Review: THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX by Maggie O'Farrell




In the 1930’s two young girls, Esme Lennox and her sister, start life together in India where their father practices law. Kitty, the older sister, conforms to the norms and etiquette of the day while Esme is more herself – beyond the normal conventions, trying to live her life ahead of the times. Needless to say, this behaviour gets her into trouble.

Fast forward to present day and a young woman called Iris Lockhart, who owns a second hand clothing store in London. Iris receives a mysterious phone call concerning a great-aunt who until that time Iris was unaware existed. Her grandmother, so she thought, was an only child. Iris is told that the great-aunt must find some other accommodation since the institution in which she lives is closing. And about time too – it being an outdated, outmoded psychiatric hospital. Suddenly Iris finds herself coping with an elderly relative who, in turns out, is not so unlike herself in many ways.

The journey with her aunt leads to many discoveries, not the least is which some long buried family secrets.

I definitely recommend this book! The writing is fast-paced, the plot intriguing and the characters are well laid out.

6 comments:

Literary Feline on December 29, 2008 at 3:36 PM said...

This really does sound good and like something I would like. Thank you for the great review!

avisannschild on December 30, 2008 at 4:01 AM said...

This sounds like an intriguing read!

Donna on December 31, 2008 at 5:21 PM said...

Literary Feline and avisannschild: it is a good read and and a pretty quick one too - it's not a large book. This is the 2nd one of hers I've read and (I think the first was called 'Eva Moves the Furniture') and I liked that one too.

avisannschild on January 26, 2009 at 6:30 PM said...

Heya, just perusing your blog again and noticed you mentioned Eva Moves the Furniture, which was actually written by Margot Livesey (I only know because I just got one of her other books in the mail!) Maybe you were thinking of After You'd Gone or The Distance Between Us?

Donna on January 26, 2009 at 6:56 PM said...

LOL!!! Thanks, Avis!

I think it's probably After You'd Gone - but it's been awhile since I read that. Though I seem to remember liking it. Yikes! It's a good thing for me that you notice these things!

avisannschild on January 27, 2009 at 1:49 AM said...

As long as you don't think I'm being a pain!

 

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