The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox
by Maggie O'Farrell
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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 show more 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?--Publisher description. show lessTags
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”We are all, Esme decided, just vessels through which identities pass: we are lent features, gestures, habits, then we hand them on. Nothing is our own. We begin in the world as anagrams of our antecedents.” The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox
This marvelous little paragraph sums up the theme of this wonderful and disturbing book. The book roams among time periods – Esme and her sister Kathleen’s childhood in India, their childhood and young girlhood in Scotland, Esme as a grown woman in the present, and the 60 years when Esme vanishes from the world.
The story is juggled adeptly with the story of Iris, granddaughter of Kathleen, who owns a vintage clothing store, is dating Luke, and has a step-brother named Alex. Iris is the show more granddaughter of Kathleen, who has Alzheimer’s and rambles on, giving tantalizing hints of things from the past. Iris learns with shock that she has a great-aunt, Esme, who nobody in the family has ever mentioned. Iris, more tenderhearted than she will even admit to herself, goes to see Esme, then eventually takes her in temporarily. Esme starts remembering things, and in conjunction with Kathleen’s ramblings we eventually learn about Esme.
The first twenty or so pages of this book didn’t grab me. I almost put it down, but it was for my bookclub and I was determined to read it. As I got further into it, and the hints and glimpses of truth showed through, I could hardly put it down.
I think it takes a great deal of talent to show things obliquely, through shadows, half-formed sentences, significant pauses, and the ramblings of an Alzheimer’s patient. The author, Maggie O’Farrell, does this beautifully. As the book progresses, we become increasingly convinced of some horrible incident, a family secret, a terrible injustice. Eventually things are said outright, but that initial frisson of “What if..?”, “Can it possibly be that….?” are part of a wonderful reading experience.
We aren’t let down. The denoument is shocking yet predictable. The book’s ending didn’t particularly please me in one respect, but left me with high hopes in other respects.
I loved the glimpses into Edwardian lives in India and Scotland and the rigid class structures and expectations that affected Esme so deeply.
This is a very good and thought-provoking book. show less
This marvelous little paragraph sums up the theme of this wonderful and disturbing book. The book roams among time periods – Esme and her sister Kathleen’s childhood in India, their childhood and young girlhood in Scotland, Esme as a grown woman in the present, and the 60 years when Esme vanishes from the world.
The story is juggled adeptly with the story of Iris, granddaughter of Kathleen, who owns a vintage clothing store, is dating Luke, and has a step-brother named Alex. Iris is the show more granddaughter of Kathleen, who has Alzheimer’s and rambles on, giving tantalizing hints of things from the past. Iris learns with shock that she has a great-aunt, Esme, who nobody in the family has ever mentioned. Iris, more tenderhearted than she will even admit to herself, goes to see Esme, then eventually takes her in temporarily. Esme starts remembering things, and in conjunction with Kathleen’s ramblings we eventually learn about Esme.
The first twenty or so pages of this book didn’t grab me. I almost put it down, but it was for my bookclub and I was determined to read it. As I got further into it, and the hints and glimpses of truth showed through, I could hardly put it down.
I think it takes a great deal of talent to show things obliquely, through shadows, half-formed sentences, significant pauses, and the ramblings of an Alzheimer’s patient. The author, Maggie O’Farrell, does this beautifully. As the book progresses, we become increasingly convinced of some horrible incident, a family secret, a terrible injustice. Eventually things are said outright, but that initial frisson of “What if..?”, “Can it possibly be that….?” are part of a wonderful reading experience.
We aren’t let down. The denoument is shocking yet predictable. The book’s ending didn’t particularly please me in one respect, but left me with high hopes in other respects.
I loved the glimpses into Edwardian lives in India and Scotland and the rigid class structures and expectations that affected Esme so deeply.
This is a very good and thought-provoking book. show less
Maggie O'Farrell is becoming one of my favorite authors, and I'm happy to be delving into her backlist. This novel is about two sisters, Esme and Kitty, and the secrets they have kept. When Iris, in the present day, gets a call about a great-Aunt she's never heard of, she starts to discover the truth about her family's past. Esme has been in a mental institution for the past 60 years, and Iris never even knew she existed. The story is slowly revealed through Esme's memories, Kitty's memories (who has dementia), and present-day clues that Iris starts to piece together.
At first, I was a bit confused by the voice/memory shifts and timeline, but as I read I started to see the brilliance of how O'Farrell puts it all together and reveals the show more story.
