–

I really enjoyed this book and give it a provisional five stars. It is well written and engaging, about a famous author finally telling “the truth” about her origins to a biographer, who is the main character. The author’s story has a bit of a Gothic spin to it in the tradition of Jane Eyre, with hints of ghosts that mostly sort out as the mystery unfolds.

There are some twists that you don’t expect as the tale bounces back and forth from the story itself to the present day telling (and fact-checking) of it. Largely, this novel is about the bond of twin-ship. The story’s pace sags a bit when dwelling on the author’s mother and brother, who are quite dysfunctional and strange, but becomes more interesting once the twins are born.

My provisional recommendation hesitates around the last (metaphorical?) ghost bit, which from my perspective could have been written in a more plausibly acceptable way, since I emphatically do not believe in actual communication with those who have passed on. To me, the ghost bits are best interpreted as the need to face and demystify the unknown in the light of the truth, and this story does do that, so maybe it is just a problem of articulation that I’m being picky about. Every other part of the story resolves beautifully into the clarity of reality in ways you may not have anticipated, complete with a delightful surprise near the end.

I saved this review for the Halloween season, for this is as close as I get to a rather eerily haunting tale that I still enjoyed. If you have not read this yet, it would be a perfect, engrossing read for this time of year. Let me know what you think.

–