Book Review: The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . August 16, 2011 . 6:00PM

In a rare occurrence, I have found a novel that took me over a month to read. The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson was so vivid with material and imagery that I simply could not take it in all at once. I found myself setting it down after a couple of chapters, of which there are many, to take in what I had just read like the richest of chocolate. It could not be consumed in a short amount of time, which has left my other novels bereft on my nightstand like forlorn playmates.

The Lantern is an astounding novel that centers on the lives of two women, Benedicte and Eve. Benedicte lives through the early part of the 1900′s until early 2000 and Eve’s story takes place modern-day. Their story interweaves at a common home set in Provence where mystery surround both women. Eve spends her days lazing in the beautiful home and discovering its treasures while trying to figure out Dom, the man she lives with, but barely knows. When a woman from the village, Sabine, alludes that Dom might have a dark past, Eve’s carefree ways turn to a desperate hunt for the truth that leads her to Benedicte’s past.

The two stories are blended together nicely, though it took me a bit to get used to the constant back and forth between them. It wasn’t until Part 2 of the book, roughly 50 pages in, that I felt like I settled into the novel and truly began to let my mind wander into the book and characters and in the last 50 pages really cared about them as characters. However, what kept me involved was the beautiful images of Provence and what I could image was taking place. The book is well-written but not for those that need a fast-paced story. This book is a crockpot, not a microwave. It simmers throughout when, at the end, all is revealed in such a way that the reader may have guessed what had happened, but it is doubtful that they understood the motivation behind it. A solid novel and an excellent ghost tale!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to review. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts on this novel!