler. Lizzie is the author of Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge and Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter. Visit her at LizziePook.com or connect with her on Twitter @LizziePook.
About The Reader
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (January 16, 2024)
- Runtime: 9 hours and 31 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781797176673
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