Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Official Summary:
“Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author’s tale of gothic strangeness — featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.”
My Thoughts: I have had this book on my shelf for about a year until I picked it up to read a couple of weeks ago. Up until then I was binging on YA novels. I had just finished Allegiant and I needed a palette cleanser. Not that Allegiant was bad, in fact I loved it, but I needed to get away from the common themes that crop up in YA literature.
This book is not a sci-fi thriller. It is not a dystopian novel. It is a story of siblings, twindom, loss, and love. The Thirteenth Tale is a mystery and a ghost story. I really enjoyed reading this book and the insight it had on what life is like for siblings and twins. I am an only child; therefore, I had little idea of what kind of love is developed between siblings.
I never quite understood the attachment people have with their siblings or twin. I have read empirical evidence about the connection made but I have never read or heard about the spiritual side of siblings. That is until I read this book. I absolutely loved this book. I plan on recommending this book to all of my friends to read. I recommend it to you my readers as well.
Have you read any good books lately? What are they?
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