The February book club selection for the book club I run at the library was The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. I absolutely LOVED it! The story takes place in Scotland and centers around Iris, the owner of a vintage dress shop with a complicated and complex personal life. Iris' world is rendered a little off kilter when she is informed that she is the next of kin of her great aunt Esme Lennox, who is being released from an asylum after being locked away for 61 years. The most surprising thing about this is that Iris didn't even realize she has a great aunt. Esme is the sister of Iris' grandmother, Kitty. However, Kitty has advanced Alzheimer's Disease and Iris can not question her grandmother about this mysterious relative.
But that is not even the most interesting part of this multi-layered story. As Iris begins to unravel Esme's story, she begins to uncover layers of secrets within her own family. Not the least of which is that Esme was locked away mainly because she was an unconventional woman during a time in British history when it was extremely unacceptable, especially among the upper classes.
Maggie O'Farrell handles the complex telling of this story very deftly. The story alternates between the voices of Iris, Esme and Kitty and also between the past and present. Through these vignettes of memory, the author slowly unveils the story of these two very different sisters and how Esme comes to be hospitalized and what happens to each of them after that event. As a reader, I enjoyed the slow unfolding of the story as the layers where peeled away. And each piece of the puzzle led to a wonderful understanding of the characters as a whole.
What fascinated me the most about this book is that Maggie O'Farrell states in an interview that she was inspired to write this story based on actual British history. Apparently, until the 1950s it was possible for a man to commit his wife or daughter to an asylum with just a signature from a doctor. Women were locked away for reasons as nebulous as "taking long walks", refusing offers of marriage, accidental pregnancies, refusing to cut their hair and most shockingly one girl was diagnosed as insane because she was "caught dancing before a mirror, dressed in her mother's clothes". Amazing, but true! O'Farrell further states that she's long been interested in what happens to "non-conforming" women in different points in history. In the 16th and 17th century they would have been burned as a witch, more recently they were locked away in asylums. It isn't hard to think about women today in fundamentalist Muslim families who are murdered in "honor killings" for "non-conforming" behavior that brings shame to their families. O'Farrell maintains that in The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, "Iris and Esme are essentially the same person and it's just the luck of the draw that Iris was born in a time when that didn't happen to her". Let's all be thankful we live in the time and place that we do.
I LOVED The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. I would give it 4 Stars.
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10 comments:
Certainly a good recommendation coming from you. I like the idea of vignettes alternating time and voice. So difficult for the author.
Oh, how I want my reading mind to return.
Wow, this sounds really good. Sounds a lot like the Kate Morton books I have read. I love it when a writer builds layers to be unravelled. You said you have read Kate Morton, was this one better?
Another to put on the to-read list. I don't know if I'll ever keep track of all of them! Great review as usual.
I was reminded, reading your review, of the main character in One Thousand White Women - also confined to an asylum for unconventional behavior. I loved your - or, I suppose more accurately, O'Farrell's closing statement - that the same people born in different times will be viewed quite differently.
I am so glad you were in front of me today SITSta!! I LOVE books and this looks fantastic! Wow. You just made the blah of Wednesday go away:) I think I will be following you. On Goodreads as well:) Yay!
I saw you were reading this book, and read a bit about it. Your review helps me decide to add it to my TBR stack. I like books with more than one POV, and I like those that make me think.
Thanks Pam.
Oh, this sounds wonderful, Pam! You and I often have similar perspectives on things, so I bet I'd like this book, too. I like books with multiple layers and deeper meanings. I think my mom would like this one, too. I'm adding it to my list! Or maybe I'll bypass the list and just request it at the library right now...
Sue
Hey Pam -- First of all, I've read this book and loved it -- I hadn't read the interview where Ms O'Farrell said it was based on a true story; I kind of always assume my favorite novels are based in truth (which I realize could be dangerous) but to have it my suspicion confirmed makes me shiver all over again.
Second: THE WAY YOU HAVE THIS SET UP NOW IS the comment form that is easier for me to use -- but gosh, if you like the other format better and most of your readers haven't complained, don't change it on my account. Seems like almost all the bloggers I read are on blogger or blogspot -- I'm just a different sort of woman (probably would have been a hanging offense back in Esme Lennox's time ;>)
I've added your blog to my Reader so that I'll remember to check in regularly -- loved this review as well as the post I read yesterday.
Sounds really interesting! The story alternating between the different characters reminds me of "The Virgin Blue," which I really liked. Also, the husband committing a wife to a mental hospital reminded me of "Fingersmith," which is great.
This sounds like a great book! I'll have to suggest this to my book club!
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