The Rapture by Claire McGlasson – Reviewed by Guy Portman
Dilys Barltrop is a member of ‘The Panacea Society’; a cult based in Bedford, England. Its leader, Octavia, considers herself to be the daughter of God. She claims that the end time is drawing near, and that the Lord is set to return to their Garden of Eden. The domineering matriarch is obsessed with self-confession and etiquette. Few things rile her more than noisy eating.
All is not well in this rule-ridden environment. The society is at risk of fragmenting, as doubts begin to surface and pressures mount from the outside world. In these uncertain times, a follower is gaining power through nefarious means.
The arrival of a new member sees Dilys’s existence improve as the pair become close friends. Will the relationship culminate in our protagonist escaping the clutches of the cult, or is her destiny to remain enslaved there?
Set in the 1920s, The Rapture is loosely based on the real life ‘Panacea Society’, which followed the beliefs of Joanna Southcott, a self-proclaimed nineteenth century prophetess. Its moving and at times suspenseful content, effective use of internal monologue and mental health theme appealed to this reader, who was drawn to the paradoxical Dilys; her character a compelling combination of idealist and cynic.
