The cover art was breathtaking and there are occasional illustrations scattered throughout. The print edition is rounded out with a bibliography, suggested questions for reading groups, and a note from the author on the inspirations for ‘The Gifts’.

In an age defined by men, it will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are….Alongside the authentic 19 th century setting, The Gifts is a story of literal and metaphorical wings. These illustrate the power of the metaphysical and philosophical, the scientific and the religious, balanced by a magical realism that is spellbinding. Edward: An ambitious surgeon, Edward is tired of being under the shadow of his best friend Samuel. When an opportunity possibly leading to fame and fortune comes his way, Edward knows he mustn’t let it go. Set in 1840, The Gifts opens with a young woman in agony, staggering alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of wings rip from her shoulders. Meanwhile, when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London, a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger...

I one hundred per cent ‘got’ the story that Liz set out to tell. It’s historical fiction, yes, with magical elements, but it’s also SO MUCH MORE. This is a novel based on a slightly bizarre concept - in the mid-nineteenth century, a number of women grow wings. In an age of scientific discovery also still heavily influenced by religious beliefs, this piques the interest of doctors and captures the public imagination.

The Gifts

I’m left with this thought that gets me right here *pounds fist into heart area* - is it really STILL so scandalous that a woman can have the audacity to grow a pair of powerful wings and set herself free? I devoured The Gifts, eager to find out the fate of its wonderfully drawn characters. A wonderful, atmospheric book that immersed me in the dirty streets of nineteenth century London and swept me away to the hills of Shropshire. A real gem." ―Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City and Miss Aldridge Regrets October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders’. They are intriguing, passionate, relatable characters despite the unusual aspects of their lives. But to say too much more would spoil the story!

Just brilliant. And I remain forever indebted to the women who fought for rights for women. These women are true heroes! My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K. Manilla Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Gifts’ by Liz Hyder in exchange for an honest review.The Gifts is a stunning book. It’s both beautifully written and illustrated, but with a stark, uncompromising uncovering of inhumanity, zealous greed and ambition, so that it lingers in the reader’s mind long after it’s finished. There’s a chemistry between two of the characters that was done so perfectly. I’m not one for ‘love’ in stories, but I was absolutely buzzing for these two, and their banter was hilarious at times. I was crying with laughter during numerous scenes. The story covers some excellent themes, especially highlighting how the craze for science and the obsession over religion can have common roots. Both are a wait for a ‘Eureka’ moment, a miracle. Usually, one is based in logic and the other in faith. But this book depicts how an overlap is possible. It becomes quite thought-provoking. Told in Newt’s distinctive voice – a fictional dialect drawing on regional vocabularies from around the UK – the book sees Hyder’s characters go to some very dark places.