An amazing book, the Guardian "original and dizzying", the Times all over London are talking about the Franny Langton scandal - a maid standing trial for the brutal murder of her employers, the scientist George Benham and his refined wife Marguerite. The crowd gathers in the court and thirstily drinks every word. The newspapers print horrific descriptions of the murder itself, and also speculations concerning the black, mysterious maid who is on trial: she is a seductress, she is a witch, she is manipulative, she is a prostitute. The incriminating evidence against Frannie Langton is piling up, but she continues to insist on her truth: she does not remember what happened that fateful night and cannot explain how she was found sleeping next to her mistress's body, covered in blood. If you remember, it might be possible to offer a line of defense that will save her from the hanging, so Frannie writes her story to her lawyer, a story of racism and discrimination in early nineteenth-century London, a story that gets under the skin and burns the soul, a dark story, lit only for moments on by the manifestations of love. A Maid's Confession by Sarah Collins won the prestigious Costa Award, to critical acclaim and audience sympathy in a number of countries where it was released.
