The Confessions of Frannie Langston

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara  Collins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
What sounded like an interesting historical mystery about a former slave from a Jamaican sugar plantation who is on trial for killing her English employers just fell flat for me.
In the early chapters where Frannie describes her childhood on the plantation, the reader gets a glimpse into what life was like for people like Frannie. It is obvious the author has done a great deal of research and it really helps pull the reader in. As Frannie grows up and becomes more involved in the work of her master, just enough hints are dropped about various things at the plantation to create mystery for the reader. The problem is that as Frannie’s time at the plantation comes to an end, very very few of those questions have satisfactory answers, or even enough information for readers to make good inferences. What exactly are the specifics of the relationship between Frannie and Langston? What exactly happened in the Coach House (to be honest I’m still not sure having finished the book!). Why does Frannie feel so guilty? I know many books, especially mysteries, like to leave readers guessing, and even leave some questions unanswered. But in this story everything was just TOO vague when addressing issues that obviously had major impact on Frannie and her life. Instead of leaving me intrigued it made me frustrated.
When Frannie travels to England the story really began to drag for me. I realize Frannie was retelling it in an almost stream-of-consciousness kind of manner, but not moving in a chronological way became confusing. I know that Frannie was left feeling unmoored, but I had a very hard time following what was happening. Frannie also seemed to become a different person. I considered not finishing the book, but I did want to find out the answers to the questions from her time in Jamaica, as well as discover the truth behind the murders. So I kept reading, but did skim quite a bit.
In the final chapters of the book, I found myself not really caring anymore. Frannie had made so many dumb decisions that she had become totally unsympathetic. When the circumstances surrounding the murders were described and the reader finally learned the answers to (most) of the lingering questions in the book, it seemed rushed and anticlimactic. If some of that information, especially things having to do with Jamaica, had been revealed earlier in the book, I think it would have given more weight to the story. I also feel as though the relationship at the heart of the story was not well-developed. If this was what influenced Frannie’s biggest decisions, it shouldn’t have felt tacked on.
All in all, this story was well-researched and had good bones. But the way it was fleshed out left a lot to be desired. It needed to be tighter and more stream-lined. I also feel like some things were added in just to make the story more titillating. This book could have been much better. It just wasn’t for me.
If you want to read a book about a young girl imprisoned in an English jail for circumstances beyond her control that is much better done, in my opinion, check out The Poison Thread. 


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