Local Customs by Audrey Thomas

by Audrey Thomas

Nominated for the 2014 Victoria Book PrizeLetitia Landon, "Letty" to her friends, is an intelligent, witty, successful writer, much sought after for dinner parties and soirées in the London of the 1830s. But, still single at thirty-six, she fears ending up as a wizened crone in a dilapidated country cottage, a cat her only companion.Just as she is beginning to believe she will never marry, she meets George Maclean, home on leave from his position as the governor of Cape Coast Castle on the Gold Coast of West Africa. George and Letty marry quietly and set sail for Cape Coast. Eight weeks later she is dead — not from malaria or dysentery or any of the multitude of dangers in her new home, but by her own hand. Or so it would seem.Local Customs examines, in poetic detail, a way of life that has faded into history. It was a time when religious and cultural assimilation in the British colonies gave rise to a new, strange social order. Letty speaks from beyond the grave to let the reader see the world through her eyes and explore the mystery of her death. Was she disturbed enough to kill herself, or was someone — or something — else involved?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada, Fiction, Mystery, Adult Fiction, Africa

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Audrey Grace Thomas, née Callahan, novelist and short story writer (b at Binghamton, NY 17 Nov 1935). Audrey Thomas was educated at Smith College, Mass, and St Andrews University, Scotland, and then taught in England for a year. In 1959 she moved to Canada and in 1963 earned an MA at the University of British Columbia. From 1964 to 1966 she lived in Ghana, but eventually settled on Galiano Island. She has published more than 15 novels and short story collections, more than 20 radio plays, several broadcast on CBC Radio, and numerous travel articles, some of which featured in Air Canada's in-flight magazine.

Thomas' writing has been described as feminine; her forte is the minutiae of women's lives, and she has claimed to strive "to demonstrate the terrible gap between men and women" and "to give women a sense of their bodies." Her style is characterized by word play; she emphasizes puns, etymologies, euphemisms, words within words, and pointing to the inherent possibilities, ironies and ambiguities of language. This close attention to language highlights the act of writing itself, and the possibilities and impossibilities of communication in human relationships. Her writing is also rich with literary allusion, from Shakespeare to Conrad, and from the Bible to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Audrey Thomas is a multi-award winning author. She has been recognized provincially, winning the Ethel Wilson Prize three times (for Intertidal Life, 1985, Wild Blue Yonder, 1991 and Coming Down from Wa, 1996). She has twice been nominated for the Governor General's Award (1984 and 1985), and has been internationally recognized with the Canada-Scotland Writer's Literary fellowship (1984-6) and the Canada-Australia Literary Prize (1989). In 1987 she won the Marian Engel Award, awarded annually to a female Canadian author for her contribution to Canadian literature. In 2003 Audrey Thomas won the Terasen Lifetime Achievement Award.

(from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.co...)

Reviews

[Sally906 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Letitia Elizabeth Landon was a popular English poet and novelist in the 1800s, better known by her initials L.E.L. She was estranged from her mother and lived alone which in itself was scandalous and led to rumours of being inappropriately chaperoned and eventually gossip had her as having several lovers and at least one illegitimate child. Still single at thirty-six, and with her style of writing losing popularity, she fears ending up alone. In 1838 she met and married the governor of Cape Coast Castle, Captain George MacLean while he was in England on leave. It was a whirl-wind romance and was later widely believed she arranged it quickly and secretly so that he wouldn’t hear the rumours. They immediately sailed for Cape Coast (now known as Ghana) however a few months later Letty is dead. In fact in the first few pages she tells you she has died and that she is speaking from the grave allowing the reader to see the circumstances around the mystery of her death. The reader then gets to decide how Letitia Landon Maclean died. Was Letty was disturbed enough to kill herself or was someone, or something, else was involved. Author Audrey Thomas refrained from coming up with a definitive answer, although it is fairly obvious she didn’t think it was suicide, she does give a lot of clues and hints of just what she thinks may have happened. The story is told through many voices (witnesses) and each suggests there is more to the story than meets the eye. The five principle narrators are Letty herself, her husband George, the local missionary Thomas, Brodie Cruikshank who is an admirer of Letty and friend of George and finally Mrs Baily. A very readable story, with lots of descriptions about the local customs and how some of the white people respected them; and others didn’t. Also a lot of insight as to how the Europeans clung to their own local customs, bringing them to a place that was not suited to them. I did find that that sometimes it was a bit hard to tell when a new character was talking especially when a few of them spoke in quick succession. This may have something to do with the fact that I had an advanced copy of the e-book version so all the final touches to the script and placement were probably not completed.

