The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield on March 16, 2009
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal, Fiction / Gothic, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Historical
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
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This book was on my TBR for MANY years before finally this was a pick for book club! This one has an interesting premise. This was very much like a gothic Jane Eyre meets Rebecca. I honestly think reading what this is about might not be the best. It might be best to go into this one blind.
That being said…..
All children mythologize their birth…So begins the prologue of reclusive author Vida Winter’s collection of stories, which are as famous for the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale as they are for the delight and enchantment of the twelve that do exist.
The enigmatic Winter has spent six decades creating various outlandish life histories for herself — all of them inventions that have brought her fame and fortune but have kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, she at last wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. She summons biographer Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth, hidden by those who loved her most, remains an ever-present pain. Struck by a curious parallel between Miss Winter’s story and her own, Margaret takes on the commission.
As Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good, Margaret is mesmerized. It is a tale of gothic strangeness featuring the Angelfield family, including the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire.
Margaret succumbs to the power of Vida’s storytelling but remains suspicious of the author’s sincerity. She demands the truth from Vida, and together they confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.
This one kept me entertained and kept me guessing throughout. I liked that the characters were complicated and very dimensional. I don’t know why I waited so long to read this one! It was a nod to some of the great books and a bit of a ghost story combined. I recommend for Jane Eyre & Rebecca fans.