At the start of THE INGENUE by Rachel Kapelke-Dale Saskia Kreis's mother, the heiress Evelyn Harper Kreis, a famous author known for "Feminist Princess" tales, has passed away. Saskia, a child prodigy/ingenue of piano, is expecting to inherit her mother's house. However, upon the reading of the will and becoming aware of secrets her mother has kept from her, Saskia is shocked to learn that the Elf House is going to Patrick, a man with whom she has a very complex relationship. Going back to Wisconsin, using the power of the law, as well as memories of her teenage years, Saskia is forced to start examining her past and present life and try to figure out why her mother would leave the Elf House to Patrick. Will the answers Saskia unearths contribute to understanding or confusion?
What really worked for THE INGENUE by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is the pacing of the story and the engaging plot. The pacing is best described as riding the tornado with little introspection, but instead, slow-building anger is the driving force behind Saskia's actions and decisions. (Having stated that, a mention of an inappropriate relationship between a 30-plus male with a teenage girl should be mentioned for those who might not be comfortable about reading that particular pairing. )
Before writing THE INGENUE, which can loosely be considered a reference for Saskia's talent in playing piano, Rachel Kapelke-Dale wrote THE BALLERINAS, and in terms of anger as well as how much the characters' history is tied up to their present definitely plays out in quite a similar fashion.
For readers who have loved THE BALLERINAS, THE INGENUE by Rachel Kapelke-Dale will truly live up to the hype of the previous novel and establish the author as an unforgettable author of feminine rage, especially in these times where so much but so little has changed.
When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother's unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother's will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past––and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life––for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?
Set against a post #MeToo landscape, THE INGENUE delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia's childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.
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