Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest historical fiction novel by Patti Callahan Henry. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!
In 1927, Clara is only 8 when her magical childhood ended. Her mother, renowned author, Bronwyn, who wrote a book based on an invented language when she was just 12, disappeared off the coast of SC and was presumed dead. Along with her, everyone's hope for a sequel to the book died. In 1952, Clara is an illustrator raising her own daughter, Wynnie, who is obsessed with her grandmother's book. When a stranger, Charlie, contacts her from London, he claims to have discovered a handwritten dictionary of her mother's lost language, that could finally allow the sequel to be transcribed. While skeptical, Clara and Wynnie travel to London, only to arrive during one of London's most deadly natural disasters - the Great Smog. They take refuge with Charlie at his family's retreat.
I felt like I was in a magical, fairy tale world while reading this book, but it also had moments of grit and fear. Based on a true story, be sure and read the author's note about the inspiration for this book and one of the literary world's biggest mysteries. The writing is beautiful, but the story shines with the themes of motherhood, loss, and forgiveness that will keep you turning the pages.
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