It is a terrible thing to want something you cannot have. It takes you over. I couldn’t think straight because of it. There was no one else, I realized, whom I could possibly tell.
Summary - OFarrell takes us back in history to a dark time when husbands, fathers and even brothers could commit women to asylumsoften for absurd reasons.
A haunting story full of family secrets.
O’Farrell is wonderful. I haven’t loved every single book I’ve read by her but that doesn’t take away from what a talented writer she is. Her structures can sometimes be too confusing, in my opinion, but when they work, they are masterful. Because of her complicated structure/timelines I think O’Farrell should always be read, rather than listened to – especially in instances like Vanishing Act where there are no chapter breaks and storylines switch at random times.
I Am, I Am, I Am still remains my favorite by O’Farrell but I think this one has taken the second place position. I’ve read and enjoyed Hamnet. I DNFd The Hand that First Held Mine and This Must Be the Place but I think that was a timing and need to solely do the physical when reading her. The Marriage Portrait doesn’t really interest me but I’d still like to read After You’d Gone (and give the two I DNFd another chance at some point).
Do you have a favorite by O’Farrell?
Find The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox at the publisher →
Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
