2022 Book Review #6:The Girl in the Red Coat

 

This book is set in Norfolk, England and various parts of the United States.  The author lives in Wales.  This is her debut novel from a few years ago.  It is set during the time right before and after the Twin Towers fell in NYC in 2001. 

STORY SUMMARY

Beth is a newly single mom.  Her husband Paul now lives with his girlfriend Lucy. Beth and Paul are the parents of a little girl named Carmel.  She is 8 years old.   She's a dreamy sort of child, yet very smart.  She tends to wander off and Beth is  always fearful that one day she will go missing.

And one day...on a Saturday trip to a storytelling fair...an outdoor festival.....some thick fog comes up and Beth gets separated from Carmel in the crowd.  And just like that.....Carmel is gone. 

Beth is shattered.  Paul is shattered.  They begin the task which often seems like a lonely one, of finding their missing daughter.  Paul hires a private detective and Beth hunts for Carmel day after day after day.   The authorities try to tell her that she might be gone for good.  She does not believe that. 

Meanwhile, Carmel is on a very strange journey.  She ends up in a very unexpected place that requires her to live by her wits.  She tries desperately to keep the vision of her mother in her mind...along with her real name, when the kidnapper changes her name to Mercy.  She soon learns that the old man who calls himself her Granddad has some strange notions about religion and healings.  About God and what Carmel/Mercy can do.  And then Carmel discovers a notebook with a photo of another little girl...another Mercy. 

Five years go by.  Carmel is now a young teen.  And Granddad is getting very old and frail.  What will happen to Carmel?  Will she ever be reunited with her family? 

MY THOUGHTS

This is a good debut novel that has won 2 awards.  It's a fast-paced (I read it in 4 days) drama that includes some mystery and suspense. It has notes of a psychological thriller as well. It's a very powerful story with a bleakness to the setting in much of it.  It's so well written and the setting is so very well described.  All of your senses become involved when reading the plight of Carmel. 

This book alternates between Beth's voice and her little girl Carmel's voice.  It's a very immersive story that I found hard to put down. (good thing I've been on Winter Break all week!).  This is book is realistic but there's also an other wordly quality about it..almost like a fairy tale...but not....

The themes center around loss/separation and the mother/daughter relationship. 

It's unlike any other "missing child" novel I've ever read.  The author's take on it is very different.  

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this an 8.