The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi is a book that defies the usual categories for novels, managing to blur the line between historical fiction, murder mystery, fantasy, folk tale, coming of age, and feminist writing. And it is this rich mix of genres that makes the story refreshingly different and such a satisfying read.
The book is set in an alternate Elizabethan world and based on the obscure practice of sin eating whereby a female sin-eater would consume a ritual meal in order to spiritually take on the sins of a deceased person. The food was believed to absorb the sins of the recently dead person, thus cleansing their soul. Sin-eaters, as a consequence, carried the sins of all people whose sins they had eaten and lived as outcasts on the fringes of society. Not surprisingly people tended not to volunteer for this job, and in Campisi's tale, the role is forced on young May Owens by a magistrate as an alternative to execution.
Aged just 14 and branded as a sin-eater, May is condemned to live the rest of her life as an outcast, to hear the confessions of the dying and to eat a prescribed range of symbolic foods at their funeral to ease their journey to heaven. She may never be hungry again, but neither will she be permitted to enjoy conversation, companionship, affection or love.
I thought the setting of a slightly alternate English Elizabethan world was very clever as it both unsettles you as a reader but also suggests that, because May is a young, uneducated, illiterate girl, this could be her confused interpretation of her world.
This is a feminist book and Campisi manages to convey her powerful message without being obvious or heavy-handed. May is a girl living in a brutal world of patriarchal cruelty, but although she is a victim of male oppression, May is a strong young woman who defies the life society has forced on her. By making her untouchable and condemning her to a life where she is almost invisible, May finds a source of strength and ultimately of power.
The Sin-Eater is a real page-turner, I only wish there were some more books from Campisi to feast on.

With thanks to NetGalley for a free pre-publication copy of this book in return for an honest review.

May Owen is caught stealing a loaf of bread. Her punishment is to become a Sin Eater. Her adventures take her into the court of Queen Bethany, a fictional Queen Elizabeth the first.

I really wanted to like the book and was looking forward to reading it. I knew nothing about Sin Eaters and anything to do with folklore and the Tudor court would have been the perfect read.

I found the story very interesting at first but the story became very repetitive and I found myself becoming very bored. I enjoyed the narrative from May again in the beginning but after a while I found her very irritating. I didn't enjoy how she gave characters names such as Mush face and Country Mouse and I was becoming totally lost who was who. There is also an uncomfortable scene with three dogs and poison which I found disturbing.

This is a book I know that we be hyped and enjoyed by many but for me it just did not work.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the chance to read and review the book.

I was first attracted to The Sin Eater because of the stunning cover and when I finished reading it, I was sad it had to end.

Fourteen-years old May Owens is caught stealing bread and sent to jail to await punishment. She is an orphan and has no one to speak up for her. Other girls come and go but still her sentence isn’t announced. Then one day it is announced she will become a sin eater.

Sin Eaters eat the sins of others so they can die with a clear conscience. She will face the Maker with their sins and in doing so May can secure her own place with the Maker.

“The sin eater walks among us. Unseen. Unheard…Sins of our flesh become sins of hers through the Eating, praise be.”

Sin eaters are pariahs in society, forced to live on the edges of town and are considered to be the lowest of the low.

They are not allowed to talk, touch or be looked at by another person. Her tongue is branded, and she has to wear a heavy collar with an ‘S’ on it to denote her title.

She is only allowed to talk when she goes to do a ‘recitation’ and to list the foods their family must gather for the ‘Eating.’

Not being able to talk is a particularly hard thing for May as she is a “little gabby goose”. This benefits the reader because May’s inner dialogue is rich in detail.

“I’m a sin eater, I say to the red embers. What does this mean?’

It means you’ll never again feel the press of a chest against yours in a hug.

It means you’ll never sit with Lee or Tom, giggling together, eating blackberries and watching the swallows dive…

You’ll never marry.

You’ll never bear a child.

You’ll never had a lover or even just a good friend.”

May has to go and live with the only other Sin eater in town and learns the trade through watching her.

They are called to the castle and stumble on a secret, a secret someone is killing to protect.

The Sin Eater was a book sumptuous in detail, in particular the descriptions of the various sins and their corresponding foods. The book begins with another sin eater about to perform an eating after May’s mother has died.

“Salt for pride. Mustard seeds for lies. Barley for curses. There are grapes too, laid red and bursting across the pinewood coffin – one grape split like a splinter through flesh. There’s crow’s meat stewed with plums and a homemade loaf, small and shaped like a bobbin. Why a loaf in such a shape? I think And why so small? There are other foods too, but not many. My mother had few sins.”

