The Knowing

by Emma Hinds

In the slums of 19th-century New York.
A tattooed mystic fights for her life.
Her survival hangs on the turn of a tarot card.

Powerful, intoxicating and full of suspense. The Knowing is a darkly spellbinding novel about a girl fighting for her survival in the decaying criminal underworlds.

Whilst working as a living canvas for an abusive tattoo artist, Flora meets Minnie, an enigmatic circus performer who offers her love and refuge in an opulent townhouse, home to the menacing Mr Chester Merton. Flora earns her keep reading tarot cards for his guests whilst struggling to harness her gift, the Knowing - an ability to summon the dead. Caught in a dark love triangle between Minnie and Chester, Flora begins to unravel the secrets inside their house. Then at her first public séance, Flora hears the spirit of a murdered boy prostitute and exposes his killer, setting off a train of events which put her life at risk.

The Knowing is a stunning debut inspired by real historical characters including Maud Wagner, one of the first known female tattoo artists, New York gang the Dead Rabbits, and characters from PT Barnum's circus.

Something Powerful Is Coming.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, LGBT, Fiction, Gothic, Queer

304 pages, Hardcover

First published July 4, 2024

About the author

Emma is a fiction writer and playwright living and working in the North of England. She graduated from St. Andrews University with an MLitt. in Creative Writing in 2014. She focuses on historical narratives, female voices, and Queer stories. She was longlisted for BBC Writersroom, and has been part of the Write Now Penguin and Random House project. In 2020, she was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel competition. Emma identifies as Queer and uses She/Her pronouns.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via the publishers.

The Knowing is a well written and atmospheric historical fiction book with gothic undertones. Set in 1900s New York and later travelling to Manchester in the UK, I jumped at the chance to read it as I live only an hour away from Manchester.
Flora is a female tattoo artist living in the slums in New York and possesses a gift she's been warned not to use - the Knowing. When Flora meets Minnie (a past circus performer with dwarfism), her life changes. But Flora escapes one situation to land herself in the centre of a new one, which leaves her in a fight for her life. Who can she truly trust as the web she's found herself in starts to unravel.
The paranormal elements in this story brought chills and goosebumps to my arms. There are dark themes within this book, so I advise checking trigger warnings if you feel you need to. My favourite character was Abe (Abernathy) throughout the story, and I loved the development of Flora and her strength.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book whose blurb roused my interest and yet somehow the story failed to deliver despite starting well. I was hoping for more atmospheric details and cohesive plot. I did not really connect with any of the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Knowing is a Gothic, historical fiction novel that offers a captivating journey into the 19th century and begins in the slums of New York. Flora is a painted lady and tattoo artist working for the man who took her for his own and treated her badly. He inked her skin with his designs and used her body whenever he wished. She has a ‘gift’ called The Knowing which she buries deep and tries to hide from others.

Flora meets Minnie who is a circus performer. Minnie thinks Flora would be a wonderful addition to the circus crew and invites her to break free from her oppressor and come and work at the circus reading tarot cards for the guests.

But has Flora really escaped the darkness and violence or has she just moved from one bad situation to another?

The Knowing is an unusual book, stepped in history and surrounded by a sense of foreboding and the supernatural. Flora is a character that has been let down by society and is lost. She is physically and mentally drained from what she has been through, plus, she has this gift in which she can see and hear the dead that she hides from others and tries to keep their voices silent until during a séance when she is informed of a murder by a ghost.

The plot is suspenseful and had me intrigued from the beginning. It contains aspects of paranormal activity that were certainly eerie. The plot was fast-paced and enjoyable. Whilst I connected and enjoyed Flora’s story I wasn’t much a fan of Minnie as I couldn’t shake this bad vibe feeling that surrounded her whenever she appeared.

Overall, The Knowing is an atmospheric and engrossing read. Readers will find themselves immersed in Flora’s world and transported back in time with ease meeting some real-life historical figures in the process.

[Ana's Reading Diary]

I won’t give a star rating as I didn’t finish the book. I got it out of the library as the cover and the blurb drew me in and initially I got hooked. The writing itself is beautiful and the premise of the story is very interesting. However, the book ended up being overdue (I started reading it quite late after taking it out) and I returned it and never felt the need to get it out again or get it on the kindle. I just didn’t really care for the characters that much.

