Jessie Burton

The Confession

The sensational new novel from the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse.One winter's afternoon on Hampstead Heath in 1980, Elise Morceau meets Constance Holden and quickly falls under her spell. Connie is bold and alluring, a successful writer whose novel is being turned into a major Hollywood film. Elise follows Connie to LA, a city of strange dreams and swimming pools and late-night gatherings of glamorous people. But whilst Connie thrives on the heat and electricity of this new world where everyone is reaching for the stars and no one is telling the truth, Elise finds herself floundering. When she overhears a conversation at a party that turns everything on its head, Elise makes an impulsive decision that will change her life forever.Three decades later, Rose Simmons is seeking answers about her mother, who disappeared when she was a baby. Having learned that the last person to see her was Constance Holden, a reclusive novelist who withdrew from public life at the peak of her fame, Rose is drawn to the door of Connie's imposing house in search of a confession ... From the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse, this is a luminous, powerful and deeply moving novel about secrets and storytelling, motherhood and friendship, and how we lose and find ourselves.PRAISE FOR THE CONFESSION 'Dazzlingly good. The Confession is that rare thing: an utterly engrossing novel which asks big questions without ever once losing sight of the storyteller's need to entertain and move. I turned the final pages in tears and I know already I shall return to it again and again. Without doubt one of the best novels of recent years.' Elizabeth Day, author of The Party and How To Fail'I haven't enjoyed a book so much in a long time . . . I lost myself in the story, not wanting to come up for air. A bold, intelligent, wonderful novel' Sarah Winman, author of Tin Man'Burton is asking important questions in The Confession - questions about motherhood, art and creativity, love, friendship - and in doing this, she has created three utterly fascinating characters. Connie, Elise, and Rose are complicated; complex in ways that women are so rarely allowed to be in literature, demanding that their stories be heard. This is a beautiful novel and one that will stay with me for a very long time' Louise O'Neill, author of Only Ever Yours'an absorbing, intelligent piece of storytelling' Guardian

Frida Kahlo

Jennifer

There's a well known motto that you should "never judge a book by its cover" - I must admit that the rabbit in the cover artwork partially influenced my decision to read Jessie Burton's The Confession. But Jessie Burton's impressive novel is one rare instance where the artwork nailed the vibes of the book perfectly. This is an emotionally gripping read featuring a cast of compelling characters and prompted readers to ask about deep questions related to self-knowledge: the notion of responsibility, womanhood, and self-expression. 

What impressed me the most with The Confession is the characters. I thought the main characters are very well fleshed out (Connie's strong need for authentic self-expression, Elise's own insecurities, and Rose's internal conflicts). Not only they defy the usual pitfalls, but they are also written in a tone that felt very realistic to me: particularly the subtleties of the characters' emotional turmoil. I thought these are all vividly conveyed throughout the book. 

Thematically, there's a lot going on in The Confession. But thanks to the superb storytelling from both the characters' point of view and the subplots of Connie's novels within the pages, I was welcomed a lot of thought provoking moments as the revelation slowly unfolds. Plenty of food for thoughts on the notion of responsibility and how one approaches self-expression / self-knowledge in a relationship. In some sense the storytelling felt continuous to me even though this book is written from dual perspective & timeline. 

While the actual meat of the book is pretty impressive, I think a possible drawback in the writing is the slower pacing & the multiple perspectives. Personally I think the slow pace and the presence of subplots worked well for The Confession in that it gracefully builds up the defining moments of the novel: something that couldn't be pulled off without unrushed storytelling. Though I can also see why this type of writing style doesn't work for readers who are looking for a quick & simple read.

Another thing that I hope to see more of is what goes inside Connie's novels that were written in the pages of the novel. While I think thematically mentions of Connie's novels enhanced the character arcs, I personally would love to see more of the fictional world that Connie has created (since they sounded intriguing).

A few disclaimers aside, I have discovered a new author to look more into from The Confession. This is an engaging and gracefully written novel about responsibility and self-expression. It also features a strong feminist streak and an emotionally engaging f/f relationship. If you're looking for a character-driven story that excels in feminist themes & storytelling, look not further than this title!

N.B. This book contains following content warnings: alchohol, vomiting, emotional abuse, childbirth, self-harm, and abandonment

Pam Sartain

The Confession by Jessie Burton tells two stories. One is set in 1980, where Elise meets Connie, a successful writer, and follows her to Los Angeles. The other story is set in 2017, where we follow Rose, who is trying to find out why her mother abandoned her and her father. 

Rose's journey in to the past leads her to take on a false name, with a false past, and start working for Connie as an assistant.

I really enjoyed The Confession, and wanted to find out the answers that Rose was searching for, and understand what happened. It wraps up well, and I thought the characters were great!

Jessie Burton is the author of The Miniaturist, which had great success, and was turned into a TV series, and The Muse, which I think I need to read now!

The Confession was published on 19th September 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. Waterstones has signed editions! I've found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

You can follow Jessie Burton on Instagram, or through her website.

If you're interested in historical crime book, then here's some others I've reviewed:

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan Macmillan (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!

The sensational Sunday Times bestseller from Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse. When Elise Morceau meets the writer Constance Holden, she quickly falls under her spell. Connie is sophisticated, bold and alluring – everything Elise feels she is not. She follows Connie to LA, but in this city of strange dreams and razzle-dazzle, Elise feels even more out of her depth and makes an impulsive decision that will change her life forever. Three decades later, Rose Simmons is trying to uncover the story of her mother, who disappeared when she was a baby. Having learned that the last person to see her was a now reclusive novelist, Rose finds herself at the door of Constance Holden’s house in search of a confession . . . 'Without doubt one of the best novels of recent years' - Elizabeth Day

Manon van Heumen

I was very hesitant about this book, but in the end I really enjoyed it.

Tonja Fisher

Jessica Bateson

Mitz

Addy

Rebecca Grandison 

The powerful, moving and suspenseful novel from the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse.

The Confession

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