Aspects of the book, including the murders and some of the sins are amplified when you think that we are witnessing them through the eyes of a fourteen- year old girl.

It is set in a place called Angland during the rain of Queen Bethany, a figure who is described very much like Queen Elizabeth. Queen Bethany has divided the country on the issue of faith and has many who would like to see ‘The Virgin Queen’ fall. There are other historical figures who play a part in the book in some form. I liked this aspect of the book very much.

May Owens is a likeable character but also unique for being a strong female characters in an era where societal power was predominantly in the hands of men.

The Sin Eater was a mesmerising debut.

‘The Sin Eater’ by Megan Campisi was an interesting read. The concept was strange but not entirely unbelievable. The storyline however I found a little thin. The ending I felt led me to think there may be a sequel.

May Owens steals a loaf of bread and is arrested. As others are sentenced, she waits for her punishment – but is passed by and left in the cell. Others come, and go, and still she waits. Until one day her life changes forever…

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book. I knew nothing about sin eaters and diving into the book I felt immersed in this world, which runs at a slight parallel to our past. May is a great lead character – her thoughts are quick paced, and her experiences really made me feel for her. Her life isn’t easy, and as the book progresses, we see her take on a weight of responsibility that weighs heavily on her shoulders.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, however the second half seemed to lack some detail and felt somewhat rushed. I would have loved to spend more time with May but felt the writing lacked the richness of the first part towards the end. I feel that May as a character is strong, and really look forward to following her in any sequels – hopefully we will learn more about her story in the future!

I delayed starting this book as I'm in the middle of a slow reading of Wolf Hall which is set in a similar time and place.  This is altogether a different kind of story.  This is a tale of a poor, seemingly powerless woman (as opposed to a tale of  a wealthy,influential man).

I was immediately draw into this alternative England during the reign of Queen Bethany (who seems remarkably like Elizabeth the first).   We see everything through the eyes of a teenage sin eater.

Sin eaters were outcasts, untouchable, even lepers avoid them, but at least they didn't starve.  Historical sin eaters were limited to Wales and the English counties on the Welsh border but this story imagines an England where the lives of royalty and those of a sin eater could intertwine.

Our protagonist May is forced into her role.   She  isn't allowed to speak, except during recitations, when the dying recite their sins but she has a surprisingly rich inner life.   A sin eater is virtually ignored by society except to avoid physical contact so she overhears much and hence most of the plot is revealed through dialogue between minor characters.

At the heart of this book is a mystery, and I feel that was the weakest point, there are several twists and turns with regard to this, but I didn't really care that much.  Luckily there were other elements fascinating enough to hold my interest to the end.

The only fully rounded character in this book was the first person protagonist May.  There were other characters in the book, but they never feel much more than puppets but this is not surprising.    I feel there may have been some lost opportunities as a few minor characters were starting to take shape then we never saw them again and the beggars and lepers who lived in May's house always seemed distant despite their physical closeness, this may have be intentional as May always feels herself to be apart from them.

This is very much a woman's book as no men in this reality were ever forced to be sin eaters, and only women who were already ostracised with no family to object.   But seen through May's eyes we see how vulnerable all women are, even the queen.
This is certainly not a world I would like to live in. It is a fascinating glimpse into the world of the medieval poor.   I don't feel it was a particularly memorable book but a worthy debut and I will be keeping a close eye out for more by this author.

This was interesting. I liked the alternative version of England and the mythology of the sin eater was well explained. It was a bit slow in the middle: there was a lot of main character inner voice saying 'oh but does this mean' 'what about' and at times that felt so clumsy it through me out of the character's head. But I'm glad I read it and would recommend it as an intriguing read.