I’ve also read some of the reviews, and although sexual violence has already been revealed in the beginning of the book and there is a trigger warning, it sounds like it only gets darker and weirder and that’s put me off wanting to finish it.

[Izzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I am not ashamed to say that I was mostly drawn to this book because of its stunning cover - the designers knew exactly what they were doing in illustrating this tale of a gritty, mysterious, 19th-century tale. Unfortunately, I don't think the story itself lived up to my expectations that the cover, and its premise of a girl, branded an outsider because of her tattoos and her ability to commune with the dead, fighting to survive in a society filled with men trying to control her. I really liked the first half of this book, of Flora escaping the clutches of her abusive relationship and forging a more independent future for herself, but there never felt like any real sense of revolution, and I think Hinds was trying to do too much with the gang element alongside Flora's paranormal abilities and her relationship with Minnie that I wasn't a fan of.

[Jungian.Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished reading The Knowing and I enjoyed it. It was a very easy read. It was concise and very to the point .

The Knowing follows Florence who is the only tattooist in Five Points and probably the only woman covered in tattoos. She works for and with Jordan who has an obsessive hold on her, he forcibly tattoos her body, as well as physically and sexually assaults her. But she is unable to leave him because she has little to no other options, as five points is not a place for non attached women or orphans. She also does card reading without Jordan's knowledge for some money. That is, until Minnie walks into the tattoo shop for a tattoo and offers Florence a job.

Florence escapes from Jordan and goes to live and work for Minnie. This is when we come to realise that there is more to Florence's card reading ability. We get to know what the Knowing is and her ability to speak to the death. The consequences of which are quite dire.

I was very fast paced and I read it all in one sitting. I do have to say however that the ending was a bit underwhelming. If I had the powers that she did, I would have raised the city to the ground but that is just me

Trigger warnings for ableism, forced abortion, paedophilia, sexual assault and suicide.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely superb! this book, for me, was everything I hoped The Square of Sevens would be, but wasn't.
Full of quirky, likeable and loathable characters, mostly marginalised, or deeply flawed.
Minnie with dwarfism and limb differences. Abernathy with his scarred throat and difficulty speaking, and Flora a Romany girl with mystic talents, covered in tattoos in an era when tattoos on men were popular, but in women wer viewed as an aberration, young rabbity Polly. Then there are some cruel and loathsome men, twisted Chester and Jordan the controlling bully.
With gangland life, poverty, ghosts, murder and mysteries galore it is at heart a serach for love and acceptance and a story of mistaken trust and betrayal.
Loved Flora, adored Abernathy and found myself gripped and engrossed in this wonderful story.

[Clarke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you net galley for the arc. DNF @60% and should've done it earlier. The blurb of this book sounded appealing, a mixture of fantasy, mystery, and romance. It didn't deliver. TW: rape, SA, abusive relationships, paedophilia (I think), murder, among others.

There is a lot of abuse in this book. It very quickly starts you off in one abusive relationship and sweeps you into another (with rape scenes, references, and other SA featured heavily throughout). The blurb describes a love triangle between Florence, Minnie, and Chester. Whilst Florence is 'saved' from her first abuser by Minnie, her fate doesn’t seem much better. Minnie is the lesser of two evils, but both Minnie and Chester try to force themselves on Florence at least once, and it's all very icky with power imbalances and all kinds of abuse. Chester is also sexually abusive to Polly, who I think is a minor, but she's only described as 'young' so I'm not sure of her age. I didn't really like anyone and reading it was a chore. This combined with so many abusive relationships (I don't think I could ever root for Florence and Minnie with how things started, idk how it ends) solidified that I need to DNF. I'm very reluctant to DNF books in general, but I'm learning more and more that I need to stop wasting my energy on things I don't enjoy.

[Marla Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

one of those books where the premise is amazing but it disappointed unfortunately :((

Sometimes it felt like the magical element was a subplot and the main plot was constant sexual assault storylines. The warning at the start was appreciated but I think if I’d known how prominent it would be (especially in Polly’s storyline) I probably wouldn’t have been so keen to read it

Also at least a star redacted for that plot twist re Polly there was absolutely no need for that to be a thing. Made me root for her at the end though if anything I think she should’ve been worse

[blank ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise promised a lot, and I was hoping I'd end up loving this book since it has everything I usually love, from unusual magic, to mystery, to a gothic setting, but unfortunately I never fully connected to the story or the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up because I WAS warned... The story is actually quite good. The idea of a female tattoo artist in a gritty, seedy New York is fascinating and worth exploring. The addition of circus workers made it even more intriguing. And yes, there would be violent gangs. But Florence being so completely subjugated by her male boss (more like "owner") ruined the appeal of her character. Yes, she would be treated that way, but she didn't have to be written as someone who barely exists as a human. Overall, an interesting premise let down by the characters.

