The Mourning Necklace by Kate Foster is everything I’ve come expect from this talented author. Beautifully written, captivating and original, full of fascinating historical detail and characters that have real depth. I was completely engrossed, racing through the pages, unable to put it down. Although I found the ending a touch too neat and sentimental, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. This is historical fiction at its best and a true delight for any fan of the genre.

As with Kate’s previous books, this is also based on a true story of a young woman who was only “half hanged”.

I could really engage with the character as we learn the history of how she came to be sentenced to hang in the first place and the struggle women rich or poor had in such a male dominated time.

If you like good historical fiction with a touch of mystery this is for you!

The Mourning Necklace by Kate Foster

In The Mourning Necklace by Kate Foster delivers is the brilliant historical
story based on true fact.
Set in 1724, the book is about Maggie Dickson, a woman who,was sentenced to hanging for the murder of her newborn child , but comes around in a coffin and surprising her family by going back to them.
The author writes in a way that almost transports you back to that time and you feel as if you could have,actually been there with the description of the places she sets it in Scotland.

Based on the infamous true story of Half Hanged Maggie the story tells of this young woman trying to better herself from her circumstance.
Hung for a crime but she survives! Both heartbreaking and terrifying this story weaves flesh to the bones of the true story, giving Maggie a voice and a fictional story that intertwines with the true story perfectly!
An absolutely stunning read and a must for anyone who likes historical fiction

Kate Foster's latest novel is based on the true story of Maggie Dickson. In 1724 Maggie was sentenced to death for the murder of her newborn, she survives the hanging and wakes up in her coffin, while the judges debate whether her sentence has been carried out and she should be released, or if a second attempt at hanging Maggie should be made, we are taken back in time to learn about the events that have brought Maggie to this point. Foster does a great job of bringing 18th century Edinburgh and the surrounding area to life, and the female characters are exceptionally well written.

In The Mourning Necklace, Kate Foster delivers a gripping historical account inspired by a real-life case. Set in 1724, the book follows Maggie Dickson, a woman hanged for the murder of her newborn child—only to awaken in her coffin, defying death. The opening pages are an intense experience, as Maggie emerges from her coffin, bruised and dazed, with the rope mark around her neck a haunting reminder of her near death. The tension escalates as Maggie must confront the possibility of being hanged again while the judges debate her fate.

Foster's writing is vivid and immersive, bringing to life the settings of Musselburgh, Kelso, and Edinburgh. As someone familiar with East Lothian, I found the descriptions of the Grassmarket, Fisherrow, and Kelso particularly captivating. Foster’s ability to evoke the sights, sounds, and smells of these locations is nothing short of brilliant. Even those unfamiliar with the area will be transported to 18th-century Scotland through her detailed prose.

The book is not just about Maggie’s dramatic survival but also delves into the lives of the women around her. Despite facing gender-based violence and societal oppression, the women are portrayed as strong, resilient, and resourceful. They defy expectations, working hard to overcome the harsh realities of their time. Maggie’s character, based on a real historical figure, is especially compelling, and her story provides a powerful exploration of loss, hardship, and the fight for survival.

Foster also shines a light on the harsh realities of life for women in 18th-century Scotland. Maggie, as well as the other female characters, offers a glimpse into the strength of women who had to fight against rigid social expectations, limited rights, and a lack of financial independence. The book celebrates their resilience, competence, and quiet defiance in the face of overwhelming adversity.

For anyone with an interest in historical fiction, The Mourning Necklace offers a rich and immersive experience that blends historical facts with powerful storytelling.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

My first experience with Kate Foster, and it certainly won't be the last.

Set in the eighteenth century, The Mourning Necklace is inspired by the true story of Maggie Dickson, a young woman who was accused of concealing her pregnancy and murdering her baby and was hanged, but survived her execution. Sometimes life is indeed stranger than fiction.

I followed Maggie's story with great interest. From the start I found her a very sympathetic character. I admired her resilience and her ambition for something more in life, and I understood her actions even if I didn't always agree with them. 

Apart from the strong characterization of the main character, the story had a lof of thought-provoking themes as well as many interesting informations about the time period, such as the life of working women and the prison system. The fact that it was a crime to conceal a pregnancy was shocking to me. 

The book is divided into three parts which follows Maggie's life before, during and after her execution, and I loved all of them, but the last part was my favourite. I loved how everything wrapped up and I was happy with everything that happened. And the epilogue had me in tears. It was a perfect ending to the story.

"The Mourning Necklace" by Kate Foster is a riveting historical novel based on the true story of Maggie Dickson, a woman hanged for infanticide in 18th-century Scotland who miraculously survives.

