Showing Forgiveness: The life and murder of Elizabeth Caroline Goodwin by Simon Hobbs

Based on a real incident and contemporary source material, Forgiveness is the compelling account of the life and murder of a young Victorian woman, Bessie Goodwin, in Victorian England. The story is narrated by Bessie and Samuel Leech, the lawyer representing her killer. Samuel agonises over moral and ethical dilemmas he faced in the case.

Bessie is a young gentlewoman who chafes against the unfair restrictions on her life, not least when it comes to her choice of a husband. Her insistence on taking her own path is courageous. Her death is senseless and cruel but this does not define her life. Instead it is her empathy and her compassion that shine through.

The author illustrates the human condition sensitively, reflecting the attitudes of the time. This is a thoroughly satisfying and thought provoking read with some dramatic twists and turns. The writer has a wonderful writing style, readable and elegant, and his novel seamlessly blends the real with the imaginary.