[Kathryn McCarrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful book and really made me think about a female perspective to spirituality and crime. Would definitely read this again, at times struggled with the heavy sexually aggressive undertones. Not one to read if this is a triggering topic.

[Cecilie Poder Juhl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Lena · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb was so intriguing but the book did not deliver at all… the gothic and eerie atmosphere wasn’t there, the plot was kind of not well paced and I felt it didn’t cover the interesting stuff enough. The abilities that Flora has feel like a side plot, overall just not executed well.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[ClaireJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, what a spooky ride this was! If you like dark, ghostly vibes then this is the perfect book for you.

It follows Flora, a young woman who lives in the slums of 19th century New York. She can see the dead and she is terrified as they can possibly possess her. She also reads tarot cards and so much happens! I was an emotional wreck!

This book you must keep on your radar!

[Frankie]

The Knowing is an evocative, beautifully written historical fiction novel about two marginalized women (one is disabled and the other is Roma) trying to survive in a harsh man's world. Flora and Minnie seem like opposites in looks, personality, and upbringing, but really they're both victims who use their bodies to survive. Yes, there's a quirky gothic aspect: tattoos, tarot cards, ghosts, gangsters, and circus "freaks". Yes, there is a sapphic romance. But this is basically historical fiction at its core.

This book is also really, really dark. The female protagonists have been assaulted by men many times. In fact, none of their romantic relationships with men are truly consensual or loving; they're all abusive. Frankly, every male character in the book is awful and I hated them.

In comparison, the romance between the two women moves really, really fast. And it's not even a situation wherein they discover they're actually lesbians all along — they just fall in love immediately? I understand Minnie was the first person to show Flora kindness since she was a child, but Minnie herself shows a series of red flags and the power imbalance between them is pretty serious. I could analyze this book and say that in itself is sad; maybe it's proof that Flora is so used to abusive relationships that she falls for sketchy people. But Minnie too is a mystery... She's a confident, closed off, self-entrepreneurial woman who's been through A LOT... What did she see in Flora, when she herself admits the girl knows nothing? Really, Flora is beautiful and a tool for her to use...

But of course the novel plays their romance straightforwardly and doesn't explore this.

Anyway, I kept wanting more from this book. The author is clearly talented but maybe I wasn't the right audience. Regardless, if the summary interests you then give it a shot. It's a wonderful historical.

Thank you to the publicist for providing me with a free ARC.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Knowing’ is a pretty masterful, gothic, debut.

Set in 1866, partly in New York and partly in Manchester, England, we follow Flora, a girl who grew up in the slums of Five Points, who’s been taken in by Jordan, a tattoo artist. She’s unusual in these times, as she’s a fully tattooed woman, from both Jordan’s hand and her own.

However, Jordan is abusive (there is a note at the start of the book noting that the book contains themes of sexual violence - do read the trigger warnings and take that in mind) and so when she meets Minnie, an alluring half woman, she doesn’t hesitate to flee uptown with her…however, this comes with a myriad of its own issues.

Flora also has to juggle ‘the knowing’ - she has the ability to see ghosts, and a true gift when it comes to reading tarot cards, but there’s a disembodied voice from her childhood urging her to keep these things secret - after all, this isn’t a time period that treated women kindly.

Plus, the ghosts are genuinely scary - they’re described as greedy, wanting to claw through and enact their revenge, always looming in Floras peripheral.

This book does not shy away from the realities of living in the slums, the gang culture present in both Lower Manhattan and Manchester, nor the ever present gritty underbelly of these characters lives. It’s incredibly tense at times, invoking a holding of breath while I read on, wondering what would happen next.

The writing was beautiful - sometimes I simply couldn’t help myself from reading the same paragraph multiple times. The sentence structure just flowed so well, bringing forth the authors vision brilliantly, wether it was detailing the intimacy between two lovers, the horror of both the shadowy world of ghosts and the awful realities of abuse, or the constant fight for survival. It’s incredibly well done.

