THE LANTERN, Deborah Lawrenson's first novel to be
published in the U.S., combines lyrical prose with two
storylines, one present and one past, that will eventually
touch. In the present day, Eve and Dom meet and eventually
find themselves ensconced in Les Genevriers, a ramshackle
farmhouse in Provence. The two enjoy each other and fixing
up their enchanting home with hidden crannies and
treasures. But once summer moves into autumn, their
relationship cools much like the weather.
Dom's ex-wife, Rachel, has always been between them, but
Eve's curiosity to know more grows with Dom's insistence
not to talk about her. Sabine, a local real estate agent
who also knew Rachel, befriends Eve, and eggs her on to
discover more about Rachel's story. And Eve finds her home
more sinister too; those cozy nooks now seem to hide
shadows and secrets.
One of those secrets has to do with the family who used to
live there. Benedicte Lincel, who grew up in this house
with her family, working the fields and enjoying the
sensory experiences of the landscape, narrates the story
in the past. We learn of her sadistic brother, the death
of her father and the disappearance of her blind sister, a
well-known Paris perfumer. As she ages, she, too, sees
ghosts in her childhood home: family members and other
children come to torment her.
Lawrenson tells the story in alternating chapters, which
are hard to distinguish until names are mentioned as
neither has a distinctive voice. Personally, I enjoyed
Benedicte's story more and could have enjoyed an entire
novel just of her tale.
THE LANTERN is said to resemble Daphne du Maurier's
Rebecca, and while I haven't read that book, I have to say
that I didn't find this book at all scary. While I can't
say that I connected with either of the main characters
very much, Lawrenson writes beautifully. She has an
incredible ability to evoke Provence with its lush
lavender fields and the wind rippling through the nut
trees. Lawrenson's novel moves at a methodical pace; for
some, like me, this will be too slow, but for others, this
will be just right. I sense this is one of those books
that some will love and others will not, but I think all
will agree that Lawrenson writes in lyrical prose one can
savor.
A modern gothic novel of love, secrets, and murder—set
against the lush backdrop of Provence
Meeting Dom was the most incredible thing that had ever
happened to me. When Eve falls for the secretive, charming
Dom in Switzerland, their whirlwind relationship leads them
to Les GenÉvriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant
lavender fields of the South of France. Each enchanting day
delivers happy discoveries: hidden chambers, secret vaults,
a beautiful wrought-iron lantern. Deeply in love and
surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of
the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive.
But with autumn’s arrival the days begin to cool, and so,
too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scars
of a failed marriage—one he refuses to talk about—his
silence arouses suspicion and uncertainty. The more reticent
Dom is to explain, the more Eve becomes obsessed with
finding answers—and with unraveling the mystery of his
absent, beautiful ex-wife, Rachel.
Like its owner, Les GenÉvriers is also changing. Bright,
warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall
unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the
garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of
her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could
her life be in danger?
Eve does not know that Les GenÉvriers has been haunted
before. BÉnÉdicte Lincel, the house’s former owner, thrived
as a young girl within the rich elements of the landscape:
the violets hidden in the woodland, the warm wind through
the almond trees. She knew the bitter taste of heartbreak
and tragedy—long-buried family secrets and evil deeds that,
once unearthed, will hold shocking and unexpected
consequences for Eve.
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