In Shaker Heights people live by the rules, and anyone who doesn’t follow those rules is regarded with suspicion. Someone like Isabelle Richardson, youngest daughter of the Richardson clan, is seen as something of an outsider. When she leaves the family home, having burned it to the ground, people are convinced she has finally gone mad. What on earth could have caused such an action?
Initially I found it hard to place this story. We jumped from the fire – which immediately roused my curiosity – to mother and daughter, Mia and Pearl, who have moved to the area and are renting a home from Elena Richardson. How could these very different characters be linked?
Though it felt slow to get going, there’s no doubt that this is the kind of story that rewards looking beneath the surface. Having introduced us to the key characters we are then shown a little of their interactions, their past and we get a clear sense of who they are as characters.
Mia and Pearl seem destined to cause upset in the area, but it isn’t immediately obvious just how much damage will be done.
The side-story of Elena’s friends trying to adopt an abandoned Chinese baby seemed to come from nowhere, but it helps us to learn more about the background to some of our key players and to come to understand their motivation for acting as they do. It also allowed our younger characters the opportunity to explore their own views on identity and motherhood.
An enigmatic read, that I would highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my review.