Audrey Thomas first heard Leticia Landon’s story in 1964 while she and her husband were in Ghana. When she toured Cape Coast Castle, one of about thirty "slave castles", built on the Gold Coast of West Africa by European traders her guide showed her the grave and told her about the famous English lady who wrote books and who’s death was surrounded by mystery. This is Audrey’s answer to that mystery, and it is an intriguing mystery – no autopsy was ever done and the inquest was almost a kangaroo court of a decision and she was buried almost immediately. There was an official inquiry but no conclusion was ever reached and George was buried beside her only a few years later.

[Magdelanye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering that none of the characters were that reliable or appealing, Audrey Thomas has nevertheless managed to capture the essence of the time and place, Ghana, not long after the abolition of slavery.

Based on the life of an English poet whose fame has not outlasted her (anyone heard of LEL?) the story simmered in the back of ATs mind from her years in Africa until decades later when she realized it had never been told. I am glad she resisted the impulse to sanitize and solve the mystery.

[Merry · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing-in-a-unique-kind-of-way book! Local Customs is based on the real lives of Letitia Landon and George Maclean. Letitia was a fairly well-known poet and occasional novelist in the 1830s. George Maclean was Governor of Cape Coast (now Ghana). The two meet in London, decide to marry, and she joins him in tropical West Africa. Most Europeans who went there either became very ill or died, but Letitia thrived in the hot, humid climate. That is until she died just 8 weeks after arriving, under very suspicious circumstances. She was found with a bottle of the very deadly prussic acid in her hand, but neither her doctor nor a chemist prescribed or mixed up such a solution for her.

The book, a fairly quick read at just over 200 pages, was written primarily from Letitia's perspective, who tells us at the beginning of the book that she is dead. We also hear from her husband and a few other key non-fictional characters. The writing style was excellent; I could picture quite clearly in my mind the setting, the people, and the situation. I will definitely look for more books by Thomas Audrey.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for honest feedback.

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the setting with all the historical details about the Gold Coast in 1838, and the real-life characters Governor George Maclean and his bride Letitia Landon. This is a mystery. The story is told from the viewpoint of Letitia, who has already died. So the reader knows what is about to happen, just not when or where or how.

If I have any criticism, it is that the book was too short. I enjoy longer books, but those who want a quick read will find this one delightful. I wanted to know more about the back story, and what happened after the final chapter. I was hoping the author would fictionalize it, if she couldn't find out through her research.

I received this book from Dundurn Press in exchange for an honest review. Therefore it is a pleasure that I am able to give it such a good one. I really wanted to keep reading, and that's the only reason I am giving it four stars instead of five.

[Lee Trentadue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reccommend this book without reservation. I love novels with fascinating and complex characters and stories. And Local Customs has these in spades. I couldn't put this book down and even after reading it, I felt compelled to find out more about the story. The internet is so fabulous for this...I stayed up into the wee hours of the night....I will most likely pick this up and read it again and I would love to find out more about Letty, based on an 1830's writer( Letitia Elizabeth Landon) from London who married George Maclean the Governor of the Gold Coast(now Ghana) .They travelled there shortly after their marriage and the story continues....loved the intrigue, the historical detail, the character Letty, the descriptions of the Castle on the Gold Coast, the atmosphere...I could go on...

