The Brewer’s Tale (Aus.) / The Lady Brewer of London (US)
This is a tale of beer and the subjugation of women in 15th-century England.
Anneke Sheldrake is a wealthy merchant’s daughter until her father drowns and it is revealed that he has deprived his children of their inheritance. Desperate to keep her household together, Anneke turns to brewing ale to make ends meet – thus irredeemably lowering her social standing in the eyes of the townfolk and her brother. But social slippage is soon the least of Anneke’s worries for, as a woman with no male protector, she is vulnerable to attack from those threatened by her superlative brewing skills and her beauty. Anneke must battle corrupt officials, evil monks, a lecherous knight, and a vindictive cousin simply to make a living from her craft.
I feel conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I can appreciate its many good points. Brooks brings the craft of the medieval brewer to vivid life. The historical setting feels utterly authentic, and characters display convincing medieval mindsets. Further, the introduction of that notorious figure from medieval literature, the Wife of Bath, adds colour to the second part of the ‘Tale’. Often interpreted as a medieval feminist, this Canterbury Tales character takes Anneke under her capable wing and supports her in her fight for feminine self-determination. Cleverly, Brooks also makes the catalyst of The Wife of Bath’s Tale – rape – central to The Brewer’s Tale.
Unfortunately, however, I did not enjoy this novel. I found Brooks’ at-times tangled syntax and habit of beginning sentences with a participle grating. The bad guys were far too one-dimensionally bad. Finally, almost every possible evil that could befall Anneke came about, to a degree that not only made it hard to read on (if we empathise with a character, we can only deal with so much hopelessness), but also hard to believe.
