Sign up for our newsletters to receive our Best of 2024 ezine!

What readers think of The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, plus links to write your own review.

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Beyond the book |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox

by Maggie O'Farrell
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (11):
  • Readers' Rating (5):
  • First Published:
  • Oct 24, 2007, 256 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jun 2008, 256 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Reviews

Page 1 of 1
There are currently 5 reader reviews for The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Sharman Horwood

Justice, Strangely
I found this book was deeply affecting. The different narrators brought their perspectives in, adding layers to the story that enhanced the tale. Also, while Iris is a very modern woman, Esme is also modern, just placed in a different age that wouldn't accept her.
reading woman

Crimes against women
This chilling novel falls in the category of crimes against and by women. Esme Lennox was "vanished" because she did not fit in with what was expected by her culture. Set in the present with the back story coming out bit by bit, the horror of the story, the extreme twistedness of the characters and the inhumane attitudes toward such a woman as Esme, drilled into my heart.

The real secret of the novel is in the writing and the delicate, tasteful way all is finally revealed. You can suppress and twist the human spirit but you cannot eliminate it.
Majorbabs

Memorable, moving story
It's always good to be reminded of what today's women have won in terms of freedom, and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is one of the best choices. The story of Esme, who is released from hiding after many years, is one that will touch you and move you. Decidedly non-linear, it may be hard to grasp who's talking and when in spots, but persevere and an engrossing, very personal tale will enfold you.
Melissa

What is Madness?
Thoroughly enjoyed the mystery. The writing had potential to be very confusing, but Farrell did a great job of tying it all together.
Says much about what behaviors we consider "Mad", maybe they are just abnormal - much like today's prolific diagnosis of autism. maybe being different isn't always wrong or in need of being fixed.
The Brit

An Unfavorable Review for The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox
I rarely read book reviews before I buy a novel. I don’t like to be influenced by others in what I consider to be a personal experience. However, on this occasion I wish I had read a few of the reviews before purchasing the book. I gave this book a 1-star (mediocre) ; I found it to be well written but utterly predictable.
  • Page
  • 1

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: The God of the Woods
    The God of the Woods
    by Liz Moore
    Bestselling author Liz Moore's latest novel, The God of the Woods, begins with a disappearance. ...
  • Book Jacket: Becoming Madam Secretary
    Becoming Madam Secretary
    by Stephanie Dray
    Our First Impressions reviewers enjoyed reading about Frances Perkins, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's ...
  • Book Jacket: Everything We Never Had
    Everything We Never Had
    by Randy Ribay
    Francisco Maghabol has recently arrived in California from the Philippines, eager to earn money to ...
  • Book Jacket: There Are Rivers in the Sky
    There Are Rivers in the Sky
    by Elif Shafak
    Elif Shafak's novel There Are Rivers in the Sky follows three disparate individuals separated by ...

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
In Our Midst
by Nancy Jensen
In Our Midst follows a German immigrant family’s fight for freedom after their internment post–Pearl Harbor.
Book Jacket
The Berry Pickers
by Amanda Peters
A four-year-old Mi'kmaq girl disappears, leaving a mystery unsolved for fifty years.
Win This Book
Win My Darling Boy

My Darling Boy by John Dufresne

The story of of a man whose son collapses into addiction and vanishes into the chaotic netherworld of southern Florida.

Enter

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

D T the B O W the B

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.