Product Description

A significant departure for Maggie O'Farrell in terms of maturity and style, the paperback publication of THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX will be an unmissable event.

Set between the 1930s,and the present, Maggie O'Farrell's new novel is the story of Esme, a woman edited out of her family's history, and of the secrets that come to light when, sixty years later, she is released from care, and a young woman, Iris, discovers the great aunt she never knew she had. The mystery that unfolds is the heartbreaking tale of two sisters in colonial India and 1930s Edinburgh - of the loneliness that binds them together and the rivalries that drive them apart, and lead one of them to a shocking betrayal - but above all it is the story of Esme, a fiercely intelligent, unconventional young woman, and of the terrible price she is made to pay for her family's unhappiness. This is vintage Maggie O'Farrell: an impassioned, intense, haunting family drama - a stunning imagining of a life stolen, and reclaimed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #803 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-17
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Amanda Craig, The Times
'O'Farrell's imaginative territory is one you return to with delight'

Review

‘Actually unputdownable, written with charge and energy and a kind of compelling drive, a clarity and a gripping dramatic insidiousness reminiscent of classic Daphne du Maurier’

'O’Farrell’s subtlety and delicate touch have never been so finely demonstrated'

'Mesmerisingly good’

'O’Farrell’s story-telling skills ensure that this novel is compulsively readable, and delivers strong emotional punch’

Synopsis
A significant departure for Maggie O'Farrell in terms of maturity and style, the paperback publication of THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX will be an unmissable event. Set between the 1930s,and the present, Maggie O'Farrell's new novel is the story of Esme, a woman edited out of her family's history, and of the secrets that come to light when, sixty years later, she is released from care, and a young woman, Iris, discovers the great aunt she never knew she had. The mystery that unfolds is the heartbreaking tale of two sisters in colonial India and 1930s Edinburgh - of the loneliness that binds them together and the rivalries that drive them apart, and lead one of them to a shocking betrayal - but above all it is the story of Esme, a fiercely intelligent, unconventional young woman, and of the terrible price she is made to pay for her family's unhappiness. This is vintage Maggie O'Farrell: an impassioned, intense, haunting family drama - a stunning imagining of a life stolen, and reclaimed.

Customer Reviews

Gripping read
I read this book because I had nothing else to read and loved it. I couldn't put it down and when I did, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It's well written, sad, shocking in parts and thought provoking. i recommend it and I shall read more of Maggie O'Farrell books.

abit of a let down
I had heard that this book was a brilliant read, this is true. However, it is quite difficult to determine which character is speaking sometimes and found that the relationship between Iris, Alex and Luke was completely pointless, it has no effect on the story whatsoever. I guessed the twist in the story very early on and was on the edge of my seat waiting for another - it never came. I found the ending hurried and abit vague. I was left dissapointed, with a sense of not understanding what had happened. Nevertheless it is a very good read, that will have you reading page after page. It is a moving and poignant read.

Gripping but vague in places.
I actually enjoyed reading this and felt very sad for the character of Esme Lennox. It was certainly a page turner and kept me engaged throughout. My only complaints were that the ending seemed a bit hurried and that the sub plot involving Iris, Luke and Alex was not really necessary or needed as the novel would have been better had it been fully focused on Esme.

Although I have a couple of criticisms about the book, it was definitely a page turner and is worth reading.