A thriller of a story spanning across decades. We travel along with detectives, old and new, trying to discover what happened to two young girls who disappeared. A woman, who appears with many lies and half truths, is the only the only lead an old cold case. We wonder how or if this case will be solved when this woman holds the only key and stonewalls the investigation.
Are half truths more destructive than full lies? Do we think the younger Bethany woman is ultimately justified in her reasons for lying?
Did you believe from the start that the woman who appeared was indeed Heather Bethany or were you skeptical?
Who's way of coping did you more identify with: Dave or Miriam? Does Lippman suggest that one way of mourning is better than another? What about hope? What do you think about Dave's hope for the girls versus Miriam's?
Did you find the outcomes to be surprising or was it predictable?
Hello Ladies
ReplyDeleteI’m writing this as Jay is driving back from Chelmsford, bringing with him three guests. This is our fourth lot of visitors in the last few months, with a fifth lot already booked in. My ‘hostessing’ skills are improving, ladies. You might want to book in for next summer. It would be lovely to see you again.
The weather has changed, but we’re told it will be back to very hot sometime next week. Still, the garden has had a little water and I’ve been able to close the windows, thus reducing the house’s insect population. Fly screens might be a good investment if summers like this become the norm.
Are you and your family still enjoying the heat, Katie? How’s the kayaking, hiking and planning for the Great Barrier Reef going, Nancy? I very much admire your energy.
This month’s book title led me to expect a ghost story, maybe even a horror story. How wrong (and delighted) can you be? The title makes complete sense now I’ve read the book. Another novel, Katie, which I’d never have chosen for myself and that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you.
I did, of course, refer to the end at an early stage of reading the novel, so knew Heather was Sunny. This, of course, means I can’t answer the question regarding the predictability of the plot’s outcomes. However, ‘cheating’ made me very impressed with Sunny’s intelligence and resilience. I’m pretty sure I’d have been destroyed by what happened, yet the fact she wasn’t seemed perfectly credible. I sympathise with Sunny’s half-truths and lies. She was young and terrified when the whole thing started, and her means of coping seem to have helped her retain sanity. Still, one imagines Miriam might have a few ‘moments’ to deal with as Sunny unwinds post-novel.
Another book that would make a great television series. Really well drawn characters. And such a wealth of them. Even Tony Dunham, sketchily outlined as he was, rang horribly true. As we got to know more about them, so some became much more than they first appeared, Kevin for example. Jumping to conclusions is never a good idea, as perceptions of Stan Dunham also showed. I have mixed feelings regarding Dave and Miriam. Again, as more was revealed about them, so my views changed – very realistic portrayals.
The plot was wonderfully structured. A straightforward linear reporting on events would not have been anything like as gripping. And I enjoyed the settings. We stayed on St. Simon’s for a few glorious days, so again, it was lovely to be in familiar territory.
Thank you, Katie. I spent happy hours with this story.
Hello Ladies,
ReplyDeleteSummer has become quite wet here. We are planning some beach time
hopefully we don't get washed out! How lovely all of your guests
sound, Sue. We would love to come visit. Unfortunately the thought of being trapped on a plane with a 2/3 year old sounds terrible! Haha! Maybe in a few years. We do have hopes of taking them out of the country when they are a bit older and can remember more. Nancy, I hope you are enjoying all that hiking and kayaking. Hiking with the kids currently involves mostly carrying them so it's quite a strenuous activity.
For my own questions, I thought Sunny was Heather Bethany as soon
as she was introduced. I had little reason to doubt she was who
she said despite the lack of evidence. Inappropriately, I presumed
that the author would not throw us a wild card with a rogue character. Presumptuous I know but I can only say what I thought. When it was revealed that Heather was actually Sunny, I was taken for surprise.
Mark Twain said "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember
anything." Half lies can be as destructive as full lies because
ultimately they will be discovered when a liar forgets what they told
and what they didn't. In our novel, Sunny's half lies kept tripping her up. Her desire to protect herself from the guilt of Heather's death was understandable but she couldn't tell the truth and protect herself.
I think that a balance between the two extremes of mourning is best way. How terrible both Miriam and Dave's lives were after the loss of the girls. I think a support system is paramount to healing from loss. No one can do it alone. Dave's obsessive vigil and Miriam's avoidance did not work for either of them. Dave certainly might have gotten the most benefit from therapy. I cannot say my own grief wouldn't be very similar to Dave's.
Sue, I'm glad you enjoyed the novel. I thought it was a nice beachy read, appropriate for summer. I'm waiting for someone to return Eleanor Oliphant so I can start that.
Hi Ladies,
ReplyDeleteWonderful to hear of all your Summer activities. Sue, so many visitors, you will be able to run a BnB soon.
Katie, I hope you enjoy your family beach time, children seem to love the beach, I know mine were always exhausted after a day in the sun.
I also enjoyed our novel this month, thanks Katie.
Sue, I guessed you read ahead and was tempted to do so myself. I completely understand your reasoning for doing so.
I really do enjoy the suspense however and trying to search for clues, so I guess we experience the novel differently, which is so cool.
I guessed Sunny was pretending to be Heather a few pages before the reveal and had to force myself not to read ahead and confirm my suspicions, so challenging ! Her story had too many unanswered questions and near truths. I knew she was close to Heather with a few key pieces of her story missing. I didn't however have any idea why she was lying so that was surprising for me yet very plausible. A young terrified girl is ripe for manipulation.
The urge to read ahead and skip details in my rush to know what happens is always challenging for me when I am reading mysteries. I know I miss vital information and also some of the characters and situations are skipped over in my race to know. Maybe my mystery stories need to be a little less character dense or maybe I need to read novel twice. The first time for the adrenaline shot and the second time to actually understand more clearly.
I am not sure if Ms Lippman was trying to suggest if one way of coping with grief is better than another, but highlighting how differently people can react to the same loss.