Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "the-malevolent-trilogy"

Malevolent Hearts by Carrie Dalby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The opening installment in a gothic historical family saga.

Merritt Hall arrives in Mobile to stay with her aunt and uncle and their orphaned niece, her cousin Winifred, with whom she quickly develops a bond.

Haunted by tragedy, the family strives to overcome their sadness, though Winifred may be haunted by more than just her memories and her grief.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Fever epidemic rages. As it reaches the town, their hopes for happiness and their very lives become fraught with peril.

'Malevolent Hearts' is the first novel in 'The Malevolent Trilogy' by Carrie Dalby, a family saga in the Southern Gothic tradition, with ties to her gothic saga 'The Possession Chronicles'. Set in Mobile, Alabama, during the 1897 Yellow Fever epidemic, this is emotive historical fiction, evermore poignant when you consider it was written and published during the 2020 global pandemic. The story is narrated by Merritt, who, at nineteen years old is charged with the care and education of her fifteen year old cousin, Winifred. Their family is haunted by grief and guilt connected to the tragic losses of many of their loved ones.

This is also a tale of romance, Winifred's mutual attraction with their charming and roguish neighbour, Sean, building into a burgeoning passion, a love forbidden for many reasons, while Merritt also begins a courtship of her own. There's a coming-of-age theme running throughout, with Merritt, Winifred and Sean all on a journey of self-discovery, events forcing them to mature and to discover their adult selves through the trauma they suffer. The core characters never fail to be likeable, even when one or two may engage in rather questionable behaviour. Winifred is perhaps my favourite character - her fighting spirit, innocence and rebellious streak provoking amusement, sadness and admiration. Dalby has crafted an emotionally-driven tale, our connection to these characters keeping us riveted through joy and tragedy.

The historical backdrop is well-developed, an authentic exploration of the social norms and expectations of the period, demonstrating just how scandalous some things would be. The attitudes of some of the more powerful male characters in particular are quite stark, though you never lose sight of an awareness of experiencing the past through the lens of its sometimes vastly different attitudes. The subtle demonstration of female strength and rebellion was one of my favourite elements. Religion and spirituality are also explored – in the societal split between Catholics and Baptists, as well as some traditional ways to avert the attentions of evil spirits. Most of all, the fear and isolation as a result of the epidemic is sublimely captured, and the dreadful reality that sometimes illness can claim us and there is little we can do to prevent or even fight it.

The story continues in 'Tangled Discoveries', taking the saga into the next generation - with threads seeded through this novel that may have a bearing on the future. Chronologically, Dalby's young adult novel 'Fortitude' and the first novel in 'The Possession Chronicles' follow this one, all part of a shared universe of historical gothic fiction. Nevertheless, this book also works brilliantly as a standalone Southern Gothic historical drama.

Equally heart-wrenching and heart-warming, 'Malevolent Hearts' is a moving story of love and loss, a fantastic first chapter in the history of a family and their haunted legacy.



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