I have been intrigued by the concept of sin eaters since first reading about it. It arose from folklore legends in the British Isles from the 17th century until the early 1900s. Sin eaters were hired to sit next to a person near death or already dead and consume food thought to represent the person's lifetime sins. The sin eaters symbolically took the sins onto themselves, freeing the soul to pass peacefully, leaving the sin eaters with the accumulated sins.

This historical fiction centers around 14-year-old orphaned May Owen, who was arrested for stealing a loaf of bread and was subsequently sentenced to be a sin eater in Elizabethan England. There was another older sin eater, and both were shunned by everyone in the community. Their mantra is "The Unseen is now seen and the Unheard is now heard. The sins of your flesh become the sins of mine to be borne to my grave in silence." She learns that certain foods are associated with certain sins.

When the older sin eater is incarcerated and dies a brutal death, May takes on their duties by herself because she has no choice. She becomes puzzled by food she is requested to eat that symbolizes an unconfessed death. This is a suspenseful mystery as it evolves and a fascinating look into the life of a fictional sin eater. ( )

Really excellent alternate history/historical fiction! I can't stop thinking about May. Campisi's writing brings the narrative and characters to vivid life. I also want to know more about the instrument makers with their "chest rumbler" and also Brida, Paul and the other outcast band. Enjoyable im every way - hope to see more from this author soon! ( )

An interesting read. I thought I would stop reading a few times but I was drawn into May's story and had to see how it would end. ( )

Slow to pick up and lack-luster ending. However, couldn't put it down once I started reading it. ( )

I had never heard of sin eaters before, but apparently it's an actual custom persisting up to the 19th century, in Wales and the English counties closest to it. This book takes place in a world resembling 16th century England, but it's not quite the same. May Owens, arrested for theft of bread, is made a sin eater, which means she eats a ritual meal to taken on the sins of the dead person. But then the ritual meals for two of the Queen's ladies that they didn't confess to, and May is in danger as she's figuring out what's going on. I enjoyed the imagination behind this book. ( )