Interesting to read how women could be hanged fr losing a child so soon after birth. This is essentially a well written historical novel with female heroes Not particularly my genre bit nevertheless engaging

I loved Kate Foster’s The Maiden and knew I would love this equally. This is a super read and once again the author has brought to life a real-life woman who lived - and died - in 1724 Edinburgh. Maggie Dickson was hanged in Grassmarket, Edinburgh for concealing a pregnancy. At that time it was against the law to conceal a pregnancy and if that concealed pregnancy resulted in the loss of life for the child, then the mother also lost her life. Maggie was hanged, but on the way to Musselburgh, she awoke in her coffin and went on to live another 40 years, gaining the name Half Hanged Maggie and there is a public house today on Grassmarket, Edinburgh that bears her name. This novel is a fictionalized account of Maggie’s life before and after her trial and execution. The young Maggie is in turns naïve, vulnerable and unbreakable. The emotions that she shows when faced with her own death - wonderful writing. The way she rebuilds and reclaims her own story is just gripping and although this is fiction, the period, in both setting and attitudes, is realistically portrayed. There are also some great characters in here, Mrs Rose for one. This is a tale not just of survival but also one of emotional growth, the epilogue had me in tears. A 5* read.

Kate Foster's The Mourning Necklace is a hauntingly evocative exploration of resilience, justice, and the indomitable spirit of a woman wronged by society. Drawing inspiration from the real-life tale of Maggie Dickson—dubbed "Half-Hangit Maggie"—Foster breathes life into a narrative that is both historically grounded and profoundly relevant.
The book is set against the grim backdrop of 18th-century Edinburgh, the novel opens with Maggie's execution for the alleged murder of her newborn child. Maggie defies the odds and survives the hanging... and tries to return to her family.

Initially the family does not want anything to do with her, she is cast aside and finds solace and accommodation at a Gin Inn... where she slowly recovers from her ordeal... People pay to see her scars from the rope burns.... there is a deeper side to this book. - making us realise how ignorant people were about death of new born babies, and also how keeping a pregnancy secret in the 18th Century was actually a crime!

Maggie Dickson wakes up in a coffin and the legend of Half-hanged Maggie is born. As a woman growing up in the fish trade in Musselburgh, Maggie has few prospects and longs to escape to London. When she meets a handsome smuggler her head is turned and she soon marries but when he is press-ganged she is left alone. Deciding to travel South Maggie reaches Kelso before she is robbed and has to work at an inn. However Maggie is pregnant and, when her newborn daughter dies, Maggie is convicted of murder.
This is a fictional story based on the true life case of Maggie Dickson, a woman hung for infanticide but who survived. Foster has created a whole backstory around Maggie and this reflects the treatment of poor woman in early 18th century Scotland where concealment of pregnancy was a crime. I really enjoyed this story as Foster has obviously researched the life of the fishwives as well as all the detail of Edinburgh. It's a little too comfy at the end but this is also true to Maggie's life.

The Mourning Necklace is based on the true story of Maggie Dickson, who was sentenced to hang in Edinburgh in 1724 for concealing her pregnancy and killing her newborn child, but survived. The story tells us of Maggie’s life prior to the crime (which obviously should never have been a crime in the first place !), how she came to find herself at the gallows, and what she did after her remarkable escape from death.

The book highlights how brutal life was for women in the 1800’s in a patriarchal society, reminiscent of Kate Foster’s previous book, The Maiden. Kate’s writing is very descriptive and atmospheric, and I couldn’t put the book down. 5⭐️ perfection.