I know that galleys are imperfect, but this one tested me to the utmost! Chapter one was intriguing, chapter two was half of one and half of two! Chapter three was a third of all chapters, chapter four was in quarters! I gave it up, then decided to request another copy, which arrived in perfect reading order. What an absolutely fantastic story, I’m so glad I persevered with it.
Set in a thinly disguised alternative Tudor style history, we meet 14 years old May Owens, who has been caught stealing and her punishment is to become a sin eater. She is padlocked into a metal collar, engraved with the letter S, and her tongue is tattooed with the same letter. Her job is to attend the dying on their deathbeds and hear their confessions of their sins. Each sin has a food allocated to it, and when May eats the food, she takes on the responsibility for these sins and carries them to her grave. She may not speak of these sins, and is made to live a life of silence, except when hearing these confessions. May also realises that she will also never go hungry again!!
May and another sin eater are called to the Royal palace to hear the confession of the Queen’s governess. When the list of food is presented, there is a fake food and sin added. The older sin eater refuses to eat the food and is arrested and taken to the Tower, May eats the extra sin, as represented by a deer heart, but she wants to know who ordered this extra food, and what message it is sending out. Queen Bethany is better known to us as Queen Elizabeth, and the previous Queen Maris, was Bloody Mary of history.
There is a great deal of fascinating research and gossip in this book. Any avid reader of this period of history will know the rumours that this book deals with. It all concerns The Virgin Queen, and there are other deaths at court of the ladies of the bedchamber, hidden letters and clues in tapestries, and you can use your knowledge of these times to put the real name to disguised characters. There is a real sense of betrayal and danger underlying this story, and the conclusion is unexpected.
I was fascinated by the concept of a sin eater, and the food chart at the beginning of this book was very helpful. What an unusual job, and May is a very determined young lady throughout this book. I rated this as a five star read. I will post reviews to Goodreads and others later.

Rich and compelling historical novel that I read almost in one sitting- I loved it as an alternate take on religion in Elizabethan England and also as a very different sort of crime novel! Utterly absorbing.

This was an amazing fictional/historical novel, set in an alternate Elizabethan world, where people have to hide their old faith but it has been replaced by belief in "the maker". It was a really interesting take on how people in Tudor times might have experienced the changes from Catholicism to Protestantism, mixed with old fashioned folk beliefs. The protagonist is forced into becoming a sin eater, who hears confessions at the death bed, then eats specific food to take on that person's sin. She ends up shunned by society, and ends up living with beggars. However, her job means that she ends up embroiled in a mystery at court, where ladies in waiting for in mysterious circumstances, and their sin eating includes food to atone for killing a royal baby, even though they did not confess to this. It turns into a fascinating mystery, and reminded me of the historical novels of Jeanette Winterson. Fascinating and memorable.

Set in a fictional 16th Century England we meet May. A 14 year old orphan in poverty, is sentenced to a life of servitude when she is caught stealing a loaf of bread. Her punishment is to be forced to be a Sin Eater.

Sin Eaters were actually a real thing - women who heard the confessions of the dying and ate food that symbolically represented the sin they confessed. By doing this, they relieved the burden of the sin from the dying person so they could ascend to heaven with nothing weighing them down. But being a Sin Eater, the women were completely shunned by society. They were never spoken to, nor looked at and were threatened constantly with being sent to hell if they performed their duties incorrectly.

When May's mentor is executed for treason (when she refuses to eat a deer heart for a former governess in the Royal Court), May sets out about uncovering the truth. Unbeknownst to her, May is about to enter a spider web of lies, conspiracy and secrets.

This book has been compared to the likes of The Handmaid's Tale, which I have to say is a tad unfair to Campisi. The Sin Eater is one deliciously dark book with a very original premise. The underlying feminism is brilliant (which is the only reason I can think of it being compared to The Handmaid's Tale) and the research into life in 16th Century England is superb.

Campisi explores the very prevalent issues of the time; class and gender and religion. She has carefully woven her fictional story that is so cleverly near to the truth that you instantly recognise the issues the society has had. For example, The Late King Harold changed religion and the old 'Eucharistians' (i.e. Catholic) were all abolished. Fear and scaremongering using the devout religious ways were one of the key themes throughout this book and women were seen as little more than secondary citizens compared to men. 

This is one very thought provoking book. It is much more of a character piece, than one of action, but one that I enjoyed very much. The suspense and plot will keep you engaged the whole way through. But be prepared as some for some brutal and dark tellings.

A brilliant 4 star read for me.

I would like to thank Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

What a great read. The idea of the Sin Eater as an alternative to a final confession and absolution was well executed and well thought out. A great cast of characters, and the first person narrative was just right for this story. A murder mystery disguised as a coming of age tale? Or a coming of age tale disguised as a murder mystery? Either fits. The setting in a fantasy Tudor England was a great idea too. A very enjoyable if rather gruesome (at times) read. Highly recommended to lovers of good escapist fiction.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review another great book.

A fantastical novel based on a dark myth from the Tudor period, centering on the experiences of women, with a mystery thrown in? Sign me up

I had high hopes for The Sin Eater and was not disappointed!

