Book Review: "Midnight Rooms" by Donyae Coles
It was one early fall day where I decided to venture off to Semicolon bookstore. This gem of a bookstore highlights and features books written by Black and Brown people. I was instantly taken by the quaint environment alit with candles, music that you knew and could sing to, and books of every kind flanking the walls. I was in instant heaven.
Upon perusing the offerings, I was taken by the cover of "Midnight Rooms", as I am always drawn to a good cover. I wasn't sure, based on the cover, if it told the story of a little girl or a woman, so at first, I was hesitant. I have nothing against coming-of-age stories, but it's just not a genre that I really enjoy. But upon reading the inner flap and taking in the haunting cover of a seemingly little girl surrounded by a halo of butterflies and holding a doe that looked just as innocent as she did, I was curious and decided to take the plunge into this mysterious read.
A period piece, set in the England in 1840, we find Orabella Mumthrope, a black young woman adopted by a white aunt and uncle, are visited by an unknown male visitor, Elias Blakersby. During the visit, he inquires of Orabella's availability for marriage, which was sanctioned to pay off debts of her family. Within a few days, Orabella is whisked away by her now white fiancée to a castle in Korringhill Manor, the Blakersby family estate, far away from her home.
At first entry, she meets her in-laws, and she immediately senses that something is off about the family and the home. She is shown to her room, that, she soon discovers is kept locked at night. Only being allowed out of the room when maids come to tend to her, she is coerced to comply with certain rules of the house, which also includes her never to venture out without being in the company of the service staff who manages her waking, bathing, meals, and bedtimes. For a time, she and Elias do not consummate the marriage, until one day they do, and then stranger things begin to occur in the home, with the family she's married into, and with her new husband.
Without giving too much away about the story, as Orabella discovers passages to other rooms behind the walls of the old house at night, she soon discovers that there is more than meets the eye to be revealed about her husband, her in-laws, and the house in which she lives that holds secrets.
Every day I read this book I found myself holding my breath with a furrow in my brow. This novel disturbed me from page 1, there was such an eerie energy set in the first chapter. Coles masterfully helps the reader to step into Orabella's innocence and growing bewilderment throughout the novel. Even though this was a period work, I was pleasantly pleased with the relatability of the main character's emotions of wanting to please this husband and his family. For me, it spoke to the preoccupation that we as Black women can yield to by people pleasing, being quiet, and wanting to be seen as "just so". I was also bothered by the displayed treatment of Black women as "exotic", from the texture of our hair, the curve of our bodies, and the color of our skin. The references to Orabella as "pet" writhed an anger in me but also resonated with me in understanding how far we've come- but in many ways, we are still going through this same "exotic" treatment to this day in many ways. There are many themes that Cole weaves in this work, while managing to keep a gaiety and eerie undertone that keeps you reading to the very last page!
Please support Donyae Coles debut novel! I cannot wait to see what else is in store for this author. I am definitely now a fan! Make sure to add "Midnight Rooms" to your reading list for 2025!