by Diane Setterfield
my rating:
Margaret Lea is the daughter of a rare bookshop owner. She sends her days tending to the shop and reading the biographies of people who have retreated into obscurity since their death. One day she receives a letter from one of the most famous contemporary authors in England, Vida Winter. Vida wants Margaret to write her biography. Margaret is puzzled by this for several reasons: she isn’t even a fan, and she isn’t even a biographer. She somewhat grudgingly agrees to take on the task, and sets off to begin her writing journey. As Margaret begins the task of interviewing the old woman, she slowly unravels a decades-old mystery.
I had heard such great reviews about this book and had fairly high hopes for it. It was decent, but I would have only given it 3 stars if it weren’t for the fact that it surprised me at the end. The first 300 pages were just so-so for me. This is not your traditional mystery, but it is intriguing none the less. I’d say go ahead and give this one a try. You might be pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it, but it won’t be a reread for me.
64 books to go this year!
