The Secrets of Moorvale Asylum

by Sarah Starr

The war is over, and Britain is at peace. But in 1948, not only London’s architecture lies in tatters. When Juliette is committed to the asylum, two memories haunt that of her baby being snatched from her arms and of fleeing on skis through an endless mountain range. Doctor Silver favors all forms of shock therapy, and it’s doubtful she can endure such barbaric treatments. A missing patient links Silver to a police inquiry while he seeks help from the Movement, an illegal cell he knew before the war. Certain this ideology is the model for a better world, he is easily led into illicit schemes. A troubled child discovers fairies have lived at the asylum long since its workhouse days. Their natural law seeks to restore peace and harmony, but dark secrets are gradually unearthed inside the walls of Moorvale. Unseen dangers now lurk in the shadows and further threaten Juliette’s survival. Follow each twist and become spellbound as the story weaves to its magical conclusion.

240 pages, Paperback

Published December 13, 2017

Reviews

[Jane Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for, The Secrets of Moorvale Asylum.
I bought this book from the author herself at a book fair a while ago.
I enjoyed the book very much. Sarah is a talented writer and the story is very powerfully written with feeling and finesse.
The sensitive subject of being committed into an asylum and the stigma surrounding such a place was well depicted. A difficult read at times where graphically written sentences portrayed what patients endured in the name of progress.
An intriguing story which expands as the lives of the people living near Moorvale Asylum intertwine.
This remains one of my favourite books and I recommend it to my friends and family.
Written by a fellow author.

[Kath · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this novel when looking for a book written by a local author for a reading challenge. The author lives in Sussex, the same as myself, and as I’m currently writing a story based in an abandoned old asylum, I thought this sounded like a good fit for the prompt as it might be useful to me as well as entertaining. However, this is not a book I found either useful or entertaining. I didn’t particularly enjoy it and I wouldn’t recommend it.

The story is all over the place. It feels like two or three different books being spliced together to get to the required word count. Why the hell a side plot involving Fairies has been added to this story is beyond me. It has no bearing on the rest of the tale that could have unfolded without any mythical help. And it would have seemed a lot less contrived if the author had just skipped that particular idea altogether.

But even fairies aside I struggled with this story. The characters are not very well defined, and as such I struggled at times to remember who was who. Plus the author insists on changing people’s names which further complicates matters. Their ages were also a mystery, as characters were written to appear either much older (I thought Mrs Gee was in her 60s from how she was written, until the author says she’s in her 30s) or much younger (I imagined Lena as 6 or so not 8-10), which again makes it hard to hold in your head any real idea of what they look like.

I also found that the author had no real grasp on the natural flow of time or what happens during different seasons. At several points in winter it’s mentioned that flowers were still blooming and mushrooms could be found even though there is ice and snow on the ground. It was all just poorly researched, unbelievable and I’m honestly disappointed I spent so long reading it.

[S.S. Saywack · Rating 5 out of 5]

1948, post-war Britain and at the north end of the Northern Line is Burnt Oak and Moorvale Asylum. Everyone has a secret, the hospital itself, Dr Silver longs for his past when he had a cause, Juliette, an inmate who is subjected to appalling mental health treatment, who can’t remember her secret, and three behind-the-line war heroes, who can’t speak of theirs. In this mix comes Lena, a ten-year-old and the butt of the bullies and her father and mother who are also in the procession of secrets, and two Jamaican ladies far from home and subject to the usual prejudices of the day. While they all play out their lives, at the bottom of the asylum garden, Queen May of the fairies must fight her war with Pan of the Lower dominions. And as everyone’s secrets are explored a murder is investigated.

This becomes a compelling read as everyone’s secrets are gently revealed and the mystery becomes deeper and deeper. I enjoyed the description throughout the book, the feel of a postwar Britain comes across sharply. I enjoyed the mysteries and how it was explained and revealed. I enjoyed the prose and the general feel of the book. The storyline draws you in, the feeling of sorrow for young Lena subjected to the whims of her bullying friends and her desire to be accepted, and the rest makes for a wonderful read. Despite the underlining brutality of the plot, it is a feel-good book and the idea that everything will work out for the better comes across well before the end, yet it doesn’t detract or spoil the conclusion, I still wanted to finish it. All-in-all, an excellent read.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book but it is very contrived. The story takes place several years after WWII. Lena is the daughter of the candy store owner who is abused by both her parents. She doesn't understand why nothing she does is right and her punishments are very severe. Dr. Silver is a doctor at Moorvale Asylum. His treatments are very severe from insulin therapy to electroconvulsive therapy where he keeps the electricity very high. He lives in a boarding house and the owner is very attached to him. Juliette is in treatment from Dr. Silver and has been wrapped in wet sheets and ice water as a treatment. She remembers only some of what happened during the war especially someone taking her baby. There is an evil group of Nazis trying to reactive Nazi Germany. All the plots come together to solve all the problems.