Being forgotten, she thinks, is a bit like going mad. You begin to wonder what is real, if you are real. After all, how can a thing be real if it cannot be remembered? It’s like that Zen Koan, the one about the tree falling in the woods. If no one heard it, did it happen? If a person cannot leave a mark, do they exist?
Page 103
In a nutshell
Born in the early 1700’s, a few centuries too early, Addie LaRue is an artist, dreamer and wants to see the world – unacceptable ideals for a woman of those times. At first she manages to ward off marriage, but at 23 and already considered too old to marry, she is betrothed to a recent widower so he can have a wife to tend to his children. Desperate to maintain her independence, she runs off into the forest right before her wedding and makes a deal with a dark force to live life on her own terms and not belong to anyone. The catch is she can not leave her trace on anyone and anything she encounters, and 300 years later she’s still living but no one remembers her name.
Book Club Notes
This is such a good read. The plot is so interesting and provides much food for thought. It teaches you to be careful what you wish for, the importance of family, and how essential being known and remembered is. Its brilliance lies in how it combines excellent storytelling with making you deeply think about the human condition, highlighting the micro aspects of life we take for granted,
It’s well written and the characters are captivating, especially Addie. From the first page the story hooked me and even though there weren’t any major or shocking twists, it felt surprising throughout and didn’t disappoint.
It’s the kind of book you will be thinking about long after you put it down. You might walk away with the word palimpsest ingrained on your brain, and you won’t just be ruminating on the storyline, you’ll be mentally writing the sequel.
Read If
You love fantasy reads with excellent story lines that make you philosophically ponder about life.
Rating
Writing – 10/10
Character Development – 10/10
Plot Twist – 5/10
Shareability – 10/10
The Nitty Gritty
Published by: Tor Publishing Group
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
ISBN: 978-0-7653-8757-8
Pages: 442
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A note on our book ratings
Storyline: How good is the storyline? Is it believable and complex or does it make you shake your head in its ridiculousness?
Writing: How well written is the book? Do you find yourself wowed by the writing or unimpressed?
Character Development: Do the characters evolve and grow through the book and are they multi-dimensional?
Plot Twist: Were you able to predict the end, or did the author give you some surprises along the way to keep you on your toes?
Shareability: How likely are you to share the book?
