Book Review: "The Hanging of Hettie Gale" by Tess Burnett

I found out about this book via Twitter and honestly, I was interested in it straight away. They do tell you to never judge a book by its cover and I was trying hard not to, but the title really got to me. I initially thought it was a spoiler but as I investigated the book further, I found it was just the begininng of a winding and twisting story that was comprised of multiple storylines in different times. It is formed of letters, diaries, confessions and so much more. Really, this is something that drew me in. It was a great reading experience and I also devoured it in one sitting.

One of the greatest parts of The Hanging of Hettie Gale is its dual-timeline narrative, which weaves together the stories of two women separated by more than two centuries. The historical strand follows Hettie Gale, an 18th-century woman living a difficult and isolated life on the moors, while the contemporary thread follows Alice, a woman who returns to the same rugged landscape to uncover the truth behind her cousin Fleur’s disappearance. By shifting between these two perspectives, the novel draws parallels between the lives of the two protagonists, exploring how the past continues to echo in the present. This technique enhances the novel’s suspense, as Alice’s discoveries about Hettie’s tragic fate fuel her determination to solve the mystery unfolding in her own time. The woven epistolary narrative was basically the one thing that got me hooked, but there was so much more to it than that.

Hettie Gale’s character serves as a representation of the hardships faced by women in the 18th century, especially those who were poor, vulnerable, and lacking social support. She has a life of mistreatment at the hands of her abusive father before being cast out and left to fend for herself. Her struggles intensify when she becomes a mother, as society’s harsh judgment falls heavily upon her. Wrongly accused of murdering her own son, she is condemned to death and executed, making her one of history’s many forgotten victims of injustice. However, Hettie is not merely a figure of tragedy; her will to survive and her deep love for her child highlight her resilience, making her deeply empathetic character. Hettie was a fantastic character to read, her use of language becoming part of how you hear the character as you read. The more things the reader discovers about the character, the more you want Alice to find out about her.

As Alice investigates Fleur’s disappearance, she becomes increasingly drawn into the eerie history of Hettie Gale, discovering local legends that suggest Hettie’s restless spirit still lingers on the moors. The blending of historical mystery with supernatural elements adds an extra layer of intrigue to the novel; reinforcing the gothic atmosphere that we get from the setting of the misty moors. Alice’s growing sense of unease and obsession with the past raises questions about how history haunts the present, both literally and metaphorically. Is Hettie’s story merely a tragic historical account, or does her presence still manifest in the land that once condemned her? The novel leaves room for interpretation, allowing us to engage with its themes on multiple levels. This interweaving of folklore and local legends makes the book really feel like a folk horror before you realise that it might not be a horror at all - well, that's for you to judge whilst reading.

The novel’s setting plays a vital role in shaping both the atmosphere and the fate of its characters. The bleak and untamed moorland becomes almost a character in itself, influencing events and emotions throughout the novel. For Hettie, the moors are both a refuge and a prison: they provide shelter from the cruelty of society, yet they also isolate her, leaving her vulnerable to suspicion and persecution. For Alice, returning to the moors stirs up deep-seated memories and emotions, setting her on a path of discovery that will change her life. The author captures the wild beauty and haunting nature of this landscape, reinforcing the themes of isolation, survival, and the enduring presence of the past. It had this almost Wuthering Heights kind of atmosphere, which you get drawn into because of its inability to be tamed by human beings - every facet of it becomes a danger approached with caution. The author really shows off some great talent for creating something that really does transport you back to the past.

All in all, I thought this book was a fantastic gothic novel, intertwining the modern and the old. I felt like it was one of those books where you were not really waiting to see what happened next, but instead you were becoming immersed in the world past and present, of Hettie - discovering things about her through the then and now. It was like having a jigsaw puzzle of her life where some of the pieces didn't quite fit and were probably put there by someone else.