The story begins with Maggie's family grieving her supposed death, only to be stunned when she returns. This pivotal event sets the stage for a story that explores themes of survival, societal judgment, and women's resilience in the face of adversity.

Maggie's journey is at the heart of the novel as she faces her family's shame and the legal system's relentless pursuit. Her character transforms from a tragic figure to one of determination, driven by the desire to prove her innocence and protect herself. The supporting characters, like her family members, add depth to the narrative by highlighting the complex relationships and societal pressures that shape Maggie's life.

The book skillfully tackles themes that resonate with today's societal issues, such as the stigmatization of women's bodies and the criminal justice system's treatment of marginalized people.

Foster's writing is evocative and immersive, with a tone that balances the darkness of the subject matter with a sense of hope and defiance. The narrative structure effectively combines historical detail with personal drama, creating an atmosphere of tension and suspense.

For me, the book was emotionally powerful, evoking feelings of empathy and outrage. The way Foster handles sensitive topics invites readers to reflect on their own experiences with societal judgment and resilience.

In the realm of historical fiction, "The Mourning Necklace" stands out for its blend of historical accuracy and feminist perspective. It follows Foster's previous work, "The Maiden," by exploring female empowerment and survival in a patriarchal society.

This book is special because it brings attention to a lesser-known historical figure, using her story to shed light on broader social issues that remain relevant today.

Overall, it is a gripping read that will leave readers moved and inspired by Maggie's unbreakable spirit.

Although it took me a little while to settle into this book, I soon became immersed in Maggie’s tragic story and the circumstances that led her there. Although the premise of the book is quite dark, you root for Maggie throughout and feel frustration on her behalf for the way that women were treated. The ending is ultimately satisfying, although I would have liked to know more about the intervening years, I understand that the author had to end the book somewhere! It’s amazing Maggie is based on a real person and the book is clearly very well researched even though it is a fictional account. I look forward to reading the author’s next book!

Compelling story about a real woman, Maggie Dickson, who was hanged for the crime of concealing her pregnancy but who survived. Maggie is an amazing character and I loved this book, it was tense and thought provoking throughout with an ensemble of wonderful characters like Mrs Jenever and Mrs Baxter. It was more than the story of Maggie's ordeal and how she moved on, it was about poverty, women's rights (and lack of) and how rich men exploit women. Some things don't change. A very feminist story which was enjoyable and page turning too.

Highly recommend

What an amazing story. Based on fact with a wonderful fictional story woven around it. The hardships and injustice born on women up to the 1800’s are almost unbelievable in this modern age. The book explores many of those moments, most of which I was unaware of. Life was brutal in so many ways, this book stays with you long after you’ve finished it for those very reasons. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Kate Foster is fast becoming one of my favourite authors for historical fiction based on true events. The Mourning Necklace is another brilliant and immersive book. You are transported back in time and can hear, see and live the lives of the brilliant characters that this author brings to life. Immaculately researched and an absolute pleasure and a treat to read. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

I didn’t expect this book to be as touching and affecting as it was. I vaguely knew the Edinburgh legend of Maggie Dickson who survived the hangman’s noose, but Kate Foster has taken the little that is known and created a rich, full life for her; of grief and loss and hardship and yearning, but also of hope.

We learn her life story and the tragic events that led her to the hangman’s noose as she awaits her fate following the failed hanging, but she isn’t a tragic heroine. She’s very real, hard working, flawed, full of love and also practical. The relationships with her Ma and sister Joan and female friends she meets along the way are well drawn, and I didn’t want her story to end.

“We are bold and brave and built for battle”.

Kate Foster has written yet another incredible novel bringing history to life, this time based on the Half-Hanged Woman, Maggie, who in September 1724 was hung and survived!

We learn of the dark side of Edinburgh,with its poverty and death & the surrounding area of Kelso. It is written in such a sympathetic & empathetic way, the reader is pulled into the story as though they are part of the narrative.

I couldn't put it down & when I had finished it I wanted to re-read it straight away!
This is a must-have read for any historical fiction fan.
Thankyou to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Foster’s new novel ‘The Mourning Necklace’ was an excellent way to start my February reading.

Set in 1724, we follow Maggie Dickson, a woman who has been hanged for the murder of her newborn baby. We are plunged into the action from the outset as Maggie awakens in her coffin within the opening pages having survived the hanging. The description of the welt on her neck and her disoriented state as she tries to escape the confines of the coffin had me quite literally on the edge of my seat. As the judges debate the wording of the law and whether they should have another go at putting her death, we go back in time to learn about the events that led Maggie to that fateful moment. What follows is a harrowing account of loss, hardship, gender-based violence and an awe-inspiring resilience from a Fisherrow Fisherwoman who slowly comes to the realisation that she, in her own words, is “built for battle”.

