Outside London behind a stone wall stands Lake House, a private asylum for genteel women of a delicate nature. In the winter of 1859, recently-married Anna Palmer becomes its newest arrival, tricked by her husband into leaving home, incarcerated against her will and declared hysterical and unhinged. With no doubts as to her sanity, Anna is convinced that she will be released as soon as she can tell her story. But Anna learns that liberty will not come easily. The longer she remains at Lake House, the more she realises that -- like the ethereal bridge over the asylum's lake -- nothing is as it appears. She begins to experience strange visions and memories that may lead her to the truth about her past, herself, and to freedom - or lead her so far into the recesses of her mind that she may never escape...Set in Victorian England, as superstitions collide with a new psychological understanding, this elegant, emotionally suspenseful debut novel is a tale of self-discovery, secrets, and search for the truth in a world where the line between madness and sanity seems perilously fine.
The Painted Bridge
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Review
'A haunting look at women's asylums in 1850s England ... Wallace masterfully creates an atmosphere of utter claustrophobia and dread, intermingled with the ever-present horror of the reality of women's minimal rights in the 19th century' Publishers Weekly
'The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace is a soft, intricate and languid novel with a twist in the tale. This is a mesmerising first novel...' Red
'I was gripped by this fantastic book. Chilling, heart-warming, very well written and researched, this is an unusual novel about Victorian England' Rosie Boycott
'The Painted Bridge is something special: an intriguing and disturbing tale of the reality of women's lives behind the veil of Victorian respectability, which will have resonance today. Beautifully written and evoked' Rachel Hore, Richard & Judy bestselling author of A Gathering Storm
'An impressive debut with a captivating heroine and an absorbing storyline. A compulsive page-turner' --Catharine Arnold, author of Bedlam
'An emotionally charged gothic tale that will appeal to fans of the Victorian novels of Sarah Waters. Bella
'Gripping debut'
--Woman & Home
'The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace is a soft, intricate and languid novel with a twist in the tale. This is a mesmerising first novel...' --Red
'I was gripped by this fantastic book. Chilling, heart-warming, very well written and researched, this is an unusual novel about Victorian England' Rosie Boycott
'The Painted Bridge is something special: an intriguing and disturbing tale of the reality of women's lives behind the veil of Victorian respectability, which will have resonance today. Beautifully written and evoked' Rachel Hore, Richard & Judy bestselling author of A Gathering Storm
'An impressive debut with a captivating heroine and an absorbing storyline. A compulsive page-turner' --Catharine Arnold, author of Bedlam
'The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace is a soft, intricate and languid novel with a twist in the tale. This is a mesmerising first novel...' --Red
'I was gripped by this fantastic book. Chilling, heart-warming, very well written and researched, this is an unusual novel about Victorian England' Rosie Boycott
'The Painted Bridge is something special: an intriguing and disturbing tale of the reality of women's lives behind the veil of Victorian respectability, which will have resonance today. Beautifully written and evoked' Rachel Hore, Richard & Judy bestselling author of A Gathering Storm
'An impressive debut with a captivating heroine and an absorbing storyline. A compulsive page-turner' --Catharine Arnold, author of Bedlam
'The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace is a soft, intricate and languid novel with a twist in the tale. This is a mesmerising first novel...' --Red
'I was gripped by this fantastic book. Chilling, heart-warming, very well written and researched, this is an unusual novel about Victorian England' Rosie Boycott
'The Painted Bridge is something special: an intriguing and disturbing tale of the reality of women's lives behind the veil of Victorian respectability, which will have resonance today. Beautifully written and evoked' Rachel Hore, Richard & Judy bestselling author of A Gathering Storm
'An impressive debut with a captivating heroine and an absorbing storyline. A compulsive page-turner' --Catharine Arnold, author of Bedlam
'The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace is a soft, intricate and languid novel with a twist in the tale. This is a mesmerising first novel...' Red
'I was gripped by this fantastic book. Chilling, heart-warming, very well written and researched, this is an unusual novel about Victorian England' Rosie Boycott
'The Painted Bridge is something special: an intriguing and disturbing tale of the reality of women's lives behind the veil of Victorian respectability, which will have resonance today. Beautifully written and evoked' Rachel Hore, Richard & Judy bestselling author of A Gathering Storm
