Synopsis- The Vanishing act of Esme Lennox- by Maggie O’Farrell

‘A tale of betrayal, injustice and hope.’

Maggie O’Farrell captures the imagination of her readers, as she depicts a vulnerable character living in a sombre psychiatric unit- in 1930’s Edinburgh. Esme Lennox’s father nonchalantly accompanied her to an institution, where the nurses are deplorable- the bed sheets are sordid- and the patients are beyond help. HM prison Wakefield sounds more inviting.

    A young girl of Esme’s demeanour does not belong there- demonstrated when O’Farrell describes her countenance as pleasant and warm, enabling the audience to feel immense sympathy. Esme’s admittance to Cauldstone psychiatric unit is because of her refusal to find, or appear interested in an agreeable man to marry. The second reason- the one which unfathomably sent her parents into a state of delirium- was that she dared to try on her mother’s dress!

   The story is also told from a first person viewpoint- belonging to Esme’s sister Kitty. She is the apple of her mother’s eye- but she is torn between blind love- and a sense of acknowledgement that her behaviour towards her sister, is undeniably unwarranted; due to sending her to a psychiatric unit.

  Maggie O’Farrell superbly intertwines 1930s Edinburgh- with the same city sixty years later. Iris Lockhart, who is involved in a ‘love triangle,’ between her ‘boyfriend’ and his wife- receives a letter concerning her Great Aunt- informing her that she is about to be released from Cauldstone- as the institution is set to close- and Esme now seventy three years old, is deemed ‘fit’ to be integrated back into a society that she should have never left. Iris is taken by surprise, that her Grandmother had a sister. Kitty, Iris’ Grandmother, is in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s ; far too dazed and confused to shed any light on her ‘mystery’ sister.

   Initially, Iris has a reluctance to house Esme- keen not to replicate the drama associated with the ‘love triangle’ saga. Her Step-Brother Alex, is understandably concerned when consulted on the issue- his exact response being ‘anyone who has lived in a mad house for sixty years, is dangerous.’ I imagine many of the readers would feel the same, if it wasn’t for the way the author wrote a scintillatingly and emotionally charged account, of a third person narrative- as it grips the attention of the audience by evoking emotion for Esme’s predicament.

  Iris wrestles with the idea of allowing Esme to live with her- firstly, attending a chaotic hostel- which is revealed as inhumane and degrading. Finally, she decides that the best course of action would be that Esme stays with her.

   Once Esme has moved in with Iris- she discovers that Iris now lives in her childhood home. Reminiscing of her childhood, it unsurprisingly brings back some painful memories- and O’Farrell describes them with consummate ease.