The action of the novel moves between Musselburgh, Kelso and Edinburgh. I live in the heart of East Lothian so I LOVE that I could visualise the places described in the novel: the gallows at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh, the harbour at Fisherrow and the market square of Kelso. Even if you don’t live locally, Kate Foster is a genius at writing rich and immersive prose that definitively captures the essence of a place, building the fictionalised world up layer upon layer so that you can almost hear the hustle and bustle and smell the stench of the Nor Loch.

As much as I enjoyed the dark, murky side of Edinburgh, I also really loved the quotidian rhythm of 18th century life within Fisherrow and Kelso. The novel seems to celebrate the women at the heart of it all who, despite being brutalised by the men around them, basically just get stuff done. They are hard-working, competent and stoic, and despite their petty differences, seem to share a deep bond as they all fight (silently or otherwise) against rigid social expectations, limited legal rights and scarce opportunities for education or any sort of financial independence.

The female characters in the novel are varied and serve as a great cross-section of society at that time. Maggie though… I LOVE that she was based on a real historical figure. To think that I’ve had many a gin in the eponymous Maggie Dickson’s bar in the middle of Edinburgh’s Grassmarket, not really appreciating who she was or the fact that she was hanged a stone’s throw from the pub. If you’ve never visited Edinburgh, I would thoroughly recommend.

This is another contender for one of my favourite reads of the year… and it’s only February! Thanks so much to Pan MacMillan for an advance copy of the novel. This is a highly recommended one from me and will likely linger with you long after you’ve tuned the final page.

Kate Foster has a remarkable ability to write stories about women who are often overlooked in history. Her vivid storytelling captivated me and made this book a true joy to read. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I found myself completely enchanted by this particular narrative. The characters are skillfully crafted, drawing me into the story so deeply that once I started reading, I couldn't put it down until I finished. I will recommend this book to any historical fiction fan thank
You very much to netgalley for The access to this ARC

Having loved two other books from this author I was very excited to read this wonderful work of historical fiction.
This story is based on a real case which I vaguely knew about but now have much more understanding of.
I found this so utterly absorbing and read it within a couple of days as I couldn’t put it down! A lot of this was heartbreaking as we know how women have been treated in the past and it really hits home regarding some themes from today
Loved every minute of this

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

1700s Edinburgh, bodies of excecuted criminals unclaimed by families, go to the anatomists, by order.
So it was for Maggie. Her body lay in the coffin. Is she being made ready for the doctors to begin their gruesome work, to remove her organs, to cut her into pieces, to study her veins and arteries. But the hangman's rope had not done its work, though there it was, the pitiless mark around her neck, her punishment for murdering her own child. The last thing she remembered was the drop, the scream that would not come, then blackness. She had survived.
What else could Maggie do but walk into the inn, to her own wake...to her family and tell us her story.
Maggie's brutal da earned his keep from the sea, the whole family did. Living out of one room, life was as hard as it could be. But it was life. Extra money could be found from smuggling, but not much. The additional coin came with danger.
Maggie dreamt of escape from this life, some day she would get away and live a different life. One day, her head was turned by a handsome stranger and her dream could begin, but so too would her nightmare..

Such an enjoyable book ! Exciting. Action packed. Energetic. It will tap into all your emotions, as Maggie life unravels. What makes this novel more poignant, is it's based on a true story.
As with all Kate's books, I recommend you read it, because you will love it.

Suse

The Mourning Necklace tells the story of Margaret Dickson, an 18th century Scottish woman sentenced to hang for concealing her pregnancy and murdering her baby. Based on the true story of "Half Hangit Maggie", Kate Foster deftly fills in the gaps left by the historical record with a believable, heart-wrenching and beautifully written story.

Foster's writing is superb - she effectively evokes the sights, smells and sounds of 18th century Edinburgh and Musselburgh. Each character is deftly drawn and evokes emotions from pity to terror. This was very much a "just one more chapter" book. Highly reccommended.

I absolutely loved this book, based on the real life story of Half-Hanged Maggie who survived the noose in 18th Century Edinburgh💓

Maggie grows up in a Scottish family who make their living gutting fish and taking in smuggled or contraband goods for safe keeping. Life is hard, they can barely make ends meet and Maggie has ambitions to move to London and become a seamstress. When a handsome man starts to take interest her head is turned but soon she will hang for the crime she commits, yet if she can survive that maybe Maggie can still make a better life for herself.

There are so many relevant themes in this story for today: the reproductive rights of women, coercive control, betrayal etc. This is so brilliantly told, I was gripped from start to finish.