Fiction
2008 Mariner Books (first published in 2006)
Finished on December 19, 2022
Rating: 5/5 (Outstanding)
Note: This one is best to go into blind. Avoid lengthy blurbs and reviews. My post (and the publisher's blurb) is spoiler-free.
Publisher's Blurb:
Iris’s grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme’s papers prove she is Kitty’s sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme’s face.
Esme has been labeled harmless—sane enough to coexist with the rest of the world. But she's still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit?
A gothic, intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox will haunt you long past its final page.
Wow! I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did, especially after the first half-dozen pages, which I needed to reread from the first paragraph; I was terribly confused. But I fell in love with O'Farrell's nonlinear structure, which includes multiple points of view, as well as jumps in the timeline. It was not until I was well into the narrative that it all started to fall into place, but there remained a few twists and turns, as well as some continued confusion, and an ambiguous finale. The author does an amazing job teasing out the details, allowing small glimpses into the history of the Lennox family. It's a sad tale, but a very quick read (under 250 pages) and one which I would love to read again, especially now that I understand what happened to Esme and Kitty. I couldn't put it down and think it would make a marvelous book to discuss with others. I have to say that it's even better than Hamnet, which I loved. With evocative prose and a piercingly sad storyline, O'Farrell delivers a powerful and timely message about women's rights (or lack thereof) in a patriarchal society.
Highly recommend!
Thanks for sharing your rave review about this book. Interestingly, I was just thinking about Maggie O'Farrell. One of our blogging friends was saying how little she liked her historical fiction, especially Hamnet, and I started to wonder what else she had written.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I'm glad you enjoyed this review. It is such a wonderful novel, and I'm eager to read another earlier publication by O'Farrell called This Must Be the Place. My mom says it's very good, too, and it's not historical fiction. I'll keep you posted.
DeleteThis was one of my favorites for the year. Loved that one of O'Farrell's work.
ReplyDeleteTina, I loved it! I want to go back and read it again, so I may recommend it to my book group.
DeleteEnding the year with a 5 out of 5 is fantastic! It sets a good precedent for 2023.
ReplyDeleteIt does, doesn't it Helen? It's a fantastic book and one which I'll happily read a second time.
DeleteI never even knew about this book, so I’m glad you posted about it (and told me about it!). I love Maggie O’Farrell, and I look forward to reading this as you liked it even more than Hamnet.
ReplyDeleteBlessings on your New Year 2023! Xoxox
Meredith, it's one of her earlier novels. I remember when it came out and one of my co-workers was reading it, but I never got around to it until this month. It's fantastic!
Deleteoh! this is an excellent review. and I agree - it has staying power. I read (actually, listened to) because I was curious about her earlier works. DEVIOUS, is the first word that comes to mind after a few months. Glad you liked it. Again, great post.
ReplyDeleteCare, I've heard the audio is very good. Now that I understand the structure of the narrative, I think the audiobook would be a good way to revisit the book. Thanks for your nice comment.
DeleteWow I'll have to give it a go. I wonder if I'd be confused by the audio. I better go for print.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I would definitely recommend the print edition! JoAnn mentioned that she tried the audio and wound up switching to read/listen combo.
DeleteI loved this one, too... my first Maggie O'Farrell novel. I started Hamnet, but don't think I gave it enough time. Will try again another time, but I don't read a lot of historical fiction.This Must Be the Place will be her next one for me to try. Anne Bogel recommended it on her podcast.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, Hamnet is so different from this one, but I did enjoy it. I have This Must Be the Place in my stacks. My mom read and enjoyed it, so I'm eager to get to it.
DeleteThis sounds like a fantastic read. I actually have both this and Hamnet on my shelves still waiting to be read. Sigh. Well at least I have some great reads ahead right? :)
ReplyDeleteIliana, I'm still thinking about this book! If I had to pick my all-time favorite of the year, this may be the one.
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