Author(s): Claire McGlasson

General Fiction

Miss Margaret Finch - the perfect 30s heroine and a young woman who will carve a space in your hearts alongside Mrs Hemingway, Mrs Bird and even William Lavery. Claire McGlasson is a brave and brilliant new voice in fiction.' - JESS KIDD Blackpool, 1938. Miss Margaret Finch - a rather demure young woman - has just begun work in a position that relies on her discretion and powers of observation, when her path is crossed by the disgraced Rector of Stiffkey (aka Harold Davidson) who is the subject of a national scandal, and newspaper headlines. Margaret is determined to discover the truth about Davidson; is he a maligned hero or an exploiter of the vulnerable? But her own troubles are never far away, and Margaret's fear that the history is about to repeat itself means she needs to uncover the truth urgently. This deeply evocative novel ripples with the tension of a country not yet able to countenance the devastation of another war. Margaret walks us along the promenade, peeks into the baths and dares even a trip on the love boat on this her first seaside summer season, on a path more dangerous than she could ever have imagined. Praise for The Rapture: 'A poignant tale of misplaced faith and unexpected love.' - Sunday Times, Books of the Year 'Intriguing and fascinating. impressive.' - The Times 'Meticulously researched, this involving, moving and disturbing read throws light on a fascinating corner of history.' - Daily Mail

Schrödinger's Books' Review:

Margaret Finch has joined the Mass Observation Project, a team of observers and volunteer writers that studied the everyday lives of ordinary people in Britain. The setting is Blackpool, 1938 – the seaside resort at its height of popularity with working-class people – filled with sideshows, waxworks and other amusements and the author brilliantly captures Blackpool’s tawdry allure.

One of the acts is a real historical figure, the disgraced and defrocked Rector of Stiffkey, Harold Davidson, who makes a spectacle of himself to fund an appeal against his dismissal. But is he guilty or innocent? Socially awkward Margaret makes it her mission to find out.

Readers will grow to love the fascinating but flawed characters – Margaret lacking in confidence but at times astutely observant, her gruff landlady Maude and eccentric boss James.

Ignore the incongruous cover, the slightly misleading blurb and ‘where is this going’ beginning and to avoid spoilers definitely do not Google the bizarre true-life story of the Rector of Stiffkey. If you liked Lessons in Chemistry then give this quirky and original novel a try. It’s a great story, one of those ‘historical fact being stranger than fiction’ tales.

- Catherine Clarke