[Carol Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based upon the real life story of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, LEL, a popular English poet in the 1800s. She tells her story from the grave.After a whirlwind romance in London LEL marries George McLean, in 1838 and they promptly go to Cape Coast (nowGhana) where George is posted. Within several months LEL is dead! The mystery of her death is left to the reader to decide on the cause. I enjoyed the story and I also enjoyed how the author brought the colourful setting of Africa alive and included the customs of the local people.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story and the way it was told from the different characters' points of view. At the beginning you know the main character has died and is telling the story after her death. I would have liked more questions answered at the end, but since this book is based on a true story and a lot of details are still unknown, I guess it ended the only way it could.

[GailJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book. Spellbinding. Characterization is amazing. Didn't know this Canadian author. Now will find all her books.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt the story was interesting and I liked the way that the story was told however I found I could not suspend my disbelief - either with the characters or with the plot

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about these quirky characters who lived in a castle in Ghana in early 1800’s.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jan Melnyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book terrified me but was an amazing read. It is based on true story of an English writer who died under suspicious circumstancess in Africa. i t reads like a diary of Letty as well as her husband.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 out of 5 stars -- This fictional novel based on historical events (1830s) asks the question -- did Letitia Landon Maclean die of an unintentional or deliberate overdose of prussic acid, or was she murdered?

Be forewarned, the definitive answer is not here, but there are loads of clues and hints of what may have happened. The story of Letitia's background -- she's a relatively well-known poetess in London, and arrival in Gold Coast, Africa, with her new husband Governor George Maclean, is told in several different voices. Each character, including Letty herself, alludes to events and sinister goings on that might have led up to Letty's sudden death only 8 weeks after arriving.

It was quite common for foreigners to die quickly on Cape Coast, but Letty did not contract any of the usual suspect diseases such as dysentery, malaria or bites from poisonous snakes and insects. An empty medicine bottle of "cyanide" was found clutched in her hand -- but no one will admit to prescribing or mixing that formula for her.

This is an intriguing mystery set in a country that was completely unfamiliar to Europeans who had used the port as a loading point for the slave trade before abolition. The "local customs" required the ability of those who came there to adapt rapidly even as they tried to change the inhabitants' religion and culture to be "more British" and Christian. The history of Gold Coast Castle and the events that led up to Letty's death were interesting though the cause or reason for her actual demise is still speculative. Given that there was no autopsy and that burial occurred quite quickly, it's likely the questions will never be answered.

If you enjoy mystery and historical fiction that centers on a true story, you'll enjoy this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn for the ebook ARC to review.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several books by this author and enjoyed them all. This particular book is set in the British colony of the Gold Coast (now Ghana) in the 19th century. Audrey Thomas and her husband lived in Ghana for some years, and visited Cape Castle while there and she became interested in the story of Letitia Landon who was married to George MacLean, the Governor of the colony, and who died soon after arriving in Africa under unknown circumstances.

The story is told in several different voices: that of Letitia herself after her death, of her husband George, her admirer, Brodie Cruickshank, and Thomas Birch Freeman, a Wesleyan missionary. The authors writing paints a vivid picture of London society at the time, as well as the African jungle and the town where the castle is situated. Also of interest is the way in which this African colony was administered, and the way in which British customs were followed almost slavishly at the Castle.
Letitia tries hard to assimilate into the circumstances in which she finds herself,but she is published poet and is used to being at the centre of literary society in London. Once in Africa she has few friends and her main associate in Mrs Bailey who is more a servant than a friend. She is certainly lonely and her husband does little to ease her situation.

The mystery surrounding her death is not solved in the book...it ends having given little clues to what may have happened but the reader is left to decide which is the most likely circumstance. Was Letitia murdered...if so by whom and why, or did she commit suicide by taking an overdose of her medicine. There is also the vague threat of African magic which may have played a part.

This is fairly quick read and very compelling.

[Gee-Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Local Customs is a story set in the 1830's and is based on true events.