I loved the exploration of women's lives just a few generations ago, the failures of the sisters' and mother/daughters' relationships, and the emotion of the novel. A great find at the end of 2023! show less
At first, I was a bit confused by the voice/memory shifts and timeline, but as I read I started to see the brilliance of how O'Farrell puts it all together and reveals the show more story.
I loved the exploration of women's lives just a few generations ago, the failures of the sisters' and mother/daughters' relationships, and the emotion of the novel. A great find at the end of 2023! show less
Locked up decades ago for such outlandish behavior as dancing, Esme Lennox is finally released when her asylum is shut down. Esme is thrust into the care of her grand-niece Iris, a modern young women whose struggle to overcome her "unnatural" love for her step-brother gives her more in common with Esme than either could imagine. As Iris tries to unravel the mystery of Esme's existence, she learns more (though ultimately not enough) about her hidden family history, information she never obtained from her Alzheimers-suffering grandmother Kitty. The shocking ending packs a powerful punch, and leaves an indelible mark on the reader.
This remarkable novel tells the sad tale of the fate that awaited women who didn't fit society's mold not all show more that many years ago. Marked, and then punished, by events beyond her control, Esme was locked up at 16 and lived in a virtual prison for her entire life. Iris is also living a life constrained by society's expectations, denying her love of her stepbrother yet unable to form a strong connection with anyone else. The parallel stories highlight the similarities between these two women, but offer hope that Iris will be able to break free in a way Esme never could.
From beginning to end this book made me sad and angry by turns, and maintaining that level of intense negative feeling was draining to say the least. Though the ending was like a punch in the gut, I applaud the author's ability to stay true to the tone of the novel (though I might have wished for a happier ending). I also wouldn't have minded another chapter to fill in at the end, but suspect that would have diluted the power of the narrative. I highly recommend reading this book, but not if you're already having a bad day! show less
This remarkable novel tells the sad tale of the fate that awaited women who didn't fit society's mold not all show more that many years ago. Marked, and then punished, by events beyond her control, Esme was locked up at 16 and lived in a virtual prison for her entire life. Iris is also living a life constrained by society's expectations, denying her love of her stepbrother yet unable to form a strong connection with anyone else. The parallel stories highlight the similarities between these two women, but offer hope that Iris will be able to break free in a way Esme never could.
From beginning to end this book made me sad and angry by turns, and maintaining that level of intense negative feeling was draining to say the least. Though the ending was like a punch in the gut, I applaud the author's ability to stay true to the tone of the novel (though I might have wished for a happier ending). I also wouldn't have minded another chapter to fill in at the end, but suspect that would have diluted the power of the narrative. I highly recommend reading this book, but not if you're already having a bad day! show less
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell is a complex story told from multiple viewpoints, but first and foremost, it is about family secrets, both old and new.
Iris has a full plate with her second-hand clothing store, her affair with a married man, her grandmother having Alzheimer’s and her conflicted feelings about her step-brother Alex. Then she is contacted by the Cauldstone Mental Hospital and informed that her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released after more than 60 years in confinement. After ascertaining that Esme is indeed a relative, Iris agrees to house her until suitable accommodation can be found.
There are actually four narratives to follow in this book, that of Iris and Esme in show more the present and then Esme and her sister Kitty revealing flashbacks from their childhood. The narratives are woven together seamlessly and, at first, I was a little confused by whose memories we were hearing, but I very quickly was able to separate each character’s voice.
As children the two sisters were very different. Kitty was the quiet, well behaved, well mannered child while Esme was often to be found misbehaving, an inquisitive and independent child who did not fit the role that her parents wanted her to. Then when she was sixteen, something occurred at a party that Esme couldn’t properly explain and her parents had their unruly child committed to Cauldstone.
As the family’s secrets start to be revealed I was both horrified and heart broken.
This is a moving story that I will be thinking of for some time. The author has created interesting and believable characters in a beautifully written, emotionally captivating story that details the Edwardian mindset of locking away those who did not conform to the social conventions of the day. The depth of emotion conveyed in this short book is astounding and Maggie O’Farrell has become an author whose work I need to explore more of. show less
Iris has a full plate with her second-hand clothing store, her affair with a married man, her grandmother having Alzheimer’s and her conflicted feelings about her step-brother Alex. Then she is contacted by the Cauldstone Mental Hospital and informed that her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released after more than 60 years in confinement. After ascertaining that Esme is indeed a relative, Iris agrees to house her until suitable accommodation can be found.
There are actually four narratives to follow in this book, that of Iris and Esme in show more the present and then Esme and her sister Kitty revealing flashbacks from their childhood. The narratives are woven together seamlessly and, at first, I was a little confused by whose memories we were hearing, but I very quickly was able to separate each character’s voice.
