Kirsty Manning – The French Gift (Literature Review)

Australian author Kirsty Manning captivates readers yet again with her fourth novel The French Gift.

We start in the French Riviera in 1939, where Margot Bisset is working as a maid for a wealthy family hosting a party. The air is full of frivolity and cheer, but when Margot agrees to participate in a murder game at the request of her employer, she doesn’t realise it’s a decision she’ll live to regret in a cell at Fresnes Prison, having been wrongfully convicted of murdering an American socialite.

Now, her and her cellmate and future celebrated novelist are Josephine Murant destined to spend the rest of the war as prisoners while the rest of the country fights an increasingly dangerous regime they never really asked to be a part of.

Fast forward to present day Paris, where we follow Evie Black. Still grieving after the sudden death of her husband, she jumps at the chance to return to the French Riviera, having received a request from a museum curator to showcase an exhibition on the life of her distant relative, Josephine Murant. But as Evie begins to unpack her relative’s belongings, a mystery unravels itself and so our dual timelines become entangled.

Solving this mystery will not only legitimise the life of a woman Josephine cared for dearly, but might also mean proving the innocence of a woman wronged years before.

I’ve enjoyed Kirsty Manning’s work since the release of her debut novel, The Midsummer Garden in 2018, quickly following it up with other historical fiction releases The Jade Lily and The Lost Jewels (both of which I loved). So to say that I was eagerly anticipating her new novel, The French Gift is something of an understatement.

Manning seems to go from strength to strength with the publication of each new release, and I’m happy to say that The French Gift is no different. Personally, I thought The Lost Jewels was the best she could do, but The French Gift is just as good, if not better, than her previous novels.

From the very first page, she had me hooked, devastated by the plight in which Margot and Josephine found themselves, and enthralled by Evie’s sleuthing as she edges closer and closer to unveiling a hidden truth waiting to be revealed for over 60 years.

Just as with Manning’s other novels, the pacing in The French Gift is about as perfect as you could get for a historical fiction novel such as this. The dual timelines – admittedly one of my favourite things about Manning’s novels – are handled brilliantly, as we slip almost seamlessly from the 1940s to the present day.

Just as with Manning’s other novels, The French Gift is based on true historical events and people (in this case the long lost journal of French resistance fighter Agnes Humbert is where Manning drew her inspiration).

So even though The French Gift (and all of Manning’s other novels) feature fictional characters, they and their relationships are all the more real and intriguing because of the stories that lie behind their story.

A great historical fiction novelist blends fact and fiction so well that we as readers cannot tell the difference, and this is something that Manning does with ease. Her characters – and the story they have to tell – stay with you long after the final page and that is the mark of a skilled novelist.

Even though it’s only just been released, there is no doubt in my mind that in The French Gift Manning is sure to have another hit on her hands. If you’re a fan of historical fiction and you haven’t tried her novels, you’re missing out!

The French Gift is published by Allen & Unwin. To read more about the work they publish, visit their website.

This book is part of my Spotlight on Australian Authors series. Click the below image for any reviews or interviews you may have missed.