This dark, sumptuous novel is based on an idea of the 'sin eater' which seems to have been mentioned in history, but we have been left with sparse information as to what that might have been. So Megan Campisi invents her own history for these mysterious figures, and an alternative version of Elizabethan England to boot. In this novel Sin Eaters exist to assume the sins of the dying by eating certain foods for the sins committed. But to be a Sin Eater makes you cursed, an outcast. So when our heroine is imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread and her punishment is to become a Sin Eater we see her embark on a difficult life, where she will never go hungry, but will always be shunned.

The amount of detail in creating this alternative world is wonderful. Not only do we get lists of what food equates to what sin, but Campisi weaves her fictional creation into daily life and all of our traditions, and so we get nursery rhymes, practicalities of when you call for a Sin Eater and a detailed religious system which mirrors the religious turmoil of the period. If you are a particular fan of the Tudors you will take joy in working out all of the coded characters, and if not, it doesn't matter as it's fairly easy to follow the court drama that sits in the background of the novel.

This book does a wonderful job of exploring some pretty big themes - the association of sin, women and food that pervades Western culture for a start. Yet it also looks at how women are often cast in the role of 'reedmer', class and poverty, as well as what sin itself means. All of this is wrapped up in a story which propels you forward with drama, and with a mystery at its heart.

The Sin Eater is an utterly indulgent novel, perfect for anyone who has ever felt guilty over food, or who secretly sympathises with Eve for taking that apple.

The Sin Eater was a whodunnit wrapped in historical fiction, through the focus of May's growth as a character.
There weren’t many parts that sparkled, and it was pedestrian in pace at times. The mystery and May's coming into herself ( somewhat) made me want to keep reading. There were moments where the lot of characters, because of gender, socio economic class and or looks, we’re devastatingly detailed without being too preachy.

Most if not all of the secondary characters seemed only fleshed out enough to move or turn the plot, some were just background noise ( the musician, the Doctor, Jane ). There’s a feel as though they may be further explored in follow ups, but aren’t necessarily compelling enough to make one want to read.

Pros: May's journey was something to follow. Portrayal of the time period was deftly done for the most part.. the conceit of a Sin Eater is intriguing and may spawn some fan fiction on the phenomenon.
Beautiful cover.

Cons: the parallel Elizabethan setting grew tedious. *this may just be on my part* I found the effort to parody the religious divide and the Royal houses cumbersome, intrusive, not credible within the world. It was too obvious what they represented in historical terms, to be credible as world building elements in a simulacrum world.

'I understand why sin eaters were made. Carrying such feelings is too much for one little heart, too much for one body. There must be some hope of shedding regret, grief, sorrow, sloughing them off like a skin and going into death free and light. Else we'd never be able to live.'
~
I enjoyed this book and found it very readable, even with some of the older language and colloquialisms.
It felt like a mixture of genres, with both historical fiction and mystery elements.
The story is essentially about a young girl (May) who is sentenced to become a sin eater, but does not understand why.
In seeking to unearth the family secrets of others, she unearths family secrets of her own, and in doing so comes to understand her fate.
~
'His shadow stayed in the house for weeks. It wasn't dark like a shadow, just an empty place in the shape of my da. I would see it out of the side of my eye and turn knowing he should be there. But when I looked there wasn't anything.'
~
I didn't know much about sin eaters before reading this book, and found it really interesting learning about this historic practice. Especially the fact that only women could be sin eaters, and that this was often given as a sentence.
I found the conflicting reactions to May to be quite interesting. Most of society shuns her, and she finds herself in the company of outcasts, as noone else will interact with her.
However, she brings plenty of comfort to people when they need it most, absolving them of their sins and unburdening their consciences before they die. After all, in death we are all equal, regardless of class, wealth or status.
~
'I hear the recitations of all the women set to die... Many... sinned out of anger because folk were cruel or things unfair.'
~
I did enjoy this book overall, but I probably wouldn't read it again personally.
If you are into mystery/thriller and historical fiction I would definitely recommend it.

The Sin Eater begins with a provocative menu of sins, each human sin is given a food, then when an individual is on their deathbed it was believed if they recited their life's sins to a sin eater they would be abolished and in death would be reunited with 'The Maker'. This debut novel revolves around May after she is given the outcaste role of a sin eater as punishment of petty crime, anything is better than the death penalty.... right? May has been raised in a volatile setting, historically during a time where religion and superstition flooded people's lives, where everyone was born with sins - some sins more frowned upon than others but due to the tightened religious grip on society and it's relationship to how women were viewed in that era. For example, women were viewed as the daughters of the mother of Sin - Eve and expected to become the consumers and carriers of others Sins, expected to be an unseen and an unspoken, it's hugely plausible.

