Immortelle, by Catherine McCarthy.

This was one of my first reads of the year, and it was a good one. Catherine introduced me to the Immortelle popular in the 19th century. This is a memorial left on a grave that incorporates ceramic flowers and other ornaments and trinkets inside a glass dome to protect them. Of course, as the flowers are ceramic, they are long-lasting. The Immortelles weren’t generally personalised; however, in this story, they are.

This is a mesmerising, haunting tale and will undoubtedly appeal to all those who love gothic fiction. Set in a Welsh coastal town, we meet Elinor, a skilful potter and her daughter Rowena. Sadly, tragedy strikes and Rowena is found dead in suspicious circumstances. Overcome with grief and desperate to understand what’s happened, Elinor makes an immortelle for her daughter’s grave, encompassing elements that hopefully will invoke the girl’s spirit.

I don’t want to give anything else away other than to say if you enjoy gothic, supernatural tales that also have an emotional punch, this book is for you and it has a highly satisfying conclusion. This is quiet horror, a book that unravels in a horrific yet emotional way and which stays with you.

It also left me fascinated by the concept of the Immortelle, and I was fortunate to find some on graves at a chapel I visited on a recent holiday in Wales. Once I saw the decorative memorials, the book came even more alive for me. I could certainly see why the author found these fascinating objects inspiring for this story.

Here are my pictures in case you’re interested.