The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox [L0015]

2006 - HCDJ very good condition. By the author of Hamnet. Maggie O'Farrell takes readers on a journey to the darker places of the human heart, where desires struggle with the imposition of social mores. This haunting story explores the seedy past of Victorian asylums, the oppression of family secrets, and the way truth can change everything. 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.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "The opening of this novel reflects the simple beauty and power of O'Farrell's writing and I was immediately drawn into this story."; "I'm not sure that any review can actually do this book justice. It is emotionally powerful and powerfully heartbreaking, such a short book to convey so much emotion and so much depth. The writing in this book is deceptively simple and oh so elegant. The characters real and complete, using flashbacks and memories. The ending a reversal and for me, perfect."; "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is an astounding novel. It takes hold from the very start and does not let go until the end. In fact, there is so much to think about after the novel ends, this feeling does not diminish for a while afterwards. It is not a happy story, by any means, but Maggie O'Farrell crafts it in such a way that the reader cannot help but develop a fascination for the characters. Part cautionary tale, part social commentary, and part family drama, this novel provides a rather bleak yet plausible glance into a display of man's inhumanity to man (or, perhaps more specifically, society's inhumanity to woman)."