The opening adult novel by British-American young adult writer, Alexia Casale, is a darkly humorous piece that tackles a critical issue – domestic violence. Motivated by the grim facts surrounding violence towards women both in the UK and Ireland, it offers a unique perspective on the issue. Women’s Aid reports that one in four Irish women, who have had a relationship, have been victims of abuse from their current or past partner.
As a nonfiction editor specialising in human rights and abuse against women, Casale seeks to use comedy as a means of addressing a topic often considered off-limits, despite its widespread prevalence across all social levels. To achieve this, she creates a highly unlikely storyline that allows the readers to accept the dark comedic aspects which wouldn’t work with a more believable scenario.
Casale fabricates a setting where four women from the same locality murder their spouses in self-protection during the lockdown period when cases of domestic violence surged. Fate brings these women together, forming the whimsically named “Lockdown Ladies’ Burial Club” to strategise how to get rid of the bodies.
In a comprehensive note from the author at the conclusion of the novel, she provides a significant backdrop to the decisions she made during crafting the narrative. Her approach, informed by trauma studies, prevents the reader from encountering unnecessary violence scenes; instead, the narrative concentrates on the victim’s experiences, not the abuser’s, deviating from the commonly gruesome themes in literature where women are the victims of atrocious attacks.
Casale’s extensive clarity may suggest a concern that her readers might struggle to grasp the subtleties in the comedy, doubt her capacity to develop such a varied character ensemble or wholly understand the grim underpinnings upon which her story is founded. Though a successful novel should be able to resonate without needing the author’s guidance, Casale’s novel manages to escape being overly preachy due to its well-rounded characters, especially the main character Sally, who kills her spouse using a frying pan. The novel shines a spotlight on the bleakest of topics with great compassion for the women at its centre, using comedy effectively.