I know that most people would like to give Hanna Nordenhök a better review but I can only give her a three star review because until she only let us see what Caesaria saw as a 5 to 7 year old. Through most stories you see what happens throughout the characters life. We only see a brief period during when she was young. She only gives us a brief story that make sense when she gets older.

Locked up in a mansion is both a blessing and a curse for Caesaria. She is rather like a medical guinea pig for the doctor who delivered her .. she being the first to survive.


It is a fabulous insight into the history of gynecology and a doctor who is unsettling and controlling.

Caesaria on the other hand is gentle and naive and doesn't quite understand what is going on around her.

I loved this tale, it is written beautifully and quite poetic. I loved how the story unravelled, revealing the mysteries of the doctor and the visitors who frequebted the mansion.

an unusual read but oh so good..

I thought this was a fascinating read it had that Gothic element that I was looking for and enjoyed about the description. Hanna Nordenhök wrote this perfectly and had that historical fiction element that I was looking for. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their journey, it was interesting to learn about something I really didn’t know. It was a beautifully done novel and hope to read more.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This took me a while to get into, the whole premise of the sleepy, dreamlike wanderings combined with the stark medical was jarring, which of course, was the goal. I found it unsettling, and it definitely kept me on edge.