Letitia Landon is a lady of limited means who has turned her love of writing into a way of supporting her family, gaining a certain amount of notoriety in her time. She has enjoyed an active social life, but as she reaches age 36, becomes concerned that she will end up an old woman living alone with her cat.
In walks George Maclean, home on leave from his position as the governor of Cape Coast Castle on the Gold Coast of West Africa (now Ghana). In very short order, they marry, and leave for the Gold Coast. Letty dies within 8 weeks of arriving in Africa. She does not have any obvious illness, insect or snake bite, but everyone has a theory about what happened.
This book is written from the viewpoint of Letty, after she has died, and several of the people around her, including George, her female companion, a local missionary, and another governor in the area. Some people did not like the style of moving from one person to another, but I liked "seeing" the situation from different points of view.
I found the book well-written and fascinating in the descriptions of the times, ideas, beliefs and behaviors. It also reinforced my wonder at how colonial countries could really believe they were "improving" the lives of the people they conquered.
I give it a 4 Star rating. If you like historic settings, and novels based on real events and people, you will enjoy this book. I personally did not like that a definitive answer was not given as to how Letty died, but that's my personal hang-up for leaving things hanging.
Enjoy!

[Stacia · Rating 2 out of 5]

So Letitia realizes she's getting old and her days of being able to support herself as a writer are likely numbered. She more or less traps this guy into marrying her because he has money and standing and he'll take her to West Africa, which sounds like an adventure.

Upon arriving, she barely leaves their "castle" - but he's gone all the time, working amongst the natives. She becomes close to another man, which he doesn't like, and she doesn't like that he's jealous.

Within a couple of months, Letty dies. It's not the usual malaria or dysentery death of most who come to the island. It appears to be suicide. Or maybe not.

This is more or less all on the jacket or in the summary. Which also promises Letty would speak from "beyond the grave" to tell us what happened to her.

Maybe this is a spoiler? Unless I read the book incorrectly, she doesn't speak from beyond the grave until the last few pages. And it doesn't seem to me that we definitively find out what happens to her. It bounces points of view so there are definitely chapters not told by ghost-Letty.

What saves this book for me is the way it examines aspects of religion and cultural assimilation in that time and place (1838). There's a scene where a religious leader (a Wesleyan, at that, which is the denomination I was assimilated into myself as a young'un) paints religious figurines white even though he's using them for the natives of the island. There's a lot of looking at the natives' customs and questioning it with a wary, judging eye, wanting them to change.

I can't really recommend it, but I'm not sorry I read it.

[Kathryn Svendsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting look into the very different style of life in the early 1800’s in the Gold Coast (now Ghana). This unusual novel is mainly written from the protagonist’s point of view, but after she has died. Throughout, there are portions that are labeled with the names of the other characters and these portions seem to be from their point of view. I thought it seemed a bit like a documentary and these characters had all been interviewed and then the interviews had all been put together so that all the events were being spoken about chronologically.

I found this story interesting, but I didn’t really enjoy the style in which it was written. I have never read anything else by this author before, so I don’t know if this novel was written in her usual style or not.

I have never heard of L.E.L., a well-known poetess of her time, and I appreciate the time and effort that Ms. Thomas took to do all her research on this woman. After reading Local Customs, I looked for information on L.E.L. and was able to appreciate the creativity that Ms. Thomas put into weaving the narrative of her book.

I gave this book two stars. This was mainly because I did not enjoy the writing style. Others may enjoy this style and those more familiar with this author may thoroughly enjoy this book. This review is my opinion only.


I received this book from Dundurn Press through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how the book was written in different points of view from different characters in the story, giving them a life of their own. It gave different sets of outlook on similar situations. Snippets of different customs or traditions of tribal Africa were even captured and described vividly allowing the reader to take part in the activites. The reader is also given a glimpse of the lives of these people during their time, and they are much appreciated even with their simplicity. Even if I found the ending a bit hanging, upon reading the epilogue, I discovered that up to now, the death of Letitia Landon still remains a mystery. It was also a puzzle that once the death of Letitia Landon was spelled out, the events unfolded quite quickly, allowing the reader little time to swallow it all in, forgetting the importance of the other characters. Though the story didn't delve much into deeper details, it was a great short read without the boring parts that history entails.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The paucity of local customs in Audrey Thomas’ Local Customs is understandable, forgivable even, since it is a short work of history more than fiction and the local customs in question are those of a people who lived on the wrong side of history. While the central historical figure (along with the other historical figures in the work who all do a bang up job of being Victorian colonial representatives of the Crown and Christianity) keeps her contact with the indigenous Negros of the West African coast to a decorous minimum. The paucity of storyline was disappointing to me. (I am of the opinion that history was probably to blame for that oversight, not the author.) It was heartening to see that human slavery was roundly condemned. The writing, however, kept me engaged. It seemed honest and straightforward. I appreciated its brevity.