Thank you to the publisher, and Netgalley, for the early copy to revie

[Dan Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The slums of nineteenth-century New York, a mysterious and tattooed mystic fights for her future, her very survival weighing in the balance of a tarot card…
Flora, a living canvas for an abusive tattoo artist scrapes a living by telling many a fortune to those seeking distractions from their every day lives, easy to mock the very person they ask for advice when it is she that holds their destiny in her hands.
One day when out on a rare solo journey, Flora meets Minnie, a circus performer who turns heads on every street she walks down, yet she is the one who holds her chin high in the face of adversity for she knows her own worth, even when others don’t.
Minnie offers Flora refuge in an opulent and lavish townhouse yet Flora soon sees that the beauty of this new dwelling is heavily influenced and tainted by Mr Chester Merton, an individual who is nothing more than malice and mischief made flesh.
Earning her keep by reading tarot for Mr Merton’s guests whilst struggling to fully harness her gift, the Knowing, an ability which grants the user the power to summon the dead, Flora finds herself caught within a love triangle between Minnie and Chester, yet after one fateful night upon hearing the spirit of a murdered boy prostitute, Flora has no choice but to flee and pray that the Knowing will eventually come to her aid, rather than keep her in chains her whole life. But as she will soon see, run though she might, the past has a way of never quite letting go, and she will open her eyes to that which she has been blind to for so many wasted years.
A stunning and memorable debut, The Knowing is bewitching, gothic, intoxicating, and stylish.

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a stunning debut by Emma Hinds!
The Knowing is set in 19th-century New York, where a young slum-dwelling girl has a gift for card reading and communicating with ghosts. The voices that guide her steer her away from any dialogue with the spirit world, but circumstances keep bringing her to face them.
Flora is young but has seen a lot in her life already, including witnessing the person who cared for her and looked out for her as a child being abused and abducted. She ends up in the care of a tattooist who gives her affection for a while, protection, tattoos, and a roof over her head, but at a cost.
Then she meets Minnie, who turns her life upside down. She flees her home, then lives a life filled with worry that she will be found and 'dealt with' in an unpleasant manner, as well as the added concern about the man under whose roof she now resides.
Her inked body becomes a lure for people keen to watch the freak shows common at that time and the chance to hear from a 'painted mystic'. Yet the spirits keep knocking at her door, despite her trying not to listen.
Events occur which push her and Minnie to a different destination in another country, where her nightmares follow.
I was intrigued by the characters, the story, and the twists and turns. I love a bit of supernatural!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square House for an ARC.

[Gem ~ZeroShelfControl~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 3*
Writing skill : 3*
Plot: 3*
Pace: 3*
Characters: 4*
Emotiveness: 3*

This was a good solid 3star read for me. Hats off to the author for writing such a unique debut novel.
I’m not a massive historical fiction fan, having only started reading it over the past few years. However I felt transported to the era with ease. I did look to see where the author was from after finishing as I found the descriptiveness of the locations and scenery in the second half a lot clearer and I see she from the north of England so that’s was quite apparent.
If you’re a HF fan, who likes a bit of magic this should tick your boxes.

[Bettina | gothicreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who shies away from violence should not read this book. Nor should anyone looking for a classic love story.

Instead, "The Knowing" offers an intriguing story full of examples of power relations.

The author has a good feel for creating atmosphere. Both the slum in New York where Minnie finds Flora and the house in which they both later live are oppressive and foreboding. Danger lurks around every corner. As the two women find each other in a relationship that may be love, may be out of addiction, things unfold.

This is a solid debut and I look forward to seeing what else author Emma Hinds writes in the future.

[Sally Anfilogoff]

I'm not sure I should give a review as I couldn't finish this book. It just seemed so absurd and very much a poor shadow of other excellent historical novels that have been published recently. Maybe if I read it at a different time I would find I could engage with the characters but they seemed simply caricatures to me and the plot was crammed with everything the author could think of. I read a lot of historical and literary fiction but sadly this wasn't up to the mark. Others may well enjoy it though.

