Buy a copy of The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox today
Rating
5 stars – this haunting novel is a real page turner
Description
In the middle of tending to the everyday business at her vintage-clothing shop and sidestepping her married boyfriend’s attempts at commitment, Iris Lockhart receives a stunning phone call: Her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital—where she has been locked away for more than sixty-one years.
Why did you choose to read this book?
I’ve read O’Farrell’s previous novels and enjoyed two out of the three – so I wasn’t sure whether to read this one – however it was the only one that jumped out at me on a swap list so I thought I’d give it a try.
The Book Review
I picked up The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox expecting for it to last me a few days – and literally couldn’t put it down! There are no chapters – the voices of each of the characters intermingle across short sections – making it really easy to pick up and read for 5 minutes at a time – or longer periods. The story is not linear; it’s like a jigsaw puzzle, with the reader travelling back and forth between present day Scotland, India in the 1930s and Scotland in the 1930s, gradually putting together the pieces until the full picture is revealed in all its shocking glory in the final pages.
Without revealing too much information and spoiling the plot – this is a tale of Esme Lennox – a woman who has quite literally ‘vanished’. She was sectioned at the young age of 16 and purposely forgotten by her family. When the Hospital she has lived in for 61 years closes down the authorities contact her great-niece Iris who finds herself torn between letting the State find Esme somewhere else to live and understanding more about her great-aunt and the reason for her incarceration.
O’Farrell uses compelling prose and a fractured structure to draw the reader in and then reveal the clues which when pieced together reveal a shocking secret.
Make sure this is one of the books you read in 2008.
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9 Responses to “Book Review | The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell”
Wow! This sounds like a book I must add to my “to read” list! Thanks, Mrs. S!!
Jen Forbuss last blog post..An Author Q & A with Alafair Burke!
Great review! I wrote my review when I had just started blogging and it isn’t too long like some I do now. LOL. I thought this book was great. I loved how everything came together at the end and the secrets revealed. A definite must read I think. Glad you liked it too!
Darlenes last blog post..Library Trip and Reading Lists
O.k… I”ll give it another try! It didn’t grab me the first time around, but your review makes me wish I had kept going…
I read this last year (before I began my blog) and liked it. It was a fast read.
Marys last blog post..The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer
I’ve read such mixed reviews on this one, that I haven’t been able decide if I should pick it up or not. You just moved me to the “yes, I should read this one” side.
Debis last blog post..a dose of useless rambling
Very intriquing! I’ll be looking for it!
Linda Jacobss last blog post..Booking Through Thursday
I loved this book, like you I couldn’t put it down. I nearly didn’t buy it because from the title I thought it was going to be about magicians!
I couldn’t stop thinking about them after I put the book down I really wanted to know what happened to Esme, Iris and Alex.
Alixs last blog post..The Mediator – Reviewed
Such an intriguing premise! Thanks for alerting me to this book. It got added on to the TBR list. I may never ever get to it because of the sheer length of the list, but it’s on there.
)
Jessicas last blog post..The Questory of Root Karbunkulus, by Kamilla Reid
Sounds like a very intriguing premise, from what you’ve posted here. I’m going to add this to my list of books to check out.