The Sudden Departure of the Frasers by Louise CandlishMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A long book with a fascinating premise.
I'd give The Sudden Departure of the Frasers 3.5 solid stars. This was such a well-written novel. My biggest reason for not giving it more stars was that the length of it was honestly a bit too long. There was a long stretch in the middle that was good, but not a lot was happening or revealed and it could have been shorter. That said, I absolutely loved the book!
Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free)
Two women, one house, one year apart...
The story centers around a house--or really, it centers around a suburban street. In the best house on the most quaint block, two sets of tenants living their one year apart are mysteriously unsettled... The story changes back and forth in narration between Christy Davenport (the current occupant of the house) and Amber Fraser (the former occupant of the house). Christy and her husband Joe get the deal of a lifetime on a gorgeous row house (the one vacated by the Frasers). Despite the deal, finances are very tight for the pair, but its worth it to have this house in this gorgeous neighborhood.
However, from the moment they buy the home, something seems off...
The Frasers vacated the home quickly and rather suddenly, so much so that their mail still hasn't been properly forwarded. However, Christy is unable to get a forwarding address from the solicitor. It seems that wherever the Frasers went, they don't want to be found. Christy also finds it strange that the neighbors avoid her. They hurry away when she speaks to them, and decline all invites to socialize or discuss the Frasers. Something isn't right about the departure of the Frasers from Lime Park, but Christy doesn't know how to begin to find out what happened.
Amber has a story to tell as well...
Amber narrates shorter chapters in between Christy's narrative. Amber is telling the story of her own year living in the house on Lime Park Road. As Amber states, you'll think of her as a loving wife and kind neighbor, but those are lies. Amber will tell the real story of what happened in Lime Park, and reveal how little her neighbors really knew what happened on their own street at all...
Reflection
One thing that is really lovely about this book is that Amber's story and Christy's investigation often align in the narrative. So as Christy finds a clue or a thread to follow, Amber will then reveal an alternate understanding of the information through her own story. At other times, Amber may reveal something first, and then we follow along with Christy as she stumbles towards the truth.
I also enjoyed the characters on the block. They felt so authentic to a suburban street, and it made me wonder about the dramas unfolding on blocks just like Lime Park Road all over the world. The other housewives do a wonderful job of illustrating Amber's magnetism. Amber seems to have a light surrounding her that others flock to be close to. But at the same time, we have Amber's narrative, and Amber is not the person her neighbors see. Amber is calculating and intelligent, emotional and vulnerable, predatory and dark.
At its core, its a story about secrets and lies. The book explores the age old questions... How much do we truly know our neighbors
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