It is my pleasure to be on the tour for this glorious read.
Looking at the plot:
1955: In a cramped apartment on the Lower East Side, school teachers Dovie and Gillian live as lodgers, unable to reveal the truth about their relationship. They guard their private lives fiercely - until someone guesses their secret.
1975: Twenty years on, in the same apartment, Ava Winters is desperately trying to conceal her mother's fragile mental state from the critical eyes of their neighbours. But, one sweltering July morning, Ava's mother escapes.
Alone after her mother's departure, Ava takes delivery of a parcel. The box is addressed only to 'Apartment 3B', and contains a photograph of a woman with the word 'LIAR' scrawled across her face.
Seeking refuge from her own crisis, Ava determines to track the owner of the photograph down. And, in so doing, discovers a shocking chain of kindnesses, lies and betrayals - with one woman at the centre of it all...
Bobs and Books honest review:
Really enjoyed this one. Ava is one neglected 16yr old and how she channels and copes with that is adorable.
I started off preferring the 1955 time period as it portrayed a story rarely told. This was simple, yet beautiful and I got sucked into that very quickly.
Whether it took me longer as poor Ava was surrounded by less likeable characters I'm not sure. But when the story bridges the 20 year gap between them, that's when this get really interesting and I really got absorbed into this.
Packed with revelations and what ifs, I couldn't help but wonder, what next?
It feels almost understated in its simplicity, but don't underestimate it. Its divine.
Striking, poignant, beautiful.
Out now.
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