As children the two sisters were very different. Kitty was the quiet, well behaved, well mannered child while Esme was often to be found misbehaving, an inquisitive and independent child who did not fit the role that her parents wanted her to. Then when she was sixteen, something occurred at a party that Esme couldn’t properly explain and her parents had their unruly child committed to Cauldstone.
As the family’s secrets start to be revealed I was both horrified and heart broken.
This is a moving story that I will be thinking of for some time. The author has created interesting and believable characters in a beautifully written, emotionally captivating story that details the Edwardian mindset of locking away those who did not conform to the social conventions of the day. The depth of emotion conveyed in this short book is astounding and Maggie O’Farrell has become an author whose work I need to explore more of. show less
This is the story of Iris, a young woman who suddenly learns that she has a great aunt who has spent her entire life in an asylum, which is now being shut down. Iris goes to meet the aunt, and in a rash act of compassion, brings her home. She grapples with how to take care of this woman who hasn't left the asylum in decades, while grappling with her own relationships with her step-brother and a married lover. Interspersed with this story are flashbacks to the aunt's childhood in India and the tragedy that led to her living in an asylum.
O'Farrell does a brilliant job here of telling a story obliquely. Even more important than what happens in the story, what scenes we see, is what doesn't happen, and what scenes are hidden from the show more reader. Those missing scenes are the meat of the story, and the reader gets to piece together the mystery of who this great aunt really is and how her life played out. We are constantly questioning whether she is insane, senile, or completely healthy.
O'Farrell is a brilliant writer, and a master at creating believable and complex characters. Even though the action of this book is a bit slow and sometimes confusing, the writing is thoroughly enjoyable. show less
O'Farrell does a brilliant job here of telling a story obliquely. Even more important than what happens in the story, what scenes we see, is what doesn't happen, and what scenes are hidden from the show more reader. Those missing scenes are the meat of the story, and the reader gets to piece together the mystery of who this great aunt really is and how her life played out. We are constantly questioning whether she is insane, senile, or completely healthy.
O'Farrell is a brilliant writer, and a master at creating believable and complex characters. Even though the action of this book is a bit slow and sometimes confusing, the writing is thoroughly enjoyable. show less
World Book Night gifted my wife with a book. 'The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox' sat next to our front door for a couple of nights before I decided to have a look at it. Two women, one at the beginning of the 20th century, the other at the start of the 21st. Both have issues.
I could see where the troubles for the older woman lay. The story tells of the troubled childhood of Esme Lennox, a girl with her own take on life and a need for something more than marriage. Esme witnesses something terrible in her youth that distances her from her intolerant parents, and then falls into the shadow of her sister, Kitty, who represents the family ideal of the perfect young woman.
Iris, an independent woman, with her own business and a troubled affair show more with a married man, discovers a relative she never knew existed. As an asylum seeks to offload the last patients in its care, Iris meets Esme for the first time and we follow her over the course of weekend. Both women have something to discover for themselves, some sense of their position in the world, some grip of the events that have moulded their existence.
I didn't know what I would make of it, but in the end I found I couldn't put it down. I know you read that sort of blurb on the cover of books all the time, but I'm serious. I consumed this book in the space of a week, or less. I don't normally read at that sort of pace, but whenever I sat near it the book leapt into my hands and I struggled to stop leafing through the pages. I found the writing style light and engaging. At the same time, when it needed to be serious or distracted and disjointed, Maggie O'Farrell does that well, too. I can see why someone might recommend it, why World Book Night chose to include amongst the volumes on offer. I'm aware of how institutions and families treated women at the end of the Victorian period and into the early part of the 20th century. I felt for Esme and her trials, and this could all so easily refer to a true story rather than simply an act of fiction. I'm sure many women suffered the same fate, and that leaves me troubled, touched.
I thoroughly recommend this read and will definitely pass it on for others to enjoy. show less
I could see where the troubles for the older woman lay. The story tells of the troubled childhood of Esme Lennox, a girl with her own take on life and a need for something more than marriage. Esme witnesses something terrible in her youth that distances her from her intolerant parents, and then falls into the shadow of her sister, Kitty, who represents the family ideal of the perfect young woman.
Iris, an independent woman, with her own business and a troubled affair show more with a married man, discovers a relative she never knew existed. As an asylum seeks to offload the last patients in its care, Iris meets Esme for the first time and we follow her over the course of weekend. Both women have something to discover for themselves, some sense of their position in the world, some grip of the events that have moulded their existence.