The Sin Eater concept was derived from the folklore that a sin-eater would save the dying not only from hell, but also from wandering the earth as a ghost. The sin-eater is usually associated with the British Isles, but there are analogous customs in other cultures as well. It's not like anything that I have ever read before and it's a dazzling debut, so stunningly written with an atmosphere that fully draws you into the novel's concept.

Our protagonist is May, a young girl with gloomy beginnings in life who radiates a sort of profound loneliness who lives in a world where she has no place, no connections and no understanding about where she connects when it comes to family ties. As the storyline begins to evolve, I got a sense that May was discovering her own feet while also finding her voice in a setting that blocks out not only the voices of the Sin Eaters, but also of women. May is identifiable on so many personal levels, her childlike vulnerability and fear that develops into strength as her journey to learn the trade of sin eating is noticeable and applaudable.

Along with The Sin Eater being a spectacularly written historical fiction, it's also one that has a deadly mystery flowing through it, one concerning a royal scandal. Only she, using her powers of being on the outskirts of society; unseen and unheard, can get to the bottom of it. The whole storyline is intoxicatingly captivating, atmospheric and a read that you will not be able to put down - with its foodie chapter titles, writing and creativity injected by Megan Campisi, this is going to be a book that any reader, especially fans of historical fiction will love!

14 year old May Owens expects to be sentenced to death for stealing a loaf of bread. But her sentence is much worse. She’s to become a Sin Eater – responsible for taking on the sins of others so that their soul is cleansed. The role means she’s to be forever shunned. So when she discovers someone is trying to blame dead women for sins they didn’t commit, no one will listen. Intriguing setting, believable characters and a great story. What more can you ask?

I was drawn to this book by the blurb; the idea of the Sin Eater was really intriguing and I wanted to know more. The story is set in a fictional time which seems based on the end of the House of Tudor: people being made to change faiths as the crown changes hands; a prior queen given the prefix Bloody; a Virgin Queen on the throne. Within these religious arguments lives the Sin Eater. Always a woman, the Sin Eater hears the confessions of the dying and at the funeral eats foods which represent each sin, thereby taking on the sins of the confessor and leaving them free to enter heaven. None are permitted to look at or speak to her and she is not to speak, with the exception being the Recitations when sins are confessed.

Our main character, orphan May, is turned into a Sin Eater at the age of just 14 after she steals a loaf of bread. Initially guided, wordlessly, by the existing Sin Eater, May suddenly finds herself facing the world on her own and with knowledge of treachery within the Queen's household. With no education to allow her to read and write and without being able to speak, May must find her own way to uncover the truth and bring about justice.

I enjoyed this book. May is a relatable character and the description of her growing into her role as the Sin Eater and finding ways to live with what she has been forced to become was really engaging. The intrigue itself was less interesting, to me. The treachery within the castle walls seemed almost to be a secondary story line and, whilst still providing intrigue, didn't have the excitement and hold on my interest I had expected it to have. The story itself is probably only worthy of three stars, but I enjoyed the world building enough to give the book an extra one.

'The Sin Eater,' by Megan Campisi tells the story of May, a 14yr old girl sentenced to act as the towns Sin Eater. In this role she hears the confessions of the dying, consuming food representing each sin at their funerals. This means the townsfolk can go to heaven, while having taken on their sins, May is said to go to 'Eve's' right hand. As a result, she is shunned and condemned to being silent and unseen.

The story is set in a mythical past. However sin eater's existed, particularly in Wales. Also, the royal family depicted in the novel are strongly reminiscent of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. At times this gave the story realism. At other times the parallels were a little bit heavy handed, making me wish they had been more fictional.

Other than that I really loved this story and found myself absorbed. I loved May's humour and her rage - "I am a curse." The nursery rhymes adapted to reflect the context of the novel worked brilliantly. There were elements of a dystopian past, and many who feel marginalised in some way will find aspects of the story that resonates with them. I also liked the way May came to find strength in the parts of herself that she'd previously despised or attempted to get distance from.

Wow!! What an amazing book this is. I absorbed it like air. I fell in love with May and her courage. Outcast from society and made into a sin-eater, May battles her way to a freedom, of sorts. I could have gone on and on reading this beautiful novel.