Many thanks to Harper Collins and Bookish First for the ARC and a sneak peek into Sarai Walker's new book. This is a dark and macabre story that covers a lot of ground. The story centers on the second youngest of 6 daughters from an affluent and privileged background. The characters with all their quirks and personality flaws come to life as well as their relationships with others.
In many ways, it's like watching a train wreck as you know (even from reading the blurb) that tragedy awaits and, yet, you can't look away. It's not a traditional mystery or thriller in that it's not really a whodunit. Instead, this story is a slow build that takes a critical look at gender roles in the 1950s, the paths available to women in the era and the things they do to experience some freedom and exert free will. This is something of a ghost story, a tale of curses, an examination of gender roles and its evolution to the modern era through one character's perspective. There's a lot of food for thought here and I can imagine this would be a great book club read - something for everyone and many pieces to consider and interpret.
In many ways, it's like watching a train wreck as you know (even from reading the blurb) that tragedy awaits and, yet, you can't look away. It's not a traditional mystery or thriller in that it's not really a whodunit. Instead, this story is a slow build that takes a critical look at gender roles in the 1950s, the paths available to women in the era and the things they do to experience some freedom and exert free will. This is something of a ghost story, a tale of curses, an examination of gender roles and its evolution to the modern era through one character's perspective. There's a lot of food for thought here and I can imagine this would be a great book club read - something for everyone and many pieces to consider and interpret.