Tara Calaby’s second novel The Spirit Circle came out in January of this year and has followed hot on the heels of her debut, The House of Longing, which came out in 2023 – an impressive turnaround for historical fiction, which often requires extensive research. The result is an assured and atmospheric read featuring headstrong heroines, forbidden attraction and ghostly apparitions.
Ellen Whitfield is a young woman living in Melbourne’s more affluent suburbs with her brother William and their dog, Prince. Their parents live further out in the Victorian countryside and prefer not to come into the city. Likewise, Ellen and her brother do not wish to leave the city to spend time at the family’s rural home.
Though the time period is never actually stated, it seems from much of the language and setting details that the story takes place in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, and as such, Ellen’s attraction to women is something that only her most trusted friends know about.
The closest of those is Harriet, who was once the object of Ellen’s affection, and is now engaged to be married to her brother, and become her sister-in-law. The wound of discovering that Harriet’s hand holding and playing at kissing did not mean the same to her as it did to Ellen is still fresh, but the pair have managed to stay close friends despite their mismatched feelings.
At the beginning of the novel, however, Harriet breaks off the engagement and announces that she has joined a mysterious group called The Church of the Spirit. This ‘church’ led by Mrs Caroline McLeod, is founded on a belief in spirits and Mrs McLeod claims to be able to channel the lost loved ones of those in her congregation, as well as the spirit of her own husband, the Reverend McLeod, who died on the ship over to Australia.
Harriet, who has recently lost her parents and brother in a maritime accident, is especially susceptible to such beliefs, but Ellen is immediately suspicious, especially when she learns that Harriet has ended her engagement to William because the ghost of her mother (via Mrs McLeod) has asked her to. Ellen, determined to prove that the church has ulterior motives, moves in to the church alongside her friend. But as time goes on, and she is unable to spot any evidence of trickery, Ellen’s own beliefs begin to shift, especially as she grows closer to McLeod’s prickly and protective daughter, Grace.
Part historical novel, part gothic tale, part mystery, The Spirit Circle celebrates the unconventional ways that communities can form, particularly among women, and the way that a desire to protect these connections can lead to powerful consequences. Calaby introduces a cast of women in the congregation, from the elderly Jane who sits in corners and knits to the socialite, Adelaide, who seems to view being part of the circle as a novelty, to Sarah, whose marriage is in trouble and whose husband seems to be ready to beat down the door in order to extract her.
Though at times, this chorus of women did seem to blend in to one another (and even now I could not say how many characters there were living in that house), the effect of a kind of sisterhood, bound in grief, is a powerful one- especially as Ellen, who has always felt like an outsider, gives up her suspicion in favour of being a part of something, even if it may be a shared delusion.
Ellen’s growing infatuation with Grace, a woman who both irritates and captivates her, is extremely well-done. It serves as both a distraction for the initially sceptical Ellen, causing her to be taken in as her own grief is exploited in order to convince her, but also as a subtle and charming love story. Though Ellen’s sexuality was not able to be publicly visible in the Victorian era, Calaby never makes her out to be a victim, doomed to play out a tragic love-story, but instead makes this arc one about the power of being oneself around their trusted group of peers and family members, accepted for who they are in their own circles, if not by wider society. The fact of Ellen’s queerness is treated not as a major plot point but rather as a detail to her character, and is not sensationalised – it just is.
As for the spiritual side of the plot, the emphasis is less on religion and the existence of ghosts and more on the power of belief and hope – something which may just be potent enough to keep the circle of women together no matter how Mrs McLeod’s ‘miracles’ are achieved.
Those who enjoy solving fictional mysteries may be disappointed on that count – while the answer is very straightforward, there aren’t too many clues to follow throughout the piece, perhaps owing to the fact that our point of view character, Ellen, stops looking for evidence and begins to believe.
In some ways reminiscent of a Sarah Waters novel, but with a distinctly Melbourne-bent, The Spirit Circle is a gentle but satisfying work of historical fiction, and may appeal to readers who are looking for something in the cosy gothic vein.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Tara Calaby’s The Spirit Circle is available now through Text Publishing. Grab yourself a copy from your local bookstore HERE
Header Image supplied by Text Publishing
