There’s something compelling about a lost love returning to your life. Your earliest romance can often hold a special place in your memory and, in some instances, can blight future attempts to form a decent relationship. This phenomena is mined to clever effect in The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, the debut novel by Peter Swanson.
George Foss is an accountant with a well known Boston publisher who has an on-off relationship with one of his colleagues. His first girlfriend, his college sweetheart Liana, committed suicide during the Christmas holidays of their first semester. When George travelled down to Florida to attend her funeral, he discovered not everything was as it seemed and the memory of that early romance has stayed with him ever since. One August night he sees Liana again and this time she needs his help.
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart is a lesson in how a story can gradually unfold without giving away too much to the reader, although it does make the book a nightmare to review. It’s clear from early on that George was taken in by Liana while at college, but the nature of the deception is only gradually revealed. Meanwhile, the modern day story shows early on how little Liana is to be trusted. The writer does a very good job in making us believe in George’s vulnerability. Given what he knows about Liana, it is almost incomprehensible that he can fall for her charms once more, but the reader is drawn into the duplitious world that is Liana’s ouevre. The ending was a little over the top for me but I was impressed by the way in which the narrative suggested that nothing is ever completely resolved. It seems more like real life that way.
Thanks to Faber for my review copy.
That does sound interesting, a lot of the tropes I enjoy in a book there… will definitely put this on the list. Thanks for a careful review, I can tell you were on spoiler alert!
I was, Moira!
Sarah – What an interesting theme to explore in a novel. It’s easy to see too how a first love could affect the way one relates to anyone else. I’m glad that the ‘slow reveal’ worked for you even if the ending was a little over the top. Thanks as ever for a fine review.
My pleasure, Margot.
I too found the ending tried a little too hard (I think it may also have been written with a sequel in mind). And of course we all know that tug of nostalgia…
The very end I thought was OK, and I don’t mind things being left open ended. I think the lead up to the end was a bit over dramatic but still a very good debut.
This does sound tempting: first love and unreliability are attractive themes (though now I think about it, it’s sort of sad to put those next to each other and imply I like them!).
True – but they do go together 😉
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Not sure about this one. Great review though, makes me want to give it a try. I will mull it over.
There are plenty of reviews of this book coming through, Tracy. I’ll leave it to you to make up your mind 😉
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