* Thank you very much to Simon & Schuster and Anne Cater for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
Today it is my stop on The Vanished Days book tour!
The Vanished Days is a prequel to The Winter Sea and The Firebird,
which I haven’t read yet. The novel is set in Scotland during turbulent political
and religious tensions. Narrated by Sergeant Adam Williamson, through the dual
timeline of the late 17th century and early 18th century, we first meet Lily
Graeme when Adam is asked to investigate her marriage when she tries to claim a
widow’s pension. If her marriage is proved valid, Lily will be able to claim the
wages her husband was owed. However, there are no living witnesses who can
prove that the wedding ever took place, so Adam and Gilroy, a clerk, are asked
to find out the truth. Adam tells us the story of Lily’s life and how she came
to be in the situation that she is in.
Normally I would give you some detail about the plot, but on
this occasion, I am not going to. The Vanished Days contains the mother of all
twists, which I did not see coming! I don’t want to give anything away. I have
never read a book quite like this before; I want to read it again now that I know
the twist and look for the clues! There are a lot of characters, but because
the book is set over a long period of time and the characters are gradually added
to the story, it wasn’t a problem for me to remember who everyone was. I fell
in love with Lily, her story was very sad, and my heart broke for her.
My only slight criticism was that at times I found parts of
the book a little too political. Although necessary to some degree because it
is central to all of the characters’ lives and therefore the story itself, I found
myself wanting more focus on the love story and a little less of the political
and religious turmoil. However, Susanna
Kearsley has certainly done a great deal of research and has a vast knowledge of
the subject, the story is steeped in historical accuracy.
When you have finished the book, it is well worth reading
the author’s note about the characters. Susanna tells us all about the real-life
historical figures who feature and the inspiration behind the fictional characters.
There is also a handy family tree.
I highly recommend this book; it was a joy to read. The
Vanished Days would make an excellent movie! I am excited to read Susanna
Kearsley’s other books.
* I am adding a trigger warning, as the book does mention the sexual assault of a minor, not in detail, but it is mentioned.
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