'An impressive debut with a captivating heroine and an absorbing storyline. A compulsive page-turner' --Catharine Arnold, author of Bedlam
'An emotionally charged gothic tale that will appeal to fans of the Victorian novels of Sarah Waters. Bella
'Gripping debut'
--Woman & Home
'The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace is a soft, intricate and languid novel with a twist in the tale. This is a mesmerising first novel...' --Red
'I was gripped by this fantastic book. Chilling, heart-warming, very well written and researched, this is an unusual novel about Victorian England' Rosie Boycott
'The Painted Bridge is something special: an intriguing and disturbing tale of the reality of women's lives behind the veil of Victorian respectability, which will have resonance today. Beautifully written and evoked' Rachel Hore, Richard & Judy bestselling author of A Gathering Storm
'An impressive debut with a captivating heroine and an absorbing storyline. A compulsive page-turner' --Catharine Arnold, author of Bedlam
'The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace is a soft, intricate and languid novel with a twist in the tale. This is a mesmerising first novel...' --Red
'I was gripped by this fantastic book. Chilling, heart-warming, very well written and researched, this is an unusual novel about Victorian England' Rosie Boycott
'The Painted Bridge is something special: an intriguing and disturbing tale of the reality of women's lives behind the veil of Victorian respectability, which will have resonance today. Beautifully written and evoked' Rachel Hore, Richard & Judy bestselling author of A Gathering Storm
'An impressive debut with a captivating heroine and an absorbing storyline. A compulsive page-turner' --Catharine Arnold, author of Bedlam
'The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace is a soft, intricate and languid novel with a twist in the tale. This is a mesmerising first novel...' --Red
'I was gripped by this fantastic book. Chilling, heart-warming, very well written and researched, this is an unusual novel about Victorian England' Rosie Boycott
'The Painted Bridge is something special: an intriguing and disturbing tale of the reality of women's lives behind the veil of Victorian respectability, which will have resonance today. Beautifully written and evoked' Rachel Hore, Richard & Judy bestselling author of A Gathering Storm
'An impressive debut with a captivating heroine and an absorbing storyline. A compulsive page-turner' --Catharine Arnold, author of Bedlam
About the Author
Wendy Wallace is an award-winning freelance journalist and writer based in London, whose articles have appeared in the Telegraph, the Guardian and the Scotsman. This is her first novel.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Rossi
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
What a brilliantly written and well researched book. It reminded me very much of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, but most certainly came into it's own thanks to the strong main character of Anna Palmer.
Anna has been committed to Lake House, a place of rest for genteel ladies by her thoroughly unpleasant husband Vincent, a vicar who is hiding his cold and despicable personality behind his dog collar. Powerless to do anything when she realises Lake House is an asylum in disguise, Anna searches for ways to escape, but this comes with dragging days in which she feels completely isolated from the world apart from her wiry attendant Martha Lovely and the other lady inmates. The question is of course - are they really mad or has Lake House made them that way.
A very good first book with the plot and characters nicely portrayed, all in all an excellent read for those interested in Victorian fiction.
Anna has been committed to Lake House, a place of rest for genteel ladies by her thoroughly unpleasant husband Vincent, a vicar who is hiding his cold and despicable personality behind his dog collar. Powerless to do anything when she realises Lake House is an asylum in disguise, Anna searches for ways to escape, but this comes with dragging days in which she feels completely isolated from the world apart from her wiry attendant Martha Lovely and the other lady inmates. The question is of course - are they really mad or has Lake House made them that way.
A very good first book with the plot and characters nicely portrayed, all in all an excellent read for those interested in Victorian fiction.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By J Corbin
Format:Paperback
The Painted Bridge begins in London, in the winter of 1859. Anna Palmer is tricked by her husband and incarcerated in a private asylum called Lake House. As she sets out to prove her sanity, she gradually gets to know the other inmates and to form bonds with women she would never normally have mixed with. Time passes, and she grows to like and respect these women, relying on their fortitude as a mirror for her own.
