1863 Melbourne comes to life in Madeleine Cleary‘s much buzzed about debut novel, The Butterfly Women, released earlier in the month through Affirm Press. A publishing imprint making a name for itself in historical fiction, Cleary joins renowned historical fiction writer Pip Williams (The Dictionary of Lost Words), as well as a growing list including the likes of Kyra Geddes (The Story Thief), Wendy Parkins (The Defiance of Frances Dickinson) and Lauren Keegan (All the Bees in the Hollows). Australian readers show no signs of letting up in their appetites for historical stories lead by strong female characters who might otherwise have been ignored by the archives, and Cleary’s novel introduces four such heroines, sure to delight and inspire those who meet them.
The first among them is Johanna Callaghan, an Irish immigrant down on her luck when she is rescued by Constable Mary – a woman who patrols the streets of Melbourne’s Little Lonsdale area in her husband’s police uniform and is accepted, or in some cases, tolerated, because of how much better a job she does at keeping the local people safe. Johanna is introduced to Papillon, an infamous bawdy house frequented by numerous persons of note, and under the tutelage of Madame Catherine Laurent – the steely proprietress- she rises from serving girl to one of the brothel’s most sought after stars.
In the nearby suburbs, Harriet Gardiner, lives with her two older brothers and contents herself writing insubstantial pieces for the paper’s society pages. Her eldest brother, William, is a police magistrate who strives to uphold appearances and keep his siblings safe from scandal, while the younger, Henry, prefers to gad about town in search of fun. Through the eyes of Mary, Catherine, Harriet and Johanna, the reader experiences the rise of a serial killer targeting ladies of the night, Jack the Ripper style.
As racism and class prejudices obscure the truth, so too does the sensationalised newspaper reporting of the time, reducing the killer’s victims to little more than undesirables. But Harriet, who has been drawn into a friendship with some of the inhabitants of Papillon, wants the people of Melbourne to know who these women really were, and attempts to tell their stories. These efforts to reclaim the victims’ personhood are included throughout the story.
Cleary’s approach to writing about Papillon and about prostitution is refreshingly balanced, looking at the madams and their various charges as businesswomen and as people who have found a legitimate way to support themselves, rather than as extortioners and their prey.
Based on her own family history research, Cleary includes a scene early on in which Catherine defends her business in the court, drawing attention to the hypocrisy of those who would attend her premises by night and accuse her of immorality in the morning. Cleary’s detailed research provides a richness to the story- you can literally smell the river at times, and feel the closeness and darkness of the streets as Harriet and Johanna walk through them. Johanna connects folk mythology to the mystery, drawing on the deep superstitions that must have been a part of daily life for Irish-Australians, in her attempts to make sense of the murders.
Though the viewpoint would have been unusual at the time, Cleary also includes references to the local First Nations people and their relationship with the land through Harriet and Mary’s points of view. The result is a multi-layered historical piece that seems to transcend class boundaries.
Readers who enjoyed Jane Smiley‘s A Dangerous Business or Jane Sullivan‘s Murder in Punch Lane will enjoy this novel which is also somewhat reminiscent of the television show, Harlots.
Though it presents a much more nuanced portrayal of Melbourne in the latter half of the 19th century, those who are expecting salaciousness and scandal will not be disappointed.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Madeleine Cleary’s The Butterfly Women is out now through Affirm Press. Grab yourself a copy from your local bookstore HERE.
