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Fraternal twins Billy and Lila have always had a very close relationship. Since losing their parents when they were teenagers, they have built independent lives but remain devoted to each other. They live close to each other and see each other regularly. Since Lila can't really remember anything about their past, she relies on Billy to hold the memories for the both of them. And he has, weaving elaborate stories that fill in all of her blank spaces and create the happy reality he promised her years ago.When Billy is dies violently, Lila's world is torn apart. She is unable to function without him, her compass for interpreting the world has been lost. She loves her husband of eleven years, Patrick, very much, but she can't seem to break out of the spiraling grief that has engulfed her. The fragmented memories that start to surface totally confuse her, as they are at odds to all she has believed to be true. She desperately wants custody of Billy's three children, he and his wife had been going through a bitter divorce, but Lila's mentally fragile state make such an attempt impossible.
So, Lila turns to sleeping pills to numb her pain. Patrick can't seem to get through to her or do anything that helps to life her out of the despair that she is in. He goes to see Billy's wife, Ashley, hoping to find some way to help Lila. Instead, Ashley shows him a sympathy card...from Billy & Lila's mother. He is shocked but thinks it must be some sort of prank. His wife couldn't have lied to him about a thing like this for so many years, could she?
Why would two adolescents claim that their parents were dead, when one of them at least is very much alive? What could have happened to cause them to construct a fictitious past and cut all ties to home and family? These are questions that they must all find the answers to, for the sake of the entire family. When Lila's splintered memories finally begin to emerge, will she be strong enough to accept what they contain?
I was completely riveted to the pages of this story. It is a fascinating psychological look at the lengths the mind will go to in order to protect the self. The relationships between Billy and Lila, their spouses and children, were intricate and interesting. The author explores the adult difficulties that result from the psychological abuse of children, the kind of abuse that doesn't leave any marks but twists and destroys just the same. A moving story with a depth of seriousness, I truly enjoyed this novel.
I received this book as part of the Blog Tour hosted by TLC Book Tours. For a complete list of the blog stops, please click here. For more information about the author and her novels, please visit her website.
The Promised World
is published by Atria Books, ISBN 978-1-4165-7538-
10 comments:
All the reviews for this book have been fantastic! I can't wait to read it.
The more I hear about this book the more I want to read it. I am glad that it was such an involving read for you. I am looking forward to it as well. Great review!
This sounds like a heart-breaking book in many ways, but your review has inspired me to want to read it. :-)
I've heard nothing but good things about this book so far. Thanks for the recommendation.
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
Tome Traveller! Could you please post your email in text format (email [at] yahoo [dot] com)?
The link you have up for your contact email doesn't work, for some reason and there's no way to read the email address.
Hmmm, seems to be working fine, Anonymous, I receive email thru it regularly and I just checked it. I don't post it to reduce spam. Leave your email address and a bit about who you are and why you want it, I'll be glad to email you.
I am glad to see you liked this one too, Carey. It really was difficult to put down, wasn't it? It was like a roller coaster ride.
This sounds like such an interesting book! I love staories about twins maybe because I am a twin. But I'm a fraternal twin, it's the identical twins that have all the interesting quirks.
Thank you for a great review of a very intriguing book.
RIVETED?? Ok, that's it. I have to drop everything and read this book.
Thanks so much for the great review and for all the time you spent reading/reviewing The Promised World. It is much appreciated.
I too found this a very interesting read but struggled a bit with the Billy and Lila relationship. mainly because for so long I felt like her attachment was so really inappropriate, I wish we'd gotten some more of the family drama stuff a tad bit earlier to put that into perspective. I get why we didn't and ultimately the book was still very well done regardless but I got a very incestuous vibe from it for awhile.
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