‘The significance of this novel goes beyond Holmes’s beautiful narrative voice and illuminates a hero known to us solely because the real Frances Wolfreston signed her name in each of her books. In an era marked by low female literacy rates and limited women’s ownership rights, this highlights the immense value Wolfreston placed on her books and underscores our progress since then. This deeply moving debut will appeal to fans of Pip Williams’ The Bookbinder of Jericho and Kayte Nunn’s The Silk House.’
–Books+Publishing

‘A riveting novel of women's solidarity and Shakespeare amidst the societal limitations of Puritan England. Holmes rekindles the intriguing story of Frances Wolfreston in this accomplished debut.’
–Eleanor Limprecht, author of The Coast and The Passengers

‘In lyrical, powerful prose, Gail Holmes lures us into the repressive world of seventeenth-century England, bringing it to life through the eyes of Frances Wolfreston, rector’s wife, keeper of secrets, collector of books and careful observer.  Beautifully written, In the Margins is a captivating novel: vivid, wise and moving.’
–Suzanne Leal, author of The Watchful Wife and The Deceptions

‘Sparkling prose and tender clarity make the journey in Frances ‘Frannie’ Wolfreston’s shoes a sheer delight. Gail Holmes’s potent but poignant nod to the pursuit of male approval, urges us to remember that solidarity between women is finespun but resilient. And its lustrous threads carry the necessary strength to weave HIStory with HERS.’
–Sally Colin-James, author of One Illumined Thread