"The ghost of a previous lover is always a challenge, particularly if you (mistakenly) believe that she's actually dead. This is the unenviable situation for Lily, the protagonist of O'Farrell's second novel, who is swept off her feet by dashing architect Marcus and in short order moves in with him. Lily takes his assurances that her predecessor Sinead is no longer with us to mark a more permanent absence;"
"Heritage and belonging drive much of O'Farrell's fiction, and the gradual release of information to her readers often propels her narratives. She's also interested in journeys both literal and figurative, and begins this novel in Hong Kong, where celebrations to mark the Chinese New Year are disrupted by sudden, dangerous mayhem. Meanwhile, a woman on a bridge in London glimpses a familiar face and takes this as her cue to leave the country."
Lily is swept off her feet by architect Marcus and moves in with him, convinced his former lover Sinead is dead. Sinead was actually discarded, and the narrative focuses on the collapse of her relationship with Marcus, exposing his pervasive red flags and evoking gothic undertones. One story opens amid Chinese New Year chaos in Hong Kong as celebrations are disrupted by sudden, dangerous mayhem, while a woman in London glimpses a familiar face and leaves the country. The contrast between characters' immediate isolation and their complex, densely populated backgrounds creates tension. Themes of heritage, belonging, journeys, and intergenerational motherhood recur, with mirrored storylines linking contemporary and mid-century perspectives.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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