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| The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox | 
 enlarge | Author: Maggie O'farrell
Publisher: Harcourt
Category: Book
List Price: $23.00
Buy New: $4.36
You Save: $18.64 (81%)
New (13) Used (12) Collectible (1) from $4.36
Avg. Customer Rating:  54 reviews
Sales Rank: 13558
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 6.2 x 1.1
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
ASIN: B001714ZDO
Publication Date: October 24, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new! Beautiful! May have a small remainder mark (ink mark) along the edge. gift quality, crisp, clean, multiple copies available, prompt shipping, excellent service.
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Product Description
In the middle of tending to the everyday business at her vintage-clothing shop and sidestepping her married boyfriend’s attempts at commitment, Iris Lockhart receives a stunning phone call: Her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital—where she has been locked away for more than sixty-one years.
Iris’s grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme’s papers prove she is Kitty’s sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme’s face.
Esme has been labeled harmless—sane enough to coexist with the rest of the world. But she's still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit?
A gothic, intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox will haunt you long past its final page.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 49 more reviews...
Quick Read from Heavy Subject Matter September 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The human brain is a tricky thing and O'Farrell has provided readers with a fascinating look into the psyche of three women in "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox." Iris learns of her great aunt's existence when the mental institution in which Esme has been living for the past 60 years contacts her about its upcoming closure. Her inability to go on living as though this woman never existed begins the unraveling of a dark family mystery that few could ever imagine possible.
Although ...more The human brain is a tricky thing and O'Farrell has provided readers with a fascinating look into the psyche of three women in "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox." Iris learns of her great aunt's existence when the mental institution in which Esme has been living for the past 60 years contacts her about its upcoming closure. Her inability to go on living as though this woman never existed begins the unraveling of a dark family mystery that few could ever imagine possible.
Although female "hysteria" is more a hallmark of the nineteenth century, O'Farrell's book sheds light on how misunderstood mental illness has been even in the first half of the twentieth century and especially for women. This slim novel is told from the perspective of three very different women: Iris, her grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's, and her great aunt Esme. Part memory, part story, and part stream of consciousness, this novel is as captivating as it is haunting.
I will say that I was disappointed in the ending mostly because even sitting here at this very moment I am not sure exactly what happened. As a reader, I can handle ambiguity and have no problem using my imagination, but I read the final pages three times without grasping what they were attempting to convey. This prevented me from being able to give the book five stars, something I desperately wanted to do. However, I would still recommend this book because it is a powerful reminder of how far we have come and how far we have to go in order to truly understand ourselves and accept all the different kinds of people around us.
 ok-but obvious and unsatisfying September 7, 2008
Just finished last night. Found the writing itself to be very nice. Prose flowed well. The story however is obvious---this isn't the first we've read in recent years with this plot line. The side story is interesting and yet the author does not follow up or finish just leaves the reader to wonder/infer what happened. Maybe that was the author's point but I found it frustrating to have the main story be so obvious and the side story opaque. One of those where I felt the author had an idea that was good but she couldn't follow through so ended it early.
 Brilliantly written in a style that puts you inside Esme's character. September 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The story intrigued me from it's description. However, the writer's choice to style the narrative as she did, made me FEEL the characters, especially Esme Lennox.
Wonderfully written September 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Prior to picking this up by chance at my local bookstore, I had never heard of Maggie O'Farrell or any of her work. The short blurb on the dust jacket peaked my interest though, so I took it home.
What a fantastic discovery. This is a touching, troubling, and heart-warming story. It's very skillfully written, taking the reader through past memories to present time and from character to character with absolute smoothness.
I am particularly impressed with her treatment of the thoughts of a character suffering from alzheimer's. Of course, none of us know what it is to be trapped in that state, but I think O'Farrell's take is interesting. While disjointed and often tantalizingly incomplete, that character's memories/flashbacks are woven very effectively into the story.
The only negative about this book is that by starting it, you will soon finish it and no longer have it to look forward to.
Great book!! August 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this book. It was a very quick read. The story sometimes is a bit difficult to follow as it is sometimes told from the past and other time during the present. Stay with it, there are some very suble clues along the way, but the ending is a twist.
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