For me, story telling is all about the suspension of disbelief. I want to lose myself in a story. I want to see what the characters see, feel what they feel, be worried for them and hope for them. The Painted Bridge achieved this for me. Wallace's writing is intelligent and lyrical. She skilfully weaves historical detail throughout the narrative but the story is never bogged down by too much information. The characters take centre stage, most especially Anna, a young woman with a strong will and a keen sense of what's right and fair. Anna hopes to find an ally in Lucas St Clair, a visiting physician who believes that the new medium of photography may reveal the state of a patient's mind. As he says, `photography is the art of truth not of advertisement', and Anna hopes he will see her for who she is - a woman perfectly in control of her sanity who has been wronged by her husband.
But as the story unfolds, the intrigue deepens and Anna begins to discover her own truth, to understand her dreams and unveil her visions. She also learns the truth about the man she married, her husband Vincent, an odious character who acts out of self-interest and arrogance.
The Painted Bridge is a great read. It reminded me of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - a plot that grips, vibrant characters and a sense of place that evokes London as both grimy and idyllic, imprisoning and freeing, depending on circumstance.
For me, story telling is all about the suspension of disbelief. I want to lose myself in a story. I want to see what the characters see, feel what they feel, be worried for them and hope for them. The Painted Bridge achieved this for me. Wallace's writing is intelligent and lyrical. She skilfully weaves historical detail throughout the narrative but the story is never bogged down by too much information. The characters take centre stage, most especially Anna, a young woman with a strong will and a keen sense of what's right and fair. Anna hopes to find an ally in Lucas St Clair, a visiting physician who believes that the new medium of photography may reveal the state of a patient's mind. As he says, `photography is the art of truth not of advertisement', and Anna hopes he will see her for who she is - a woman perfectly in control of her sanity who has been wronged by her husband.
But as the story unfolds, the intrigue deepens and Anna begins to discover her own truth, to understand her dreams and unveil her visions. She also learns the truth about the man she married, her husband Vincent, an odious character who acts out of self-interest and arrogance.
The Painted Bridge is a great read. It reminded me of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - a plot that grips, vibrant characters and a sense of place that evokes London as both grimy and idyllic, imprisoning and freeing, depending on circumstance.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A superb first novel. Some novels are all plot but lack character development other are the opposite. This novel has everything a good book should have. A page turner of a plot, well researched and believable. Engaging characters who one comes to care about, who you know had a life before the novel and are left wondering how they will live on after. The novel has a fantastic sense of time and place. The dialogue flows naturally through the narrative. I finished it at 4.00am!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Be wary if you're taken visiting whilst reading this
Having recently read and enjoyed Blue Asylum I was interested to see how this book compared. At first appearing very similar - both set in the 19th century, both with heroines who... Read more
Published 1 day ago by Beadyjan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Could have been more descript ending
Enjoyed the book , well written and the establishment well described but feel it could have had a more descript in happiness for ending
Published 6 days ago by Louise
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable quick read
I enjoyed this book and read it quickly. As some other reviewers have mentioned, there are some inconsistencies in the story but I did not feel this hampered my enjoyment of the... Read more
Published 15 days ago by jesa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent read
I couldn't put this book down, yet felt very apprehensive about what was to happen next...it is so brilliantly researched, the story of the photograph and photography, the... Read more
Published 27 days ago by Rima Farah
5.0 out of 5 stars
The five stars are for the story! A big raspberry for the editing...
How to start?! It seems to me that Wendy Wallace is a writer with a Jekyll and Hyde identity: a master at using language to describe and to emote, but capable of shockingly flawed... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Phil
3.0 out of 5 stars
An enjoyable read
I ordered this book on the strength of its flyleaf's blurb which inferred a far more indepth exploration of an incarcerated woman's emotional journey. Read more
Published 2 months ago by VTR
3.0 out of 5 stars
A nice little read but so many typos made it seem unprofessional.
An enjoyable perspective on life in an asylum, where sane behaviour can so easily be construed as insane. Well balanced plots although sadly somewhat predictable. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Angela Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well written and compelling.
`The Painted Bridge' is the story of Anna Palmer, newly married and after a recent lapse in judgement finds herself being lied to by her husband, the Reverend Vincent Palmer, who... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Paula Mc
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good read
A clever story, historically accurate and generally well written, though it has quite a large number of typos in it - like "Querios" being frequently misspelled as... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. K. L. Longmore
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely book
An easy read, page turner and very nice scene, not just explained or too much detail but very right for the story, how I wanted her to escape so much then she does and gets caught... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lou lou
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