Mirroring The Past

The Woman In The Lake by Nicola Cornick is a fascinating dual timeline novel that had me gripped from the start.

The action alternates between 1763 and present day. The storylines mirror each other. There are cruel men who abuse their wives but underestimate the inner strength that the women possess.

Greed, power and obsession dominate with the desire for more. A strange power travels across the centuries as characters grapple with a fixation on certain objects that seem to wield other worldly powers.

The main females are a blend of strength and weakness. “It didn’t matter how much people told her that it had not been her fault… the guilt and the shame were difficult emotions to shift.” Abuse is never the victim’s fault, although we are very good at blaming ourselves. Anyone who is abused must get out and seek help.

There is the theme of trust tied into the abuse theme. Mistrust is a natural defence mechanism but not everyone we meet is out to harm us.

I thought The Woman In The Lake was a fabulous read. I was completely enthralled and guessing throughout. Things were not always as they seemed. I found the story very reminiscent of the movie The Others with Nicole Kidman.

A brilliant read.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON