A tender and enthralling portrait of a woman and the time and place in which she lives.  The narrative is based loosely on the life of an actual historical person.

I found myself furious at times at the misogyny, sexism, and casual cruelty toward women so evident in every event in the story, and at the same time, so grateful to people like Martha, Doctor, and Elspeth fighting for the dignity of each person. I am not certain how much of Martha’s sane, reasoned, and generous outlook on things like race, illegitimacy, medicine, and the patriarchy reflect this admittedly amazing historical person, and what reflects the desires of the modern writer and reader. 

The mystical presence of the fox felt a bit…intrusive? But people find spiritual comfort in many things.