About the book:
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?
My thoughts:
This is not a book I would pick up on my own, that said, I enjoyed it. The story started out slow as we learn more about each character. Iris, Esme and Kitty are at the center of the story and we get snipets of each of their lives and how they are woven together. I didn't like the flow from one character to the next and got confused in parts.
On a positive note, I was fascinated with the plot and went through varying emotions (curiosity, anger, sadness) as I read about Esme's life spent in the "crazy" hospital. Her sister Kitty who Esme adored but who did not live up to the protective bigh sister role. I was most disappointed in her. Finally Iris (the younger relative) who basically just "sat on the fence" through the entire novel. I wanted her to be a bit more agressive in pursuing her future happiness in love. UGH.
Overall this is a book that could be considered a classic and deserves to be read, you just have to stick with it to the end!
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