I didn't know what I would make of it, but in the end I found I couldn't put it down. I know you read that sort of blurb on the cover of books all the time, but I'm serious. I consumed this book in the space of a week, or less. I don't normally read at that sort of pace, but whenever I sat near it the book leapt into my hands and I struggled to stop leafing through the pages. I found the writing style light and engaging. At the same time, when it needed to be serious or distracted and disjointed, Maggie O'Farrell does that well, too. I can see why someone might recommend it, why World Book Night chose to include amongst the volumes on offer. I'm aware of how institutions and families treated women at the end of the Victorian period and into the early part of the 20th century. I felt for Esme and her trials, and this could all so easily refer to a true story rather than simply an act of fiction. I'm sure many women suffered the same fate, and that leaves me troubled, touched.
I thoroughly recommend this read and will definitely pass it on for others to enjoy. show less
Maggie O’Farrell’s The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is very intricate.
One bounces back and forth in time, in different locations with different
characters, with very different points of view.
Iris Lockhart owns a clothing shop in Edinburgh. Out of the blue, she learns she has a power
of attorney for her great aunt Esme Lennox, who Iris never knew or even knew existed.
Esme has been interred in a mental institution (read imprisoned against her will) for over
60 years. The institution is closing. What is to happen to Esme?
Layers upon layers upon layers of Lockhart family secrets begin to be revealed as Iris tries
to piece together the early life of Esme and why she was sent away / hidden away /
discarded / imprisoned for most of her show more life.
The book moves very quickly. It is tense, dramatic, troubling, infuriating, shocking and haunting.
**** show less
One bounces back and forth in time, in different locations with different
characters, with very different points of view.
Iris Lockhart owns a clothing shop in Edinburgh. Out of the blue, she learns she has a power
of attorney for her great aunt Esme Lennox, who Iris never knew or even knew existed.
Esme has been interred in a mental institution (read imprisoned against her will) for over
60 years. The institution is closing. What is to happen to Esme?
Layers upon layers upon layers of Lockhart family secrets begin to be revealed as Iris tries
to piece together the early life of Esme and why she was sent away / hidden away /
discarded / imprisoned for most of her show more life.
The book moves very quickly. It is tense, dramatic, troubling, infuriating, shocking and haunting.
**** show less
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Author Information
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Maggie O'Farrell is the author of several novels including After You'd Gone, My Lover's Lover, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, Instructions for a Heatwave, and This Must Be the Place. She received a Somerset Maugham Award for The Distance Between Us and the 2010 Costa Novel Award for The Hand That First Held Mine. (Bowker Author Biography)
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Het verdwenen leven van Esme Lennox
- Original title
- The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox
- Original publication date
- 2006
- People/Characters
- Iris Lockhart; Esme Lennox; Kitty Lockhart
- Important places
- Scotland, UK; India; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- Epigraph
- Much Madness is divinest Sense--
To a discerning eye--
Much Sense--the starkest Madness--
'Tis the Majority
In this, as All, prevail--
Assent--and you are sane--
Demur--and you're str... (show all)aightaway dangerous--
And handled with a Chain--
Emily Dickinson
I couldn't have my happiness made out of a wrong-- an unfairness-- to somebody else . . . What sort of a life could we build on such foundations?
Edith Wharton - Dedication
- for Saul Seamus
- First words
- Let us begin with two girls at a dance.
- Quotations
- This girl is remarkable to her. She is a marvel. From all her family – her and Kitty and Hugo and all the other babies and her parents – from all of them, there is only this girl. She is the only one left. They have al... (show all)l narrowed down to this black-haired girl sitting o the sand, who has no idea that her hands and her eyes and the tilt of her head and the fall of her hair belong to Esme's mother. We are all, Esme decides, just vessels through which identities pass: we are lent features, gestures, habits, then we hand them on. Nothing is our own. We begin in the world as anagrams of our antecedents.
It is always the meaningless tasks that endure: the washing, the cooking, the clearing, the cleaning. Never anything majestic or sigificant, just the tiny rituals that hold together the seams of human life. (p. 2)
We are all, Esme decides, just vessels through which identities pass: we are lent features, gestures, habits, then we hand them on. Nothing is our own. We begin in the world as anagrams of our antecedents. (p. 118)
But for now she will sit here. She will take just a few minutes for this. She wants to watch until the sun goes in again, until the sundial loses its marker, until the garden sinks into softness, into shadow. (p. 241) - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)She will go with it, she will follow it, through the white, through the crowd, out of the room, into the corridor and beyond.
- Blurbers
- Niffenegger, Audrey; Smith, Ali; Parkhurst, Carolyn
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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