Recent Reads: The Rapture by Claire McGlasson

The Rapture by Claire McGlasson
Faber & Faber, 2019, 352 pgs.

Dilys Barltrop is the youngest member of a burgeoning English cult: The Panacea Society. Her mother, dubbed Octavia, is the new female Christ – God’s Daughter. When Dilys introduces another young woman to the group, she finds herself seeing the Society in a new light, and what once seemed so simple is now fringed with sudden doubts and unexpected fears.

It’s always a lovely surprise when you pick up a book because the cover catches your eye. I know they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I’m glad I did this time! Claire McGlasson’s debut novel, The Rapture, is a surprise winner for me this year. Based on the real 1900s Bedford cult, The Panacea Society, and meticulously researched, McGlasson takes real life figures for the focus of her historical novel: Mabel Barltrop (renamed to Octavia when she began her cult), Emily Goodwin (Octavia’s right-hand-woman), and Octavia’s daughter, twenty-something Dilys. Dilys is both the novel’s protagonist and narrator, and through her eyes and shifting perspectives we see the inner workings of the cult; its promises, prejudices, and the surprising little gleams of hope and unwavering faith its members prescribe to.

Dilys throughout the early chapters is a strict acolyte to her mother’s cult. She is pressed under the thumb of both the matriarch and the matriarch’s favourite: another middle-aged woman named Emily. The cult are encouraged to report upon each other’s transgressions and confess constantly about any of their own sins (however slight). The Society is centred around the real life town of Bedford, and its houses harbour the members in a close knit community over a few streets. Members who wish to dedicate themselves to the Society must hand over their money and move in to this small area of town specifically (unless they are still married). They do this willingly, of course, believing that Octavia is a modern day prophetess – that she is the Daughter of God, come to save more souls before Judgement Day. They also believe her when she tells them that she has access to a hidden box, Joanna Southcott’s box of prophecies, which will one day be opened in front of many of the country’s most powerful bishops. The Society in the novel are currently upgrading a manor on the estate to harbour all these bishops on that blessed day (despite claims from a famous sceptic that he has the box in his possession). As wild as this all sounds it is all based in fact – the author even includes numerous passages, marked in bold, which are quoted verbatim from documents, papers, diaries, and statements made by the members; a wonderful blurring of fact and fiction.

Dilys is a strict believer in the cult, and when she first meets the charming Grace she is confident that her desire to enlist her in the Society is due to purely spiritual motivations. Grace, unbound to anyone and seeking faith but unsure where to look, is quickly adopted into the fold, another young woman who Dilys can talk to and relate to (many of the members of the Society are older women, ex-suffragettes, and widows). It soon becomes clear that Dilys loves being around Grace, and a queer-platonic relationship soon becomes apparent – though one which is hidden from the prying eyes of Emily and her ilk, who would love an excuse to have Dilys punished. Dilys begins the novel meek and awkward; her mother’s quirks, which are highly neurotic, are taken as law, so even eating food around the other members, for example, becomes torturous, as Dilys fears making any uncouth noises when chewing or swallowing that would upset the matriarch: her life is miserable, though she denies that it is. As the novel progresses, Dilys and Grace become closer and Dilys finds more courage and agency than ever before. However, Octavia’s neuroses seem to have an impact on Dilys too, and Dilys, as her own feelings towards Grace increase and bloom, begins to fear she hears voices, sees faces, and is stalked by evils which no one else seems to see.

Dilys and Grace soon enter a romantic/sexual relationship, but Dilys’ narration, peppered with guilt and adherence to the cult, makes it a little hard at times to work out if she and Grace have indeed consummated anything or if Dilys is only imagining things, or if Grace is even reciprocating Dilys’ desires (moments where it seems Grace is protesting Dilys’ advances make these scenes more confusing and almost surreal at times). That said, the romance, though only seen from Dilys’ perspective, is powerfully portrayed, and encourages Dilys to become more of her own woman, rather than the meek unloved daughter of the Daughter of God. These moments of passion, coupled with Dilys’ habit of sleepwalking, are intentionally vague and mysterious, but it is clear that the women’s relationship, though complex, has blossomed into something more. Dilys – who is often isolated by a cold mother, and out of contact with an estranged brother – begins to feel less isolated thanks to Grace, and these interactions are a highlight of the novel.

Dilys tries to maintain her faith, but the internal bickering and state of paranoia in the Society leads her further down a path of doubt: particularly as she knows Octavia better than anyone. Emily is a formidable antagonist, trying to usurp Dilys’ position as closest acolyte (an easy feat it turns out), as well as trying to gain special favours for herself and forge a new role in the cult as a sort of shadow to Octavia. The inner conflicts of the cult almost push this novel into thriller territory at times, and McGlasson’s handling of the Society’s contradictions is masterful. As the novel progresses, the walls seem to be closing in on Dilys and Grace, but there are a host of other side characters who are just as observed: the few male members of the church (the Society is largely and exclusively female), the ex-suffragette Ellen (who is something of a surrogate mother to Dilys), and Octavia herself who is increasingly scrutinised by outside forces.

The Rapture is a memorable and moving novel , dealing with loss of faith, unexpected desires, guilt, and anxiety. Its being based in fact (though with artistic liberties – Grace, for example, was never a real figure, and Dilys’ orientation may not have been as it is in the novel), and its being so carefully researched, makes this a unique historical novel. It has quickly become one of my favourite reads this year. Do yourself a favour and check it out!

[5/5]

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Strand Bookstore Challenge 2019:

• Read a book by a debut author: [X]