[Deborah Sowery-Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been years, no, decades, since I have read anything by Audrey Thomas. How did I forget about her? This piece of historical fiction is an Evergreen Nominee for 2016 (Ontario Library Association program) & a beautifully written piece. It takes the story of an author of the 19th century, Letty Landon, & narrates her journey from spinsterhood to marriage & a move to the Gold Coast of Africa with her husband. Letty meets a somewhat mysterious end in Africa so she is actually narrating this story from the grave. I liked this novel tho some might not like the very slow pace or the ending which does not give a definitive solution to the mystery of Letty's death, probably because there isn't one!

[Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting fictional biography of Letitia Landon, an English woman who earned her living as a poet and author before marrying George Maclean and going to live with him in Cape Coast Castle on the Gold Coast of West Africa in the 1830s. Told in alternating voices, she and the few Europeans living there experience the sharp contrasts between their culture and that of the natives. Audrey Thomas is such a talented writer, and has drawn on personal experience living in Gambia and visiting the setting to craft this story.

[Susan Earle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a remarkable read. The story is a bit like C.S. Lewis' onion skins. Told in several voices, a peeling away of the life and mysterious death of an English woman. This adds a depth I think, to the story that could not have been told as well in one voice.

At the same time it is the tale of the changing tides of colonialism, with colourful glimpses of the native world they sought to change.

I thought the writing was brilliant. My review does scarce justice to Thomas' work. An excellent choice for this year's Evergreen list. Kudos to the committee members who chose it.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Local customs is a historical novel based on a true mystery
.Leticia an unusually independent career woman in the 1800s,meets George they fall in love marry rapidly & sail off to West Africa eight weeks later Leticia is dead an overdose of poison.Till this day the mystery of her death has not been solved .Did George kill her what really happened .a fast paced mystery that will have you turning the pages .highly recommend.

[Val Sanford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. Though beautifully written, in a call/response format with each character owning a chapter. The mystery is not the center of the novel. Rather the constraint of a British woman living on the cape of Africa, with missionaries, her husband's Scotch views, and the peering eyes of servants and natives alike push Letitia into a sort of madness. She dies, we learn on page one, and the rest of the book simply unfolds, day by day, the life she leads.

[Jane Mulkewich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on real people and a true story, involving a lingering mystery of an English woman who died on the Gold Coast of West Africa... the writing was beautifully done. I liked the way the author wrote from different viewpoints, and sometimes switching characters within a chapter for just a short paragraph or two but always seamlessly done, it never felt disjointed or confusing. The reader gets drawn into the mystery.

[Nancy Croth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 1830's between England and West Africa, this is a fictionalized account of a brief period in the real lives of poet Letitia Landon and her husband, Cape Coast Governor George McLean. Told from the perspective of a number of people with whom the couple interacted during their time in Africa, it is a tale of the lives of the Brits who were trying to 'civilize' Africa during that time. A short read sadly but worth it!!!

[PamM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as an early Netgalley ebook. I liked the story and the setting, but it seemed a bit unfinished to me, with some loose ends and unanswered questions. I know this is based on true events, but certain elements were introduced and then dropped (voodoo fetish dolls, behind-the-door breathing, pregnancy?)... Maybe I'm just missing something here.

[Pat Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an astonishing book, amazing that the author packed so much into 200 pages. The format was very interesting - each of the characters told their story in the first person. The author made you feel you really knew each one personally. Anyone interested in historical novels and stories about culture clashes between Imperialist Britain and African culture in the 1800's will love this.

[Vontel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ebook downloaded for a trip, turned out to be something of a surprise and a sleeper, particularly in its writing style, including chapters from the soon to be dead/dead woman, as well as her husband and one of her good friends. Will have to see what else this author has written.