Mr. Wroe's Virgins

A provocative and well written fictional account of the British 19th c. religious doomsday cult headed by the physically challenged but charismatic Mr. Wroe. Wroe requests from his community seven virgins "for succor and comfort." The novel is told in the voice of four of these women, during the nine months the community held together before (unsurprising) allegations tore it apart. The voices of the women are wonderfully written, at times ironic, at times poignant, at times arch. Rogers manages the different voices beautifully, as she does the details of everyday life in the community. She also manages to dive headlong into the most ambitious and dangerous landscapes of faith, love and existential meaning. Recommended.

An interesting premise, but after 100 pages, it didn't feel like the story had advanced much. Time to move on to another TBR book...

A good picture of the industrial north of England, and the religious sects which arose in the early 19th century.