Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ description:

Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father's antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise–she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels.

Late one night while pondering whether to accept the task of recording Miss Winter’s personal story, Margaret begins to read her father’s rare copy of Miss Winter’s Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. She is spellbound by the stories and confused when she realizes the book only contains twelve stories. Where is the thirteenth tale? Intrigued, Margaret agrees to meet Miss Winter and act as her biographer.

As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story. In the end, both women have to confront their pasts and the weight of family secrets. As well as the ghosts that haunt them still.

I don't think that I need to point out that if you wish to discuss spoilers then you should use the special spoiler bracket. It would be greatly appreciated.

This will probably be in my Expand Your Horizons bookshelf.

I'm new to this group and checked it out from the library! I'm looking forward to the discussion and getting involved in the group!

Melissia wrote: "I'm new to this group and checked it out from the library! I'm looking forward to the discussion and getting involved in the group!"

In that case, welcome to the group Melissia. :) I hope you enjoy it here. :) I can't wait to read this but it's not out on Kindle until next week... and I don't get my Kindle until Christmas.

I loved this book!! I make everyone who i loan books to read it and so far they have all loved it. I actually had my best friend thank me for making him read it. Its the only book I ever had answer all my questions.

I enjoyed this one - 4 stars. I loved Vita Winter's story of her family. However, there were a few things that stopped me giving it 5 stars:

I didn't care for the character of Margaret Lea. I didn't feel I got to know her at all and wasn't bothered about what had happened to her sister.

I didn't like all the comments at the beginning about how wonderful reading is. For me, there was just too many of them and it felt too much like an author patting themselves on the back.

I read this soon after The Shadow of the Wind and felt it had a similar vibe.
I love the mystery and the darkness but like others I wasn't too enamoured with the character of Margaret. At the beginning she seemed too full of herself going on and on about her love of books and although I understand that the whole business about her dead twin was to give her a connection to the other sisters it seemed out of place and unnecessary.

I tried to get into this book, but it did not move me enough to even finish.

Alicia wrote: "I loved this book!! I make everyone who i loan books to read it and so far they have all loved it. I actually had my best friend thank me for making him read it. Its the only book I ever had answer..."

I do the exact same thing! My poor little copy is horribly tattered at this point due to being lent out so many times to so many different people. But, it has always been thoroughly enjoyed!

I have to say I cared more about Ms. Winter's story then I did for Margaret's (with her twin) The ending really surprised me though.

A new favourite of mine. I loved the way Setterfield wrote about books and reading. I could relate really well!

I was gifted a copy of this book by a friend a couple of years back... I've since read it about four times, and loved it every time.