[Hayley (Shelflyfe) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Bedford Square Publishers for sending me a copy of 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 by Emma Hinds, which I read with my bestie Kristen 🃏🧿🪽
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦. 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬' 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐈 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞.
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I commend Hinds for including trigger warnings upfront in her book, as they are definitely needed, and I'd suggest making sure you check these before reading the book yourself.
So many people seem to believe that trigger warnings will somehow 'spoil' the story, but The Knowing is an example of just how daft that claim is. There is a lot of plotting that isn't spoiled simply by having a trigger warning for those who need it, and I honestly think you're lucky if you don't need the trigger warnings, as the same can't be said for all of us.
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𝐈 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝.
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The story follows Flora, the only female tattoo artist in New York, and a girl who has The Knowing but who does her best to keep it secret.
Set in the 19th century, Flora has very limited options as a young woman. She grew up in the slums, but her early life has been out of the frying pan and into the fire as she is employed by an abusive man named Jordan.
Jordan is associated with a gang known as the Dead Rabbits, and he and Flora serve the Rabbits; Flora with inking their skin, and Jordan in many other shady ways we don't fully comprehend.
But Jordan feels like he owns Flora, and treats her like she is his property to do with as he pleases.
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𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡 (𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐲) 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐭. 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭, 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 '𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤'.
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Hinds did an excellent job throughout the novel of depicting how young girls' and women's bodies are never fully their own. This rings true for SO many characters throughout the book, but still extends into the modern day for girls and women too.
Jordan treating Flora as a living canvas is an obvious and fairly extreme example of her body not being her own, but even when Flora meets Minnie (a glamorous and beautiful circus performer) and escapes Jordan, neither women are free.
They have to find some way of proving their ongoing worth to Minnie's benefactor and lover, Chester Merton. While Minnie does try to protect Flora as much as she can, in truth she has limited ability to even protect herself.
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𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐛 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝. 𝐈'𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 ... 𝐈'𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰.
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Minnie has dwarfism, and so stands out from the crowd even though she does not always want to. She tries to lean into being unique and different, but as we know still in this day and age, people can be awful and cruel to those with physical differences.
There is so much demand on the women throughout the story, including the associated performers that Minnie knows, to give more of themselves than they might wish to simply because there is a demand for it.
Chester has a seedy fascination with the performers, and sexualises and objectifies them, simply because he can. As a wealthy man he holds so much power.
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'𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐦.' 𝐌𝐲𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞'𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧. '𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐇𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬.'
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One of the ways in which Flora seeks to prove her worth is through spiritualism and public séances, where she taps into the Knowing that she has. Flora does not want to engage with this gift (that some would rightly call a curse) and she hears whispers from her past reiterating how dangerous it is to reveal this ability.
It is dangerous for Flora herself to let the spirits in, as powerful women have always been met with fear and suspicion, but little does everyone else realise how dangerous it is for 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 to encourage the Knowing. There are quite intense consequences when the spirits reveal their secrets!
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𝐈'𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. 𝐘𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠.
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(Continued in comments)

[Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

strange and disappointing, weirdly paced and seemed to skip over alot of important stuff? then just felt dark and upsetting for the sake of it without really exploring it deeper. the most interesting part of it was the knowing itself and it never really delved deeper into that either, idk just disappointing for meee

[julia ｡･:*˚:✧｡ · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I liked the story and the characters were complex and interesting but at one point I thought that the book was ending (and it would have been a good ending) but there were like 120 pages left.

The book was good and I liked reading it but it didn't wow me.

[Emma Alvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something powerful is coming…

Darkly atmospheric, intoxicating, unapologetic and consuming, The Knowing is pure gothic escapism. This magnificent debut brought the past to life in a breathtaking story of love, passion, self-discovery, secrets, lies, betrayal and murder that is inspired by real people from history including Maud Wagner, one of the first known female tattoo artists, New York gang the Dead Rabbits, and characters from PT Barnum’s circus.

Flora, the only female tattoo artist in New York, lives in the slums with her abusive tattoo artist boyfriend and reads cards for a living. She meets Minnie, a charismatic circus performer, who offers Flora a new life in her upmarket home. Still earning cards to read her keep while struggling to harness the Knowing - her gift for summoning the dead. When the Knowing begins to whisper dark secrets that some don’t want revealed it sparks a chain of events that sees Flora fighting for her life.

Wow! What a phenomenal start to 2024’s Squadpod Book Club. This is one of those decadent reads that you want to luxuriate in and savour every word, providing a sensory experience that makes you forget the world around you and lose yourself in the one the author created. Emma Hinds has immediately secured a place on my autobuy list with this magnificent tale and I still can’t believe this is a debut. The writing is exquisite and evocative, transporting me back in time and across the ocean to Flora’s world. It was like the story had been conjured into being around me in vivid technicolour and I could see the grimy streets, smell the stench of the slum, and hear the whispers of the dead from the shadows. From the opening pages there’s a sinister suspense that pervades every page which comes from the Knowing and the ghosts who lurk in the shadows and I loved the memorable moments where Flora’s gift takes centre stage and the atmosphere is at its darkest. It leaves shivers down your spine and I read most of the book in a sense of breathless anticipation.