This book sparked my interest as it bore a strange similarity to a celebrated case in Devon, where I recently spent a holiday.
In 1885, John “” Babbacombe “” Lee survived three attempts to hang him for the crime of murder. Apparently, the trap door mechanism malfunctioned, and his sentence was converted to life imprisonment, but later on he was freed.
Margaret Dickson in 1724, was sentenced to be hung for the concealment of a pregnancy, and for not asking for help with the birth. The 1690 Scottish Act treated this sad event as murder, regardless of any direct evidence to prove or disprove the facts of the event.
Maggie survives the hanging and turned up at her own wake. She then had to plead for her life, despite the fact she was given her death certificate as proof that the sentence was carried out.
The questions that must have been asked about how such an event happened! Was it the fault of the executioner, was the body not weighed accurately, or was the rope simply too long? Surely a bereaved mother should have been treated with more compassion?.
Scotland was mainly Presbyterian and the Kirk of Scotland enforced a strict moral code upon young women. At home it was mostly a patriarchal rule, women were married off to men with good prospects, it was probably rare for single women to expect more than a marriage and many children, as they didn’t seem to have had any recourse to knowledge of sex and contraception matters. There were many social and cultural expectations imposed, marry within your own kind, and retain your purity for the wedding night, of course, none of this applies to the young men.
This is a beautifully written reimagining of a true event, well researched and some surprising and disturbing facts revealed about the plight of young women in those times. Maggie comes across as a strong, determined, wilful, but sorely put upon female. She seems to have been a rebel and a radical personality, and she is remembered still.
I loved the previous book, The King’s Witches, and this novel is in the same vein, the harsh privations experienced by women, the injustices suffered. Their stories must be told.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Pan MacMillan, for my copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I have given a five star rating.
I will also post to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

Not the usual historical novel or retelling. The story of a woman in XVIII century, of the power of state on her body, of how she was hanged and survived.
A story of being poor, going and surviving. It moved me and kept me turning pages.
Loved it, highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Mourning Necklace brings to life the tragic tale of ‘Half-Hanged Maggie’, the young Scottish woman who was sentenced to hang for the ‘lawful’ murder of her infant babe. Although set in the early 1700s, the themes surrounding the laws of the day are resonant in today’s society. A concisely written novel with some interesting twists.

Kate Foster has done it again. After the success of 'Maiden' and 'The King's Witches', Foster writes about Margaret Dickson who is hanged in 18th century Scotland for murdering her baby. Once again, Foster uses real-life events and people as the basis for her fiction, and she creates an engrossing portrait of a woman trapped by her circumstances. Foster is an expert at writing stories about desperate women who have few if any options. Foster was longlisted for the women's prize for her first novel, 'Maiden' and 'The Mourning Necklace' equals that novel in its brilliant storytelling. 'The Mourning Necklace' is a definite recommendation.

This is another excellent novel based on real life events by this author. Kate Foster writes so well, evoking the period and the personalities of her characters. You are totally immersed in the sights and sounds of the locations. The King’s WItches was the first novel I read by this author and I loved it, The Mourning Necklace is possibly even better. I love historical fiction and this is up there with the best. Highly recommended

This was a fascinating read, especially as it was based on a true event. The story starts with the hanging in 1724 and then goes back to the previous year for events leading up to it. The story also tells what happened afterwards. The main character, Maggie, had a hard working life in her fishing village, living with her parents and sister. She had always done what was requested of her but longed for a different life. I liked the way that Maggie became a stronger person as her story progressed. She was determined to make a better life for herself. In the story, women are treated as inferior, not even being in charge of their own bodies. This is a story that will remain with me for a long time. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own,

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this eCopy to review

The Mourning Necklace by Kate Foster, is an engaging and vivid read, offering a fascinating glimpse into a harrowing yet inspiring true story.

The novel follows Maggie Dickson, a Scottish woman condemned to death in 1724 for allegedly murdering her newborn child. After being hanged, her family mourns her loss—only for Maggie to appear at their door, miraculously alive. What follows is a gripping battle for justice, survival, and identity as Maggie fights against a system that has already sentenced her once. Foster’s storytelling brings 18th-century Scotland to life, immersing me in its harsh realities and the resilience of its people.

What I really appreciated was the depth of the historical setting and the emotional weight of Maggie’s journey. Foster's writing is atmospheric, and her portrayal of Maggie’s strength made her a truly compelling character.

The Mourning Necklace is a thought-provoking read with a powerful message about injustice and survival.

I really enjoyed this book. Great characters and very well written. I was hooked from beginning to end. Really interesting to see that Maggie was based on a real character and event. I'll be in Edinburgh later this year and looking forward to going to the pub named after Maggie in Grassmarket. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

Loosely based on a true story it tells the story of Half hanged Maggie who was hanged but still survived. It's a book about the way women were treated in the 18th century and also to a degree still now. Maggie was a hardworking fishwife who was hung for hiding her pregnancy and accused of murder. She was a strong woman and really stood up to the men who would abuse her. It is a grim story but has moments of lightness and humour. An absorbing story.

The Mourning Necklace is a gripping and often moving historical novel set in 18th century Scotland. Maggie Dickson is a young woman with her sights on a better life than she can expect as a fish wife, but her attempts to achieve it will bring her to the brink of death.
I loved Maggie, and her powerful instinct for survival. Her story resonates in today’s world, where women’s rights and working conditions are still so often not what they should be.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this thought-provoking and skilfully written novel.

