2011 August 24

Book Review: The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

Title: The Lantern
Author: Deborah Lawrenson
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: August 9, 2011
Hardcover: 400 pages
ISBN: 978-0062049698
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

A modern gothic novel of love, secrets, and murder—set against the lush backdrop of Provence

Meeting Dom was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me. When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom in Switzerland, their whirlwind relationship leads them to Les Genévriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant lavender fields of the South of France. Each enchanting day delivers happy discoveries: hidden chambers, secret vaults, a beautiful wrought-iron lantern. Deeply in love and surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive.

But with autumn’s arrival the days begin to cool, and so, too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scars of a failed marriage—one he refuses to talk about—his silence arouses suspicion and uncertainty. The more reticent Dom is to explain, the more Eve becomes obsessed with finding answers—and with unraveling the mystery of his absent, beautiful ex-wife, Rachel.

Like its owner, Les Genévriers is also changing. Bright, warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could her life be in danger?

Eve does not know that Les Genévriers has been haunted before. Bénédicte Lincel, the house’s former owner, thrived as a young girl within the rich elements of the landscape: the violets hidden in the woodland, the warm wind through the almond trees. She knew the bitter taste of heartbreak and tragedy—long-buried family secrets and evil deeds that, once unearthed, will hold shocking and unexpected consequences for Eve.

My Review:

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson is a beautifully written and mysterious tale of Eve and Dom, two lovers who move to an old, vacant home in southern France with a mysterious past of its own. Lawrenson’s descriptive prose transports readers to Provence as Eve gradually begins to discover the mysteries of her new home and begins to mistrust her lover who appears to be holding secrets of his former wife and her disappearance. Slow to capture the suspense and mystery surrounding Eve’s new home and lover in the early portion of the novel, Lawrenson sets the reader up for a plot with many twists and surprises that are in store. This is not a criticism, but rather how an exceptional story should unfold and I found it hard to set this one aside to tend to other responsibilities. As readers begin to feel the mysteries are unfolding in a clear manner, Lawrenson crafts an unexpected turn that brilliantly brings the two mysteries together into one. Mystery fans will find The Lantern to be very rewarding and I highly recommend The Lantern to all readers looking for an excellently crafted suspenseful tale.

About the Author:

Deborah Lawrenson grew up in Kuwait, China, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Singapore. She studied English at Cambridge University and has worked as a journalist for various publications in England, including the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday, and Woman’s Journal magazine. She lives in Kent, England, and she and her family spend as much time as possible at a crumbling hamlet in Provence, France, the setting for The Lantern.

To learn more about author Deborah Lawrenson, please visit her website: www.deborah-lawrenson.co.uk/

For more reviews of the book, please follow the TLC Book Tour.

I received a complimentary ARC of The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

Book Review: The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah

Title: The Last Brother
Author: Nathacha Appanah
Publisher: Graywolf Press
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN: 978-1555975753
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the back of the book:

As 1944 comes to a close, nine-year-old Raj is unaware of the war devastating the rest of the world. He lives in Mauritius, a remote island in the Indian Ocean, where survival is a daily struggle for his family. After a brutal beating lands Raj in the hospital of a prison camp, he meets David, a boy his own age. David is a refugee, one of a group of Jewish exiles now indefinitely detained in Mauritius. When a massive storm on the island brings chaos and confusion to the camp, Raj is determined to help David escape.

Nathacha Appanah’s deeply moving novel, beautifully translated from French by Geoffrey Strachan, sheds light on a fascinating and unexplored corner of World War II history.

My Review:

The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah is touching, emotionally moving, and fascinating work of historical fiction that will become a book to keep on the shelf for years to come. Appanah crafts an exceptionally beautiful story of Raj, a young boy living on the island of Mauritius during WWII and son of a prison camp guard, who meets David, a young Jewish boy exiled from Europe being detained at the prison. While David has experienced the atrocities of WWII, Appanah gives a very appropriate contrast in the character Raj, who is completely oblivious to the war, yet has an overtly abusive father, giving Raj as much reason to loath his life in Mauritius. Readers will cheer for these boys as they encounter an opportunity for David to escape from his captors and will witness their pain, despair, and will to live as they fight for their survival. Raj and David become known to readers by the beautiful writing that makes them truly authentic characters. Told as a flashback from Raj some seventy years since, Appanah’s The Last Brother is an absolutely compelling book with much to offer readers. I highly recommend The Last Brother to all readers and think for its historical coverage, it would spur lively conversation in book discussion groups.

I received a complimentary copy of The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah from Graywolf Press. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.