The Spirit Circle (Tara Calaby, Text)

Tara Calaby’s The Spirit Circle is a thrilling sapphic historical fiction set in 19th-century Victoria, exploring the passage of loss and grief and the importance of platonic and romantic bonds. The story begins with Harriet losing her family and breaking off her engagement to Ellen’s brother, leaving him heartbroken. In search of solace, Harriet moves to the newly formed all-female religious organisation The Church of the Spirit, which claims to communicate with the dead. Worried for her friend—and the woman she secretly loves—Ellen follows Harriet to the Church to expose what she believes is a hoax. Instead, she is met with a group of unique and strong-willed women who change her life in unexpected ways. Through her compelling characters, Calaby does a remarkable job of showing how grief can alter the course of our lives and, most importantly, how differently each person experiences it. What is most striking about the story is its emphasis on spirituality, a topic not often explored in this kind of historical fiction, despite its rising popularity during the Victorian era. Calaby’s expertise on the subject, particularly in relation to the Victorian period, shines through magnificently from beginning to end. A poignant exploration of love, grief, sexuality and perseverance, The Spirit Circle is a book for fans of Georgette Heyer and Freya Marske.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Nilab Siddiqi is a bookseller and publishing student based in Sydney set on diversifying the Australian industry. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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