Maggie Dickson, a young fisherwoman, is hanged for the murder of her newborn baby. Yet, a few hours later, Maggie walks into a tavern. Apart from the rope burn around her neck, nothing shows the ordeal she’s just been through. Maggie is not a zombie, in case you wondered, this isn’t that kind of tale. She’s very much alive. But how did she get here? And now that she is very clearly not dead, will they hang her again?

The fishing community where Maggie grew up is a harsh place. Day in day out, full of blood and guts, hands all red and raw, and not making nearly enough money to move ahead in life. Maggie can see what this life has done for her mother and the other women in the community, and she longs for something very different. She wants to travel to London, make a life for herself there, move up the social ladder. So when she meets Patrick Spencer, who sweeps her off her naive little feet, Maggie thinks a change is finally going to come. She couldn’t possibly be more wrong.

‘The Mourning Necklace‘ is inspired by the true story of Maggie Dickson, who became something of a local celebrity in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was given the nickname “Half Hangit” Maggie by the locals. Unsurprisingly, had it not been for the hanging-gone-wrong, nobody would have given two hoots about her as up until that point she had lived quite the unremarkable life. Nobody knows what really went wrong (right?) on Hanging Day, but I felt Kate Foster gave it a truly plausible explanation.

Did Maggie really murder her baby? Did she deserve what came next? Was her sentencing warranted? I have my own opinions, as I’m sure you will have too once you’ve read this story. And like me, you will probably look her up on the internet once you’re done reading and you too will see that the author has brought this rather dark tale to life perfectly.

Kate Foster has quickly become one of my favourite historical fiction authors. I can’t truthfully say that ‘The Mourning Necklace‘ was my favourite novel by her, but I’m putting the blame with myself rather than the book. And in hindsight, while writing this review, it occurred to me I enjoyed it more than I thought I was while reading it. If that makes sense. ‘The Mourning Necklace‘ is a story of survival, of mothers and women, featuring a most memorable character, and tackling topics that went slightly deeper than I at first expected.

This is a wonderul historical fiction novel. There is so much within the novel, the descriptions of Musselburgh, Kelso and Edinburgh, the intruiguing plot, lots to say about women, bodily autonomy, relationships and best of all for me was the vivid, flawed, yet loveable main character; Maggie Dickson.

The novel grabs you right from the first sentence and you have no choice but to read at pace to find out what has happened. The emptions are palpable throughout and although the author starts by telling us that Maggie was found guilty of killing her baby and hanged, you are compelled to find out how she got there.

I really enjoyed the feminist perspective we can see as chinks of light that still stayed true to the period of the book and makes us consider why we're still havent to fight misogynist views now, when we should have 100s of years of improvements behind us.

I nearly forgot a genuine gem within the book and its the use of the word Mibbie. Not Maybe. It genuinely alters the flow and makes the English feel much more Scottish, because the rhythm is just so different. I absolutely loved this decision.

A wonderful novel, that is gripping, touching and stirring.

The Mourning Necklace gives us a fictional background to a very real woman in the 1700s, Half-Hanged Maggie. Sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of her baby, we follow Maggie Dickson's tale before the hanging and after the hanging and gently unravel the mystery as to what exactly happened to get her there in the first place.

I loved how rich the prose is in The Mourning Necklace. I loved how the plot was so engaging. And I loved how historically correct the story was. My only gripe with this was the character of Maggie herself. She is presented as an incredibly forgiving person - moreso than is believable, and this took me a little out of the book towards the end.

Nevertheless, Kate Foster is rapidly becoming one of my top historical fiction writers and I can't wait for her next book. Highly recommend!

The was my first book by this author and loved it! Hooked on every page and loved the fact it’s based on true events. Never boring despite it being historical fiction, very well written, dark and atmospheric

‘Half-Hanged Maggie’ holds the promise of a tale that must be told – and it is related so well by Kate Foster. Based on a true story from the 1720s, when it was illegal to hide a pregnancy, the author captures the atmosphere and challenges of life in rural Scotland. The deft descriptions and historical facts embrace compelling and marvellous characters and events. Foster’s empathetic handling of the survival skills needed by women is a salutary tapestry to progress, hard-earned and hard-won by being strong, loyal and determined.