Madam - Phoebe Wynne

 We seem to be in a time where contemporary literature celebrates the role of women from the Ancient Greeks’ legends and myths. I’m thinking of Pat Barker, Madeline Miller and, of course, Natalie Haynes but what Phoebe Wynne has done in this, her debut, novel is use the ancient stories to run alongside a different kind of tale for which I will coin the word ‘gothstopian’ ! The chilling premise of Caldonbrae Hall is divulged like an agonisingly slow drip feed for poor Rose Christie, vocational  teacher of Classics. Think The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie meets The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Secret History meets the Stepford Wives but ultimately finds a voice of its own.

‘For 150 years, Caldonbrae Hall has loomed high above the Scottish cliffs as a beacon of excellence in the ancestral castle of Lord William Hope. A boarding school for girls, it promises that its pupils will emerge ‘resilient and ready to serve society’.
Into its illustrious midst steps Rose Christie, a 26-year-old Classics teacher and new head of department. Rose is overwhelmed by the institution: its arcane traditions, unrivalled prestige, and terrifyingly cool, vindictive students. Her classroom becomes her haven, where the stories of fearless women from ancient Greek and Roman history ignite the curiosity of the girls she teaches and, unknowingly, the suspicions of the powers that be.
But as Rose uncovers the darkness that beats at the very heart of Caldonbrae, the lines between myth and reality grow ever more blurred. It will be up to Rose – and the fierce young women she has come to love – to find a way to escape the fate the school has in store for them, before it is too late.
Perfect for fans of Margaret Atwood and Madeline Miller, Madam is a darkly feminist tale with an electrifying cast of heroines you won’t soon forget.’

Brooding, suspenseful, frustrating, as Rose seems to bang her head against so many brick walls. Secrets and disciplines beyond our contemporary belief that make the covid-19 lockdowns seem like summer vacations. Hard to believe this is a debut work the narrative flows so seamlessly and the tensions and frustrations are racked up as Rose and the reader battle their wits against the Teflon bastion of a dogmatic regime that defies belief.

The parallel flaws of both pupils and staff run alongside each other subtly giving Rose complex cerebral conundrums. Perceived friendships and rapports in both camps seems fragile, vulnerable and give the narrative a sustained sense of unease. The paradox of a contemporary world running parallel with a world functioning on an archaic set of values where the female teachers are called “Madam” and the male teachers ‘Sir’.

Rose is the focus, the pivot and the reader is drawn along with her, and to her, willing her to succeed with both her students and her colleagues. We feel with her the edginess of the manipulation she’s subjected to. But she remains strong, purposeful and refuses to remain silent. Her use of Classic Greek stories that nestle into the narrative and augurs what lies ahead reinforcing  the feminist principles embedded in the novel.

For me there was always the sense of being forced slightly out of kilter, off centre all the way through the book. The hierarchy of the school seemed sinister and their intent, their control, or desire to control, staff and pupils was chilling. And redemption? Was there any? Read the book for I’ll not give anything away!

My thanks to Quercus Books for a gifted proof by an exciting new author.