“I'd learned to turn my eyes away from dark corners where spirits might lurk. The Knowing was like having a broken bone that never healed quite right. It twinged. Occasionally the world would show and the shadows would lengthen, my breath would catch in my windpipe and my heart would lurch, but I would look away. Growing up in Five Points had knocked the truth into me: there was safety in not knowing.”

The book is filled with richly drawn characters that I loved reading. The women are strong, fierce, courageous, and inspiring who have a fire that can’t be extinguished whatever they are put through. They have the misfortune to be born in an era where men own and control them but they fight for their power and independence wherever they can. On the flip side, most of the men were vile, menacing, dominating and predatory. These are the kinds of men who see women as things, not people, and care only about power and control, using them as reasons to subject women to terrible things. Much of what is on these pages is taken from history, so of course the women who refused to be submissive or behaved in a way they didn’t like were labelled as ‘hysterical’ or ‘insane’. No matter how often I read this kind of behaviour it always enrages me. Heaven forbid women have their own thoughts and feelings.

Unsettling, haunting, potent and mesmerising, I was bewitched by this gorgeous gothic debut. It is the kind of book that is just screaming for an adaptation and I’m going to need that to happen ASAP. An absolute must-read, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bold and heartbreaking tale of survival.

It’s 19th century New York. Flora is a young tattoo artist with a special gift. She has The Knowing, the ability to communicate with the dead. Living under an oppressive and abusive relationship with a renowned tattoo artist, she adds to his income by reading tarot for customers while keeping her special talent secret. Flora meets the enigmatic Minnie, a circus performer who offers her the chance to escape the clutches of her abuser, the freedom to explore her abilities and channel them into a venture that will make her rich. What ensues is a spiralling journey of passion,  betrayal, tragedy and a fight for survival.

What starts as a Gangs of New York type setting quickly focusses on a young girl’s journey into discovering her identity and a battle over her oppressors. Rich in detail and emotion, it was like I could hear the clatter and chaos in the city slums and I immediately connected with Flora.  The setting was immaculate and carried the plot forward with vivid imagery and a tense atmosphere. Each character stood out and could invoke a sense of rage or suspicion and ultimately an aching want to protect Flora.This was a dark tale with spooky twists and dramatic turns which kept me gripped from the first page.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think that the first thing i want to say about this read is that Emma Hinds is undeniably talented when it comes to immerse her readers in her universe. her writing is very atmospheric and she details everything with the most balanced touch. it was never too much and it was always captivating.

the story in itself was way more rougher than i expected. from the first pages there was murders, sexual abuses, domestic violence and so on. and the more the story progressed, the more the horrors followed one after the other. it was horrifyingly gripping to discover this story of survival through the eyes of Flora, and even though i didn’t agreed her most of the time i couldn’t not feel for her.

the cast of characters were extremely well constructed and thereby really dark and hard to love. i felt more for the side characters than the main ones and think that was clearly the author’s intention.

i didn’t agree with some of the authors choices for the end and it took me a bit of time to really dive in the book but overall i really enjoyed reading it!

i definitely recommend it if you like a good historical fiction brimming with feminine rage and with a touch of paranormal, but please be careful to aknowledge all the TW.

thank you NetGally for the arc in exchange of my honest review!

[JenniferReadsHorror · Rating 3 out of 5]

The vintage vibe of this story was a good twist on what I usually pick up. Picked up with a few other books for a book club.
There are definitely some darker parts to this story that carry a weight of dread and a hope of a better outcome. The running theme of the tarot cards is a nice connection to the gifts that she has. I wanted more ‘gothic’ there were moments, but it could have been exploited more. From the slums of New York to the Manchester workhouses this story takes you on a trip.
Flora is a painted lady with mystical sight and is quickly snapped up from her abusive partner by Minnie. Minnie is small in stature, but a whole lot of balls sweeps flora up and shows her a more well-off side of town.
The web of character stories is one that I don’t see until the end, but the ending felt positive and one that fitted the book.