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The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox | 
 enlarge | Author: Maggie O'farrell
Publisher: Harcourt
Category: Book
List Price: $23.00
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Rating:  56 reviews
Sales Rank: 11325
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
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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 51 more reviews...
 a vague disappointment November 13, 2008
I was intrigued by the cover reviews for this book, which included phrases like "strange, sad and marvelously well-written"; "elegantly written"; "horrors of a gothic novel" and "reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier".
None of that came through to me. The story is told through the voices of the 3 main characters, Iris, Kitty and Esme in the present day, and Kitty and Esme in the past. No narrator is identified. Adding to the confusion, Kitty's present voice is a random stream of disjointed memories, due to her dementia. The reader must learn to distinguish these voices, by means of reading and re-reading until finding the pattern, and by deciphering clues once the story starts to take shape. Even so, I felt that the end was not the least surprising, having been well hinted at for nearly half the book. In fact, I felt I must have missed some facet of the plot, because the deep mystery I anticipated never materialized. I think the story could be interesting. I liked Esme, and would have enjoyed becoming better acquainted with her, but the book doesn't give that type of depth to any of the characters. The issues noted in various other reviews at this web site tell the plot quite well, so I won't bother to discuss it. I think the reviews on the jacket cover are misleading and over-hyped. If I were an editor, I'd send the writer back to restructure the book, and to more fully develop the characters.
 A HAUNTING FAMILY DRAMA October 13, 2008
In the middle of an average work day, Iris Lockhart receives a phone call that changes her life forever. She is informed that Esme Lennox, a great aunt she never knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital--a mental institute where she's been locked up for sixty-one years, five months and four days. Iris is shocked. Her grandmother always claimed to be an only child. If Iris claims Esme and takes her into her home, what other secrets will Esme reveal?
I'm not certain if I loved this book or hated this book. It is undeniably well written and extremely compelling, but it is also not an easy book to read. Esme Lennox's story is on that will grab you and hold tight, prodding you to read on until you've finished the last page. Then, it will haunt you.
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is part mystery, part family drama. It's incredibly sad yet mesmerizing. If you need a happily ever after, this isn't the book for you. However, if you want a book you will remember reading long after you've closed the cover pick up Maggie O'Farrell's The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox.
For another book that will make you think, try A Wish in Time.A Wish In Time
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 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 2 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.
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