Maggie O'Farrell is a favorite author of mine--she wrote Hamnet--so I'm reading through her other titles. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox brings together two unconventional women for comparison and contrast. Iris gets a call from an insane asylum asking what to do with her great aunt, Esme Lennox. It is closing, and Iris is listed as next of kin. Iris had no knowledge of Esme's existence. Iris is the only one left in her family except for her grandmother, who has dementia. The narrative shifts back and forth between the two women telling their history. O'Farrell builds suspense by continually keeping the reader off balance. I think I know what's going on, but I don't. My miscalculations of the plot were usually due to conventional storylines like odd girl meets a man who appreciates her, the love between sisters, and happy endings. This book addresses the vulnerability of women in a bygone age, but also currently. It is complex and engaging. I liked it.
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman surprised me. It was also a story about sisters struggling with being unconventional and ostracized and trying to make their way in the world. They ask the same big question: can I endure being different? Can I find a way to flourish? Practical Magic was surprisingly hopeful and encouraging. Its story is rooted in Massachusetts and its history with witches. It gives the book a feeling that this could possibly be a true story. I found it similar to Harry Potter's premise that magic is all around us, but we aren't awake to it. It was a satisfying book because everyone gets what they deserve.
There is a movie based on the book with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman released in 1998. It's a fun spooky adaption that doesn't follow the book closely. As a book person, in the debate of which is better, the book or the movie, I usually choose the book. Books can show you more of the inner workings of a character than a movie. Because the film and the book Practical Magic are so different, I don't think they should be judged by each other. I believe they have different goals from the start. Both are good, in their way.
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