Review: The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate HamerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Melville House
I'm not sure there's enough words to express how beautiful this book is - it went in a direction I absolutely not was expecting but in such a way that I was profoundly mesmerized and had to keep turning the page.
As a single mom, Beth constantly worries about her daughter, Carmel - who is precocious and likes to wander off. She's afraid that one day Carmel will get lost and Carmel resents constantly being watched over all the time. But then one day Carmel does get lost during a festival that she wanted to go to. Thus begins the journey for both mother and daughter.
I'm not sure what I expected to get from this book, but what I ended up getting was more than I had bargained for in the best possible way. It's not the quintessential thriller you would expect - little girl goes missing, mom goes crazy. What it ends up being is a journey of both Carmen and of her mother. Told between both of their points of views from chapter to chapter, we see each go through a roller coaster of emotions, mental gymnastics and the process of them trying to deal with their new unexpected and unwanted situations. The author builds such an atmospheric read and really puts you in the mind of the of both child and mother. There's little dialogue and more narrative of surroundings, imaginations, emotions and the thought processes of both main protagonists. Extremely well written, beautiful prose and a compelling read that pulls at your heart strings. Highly recommend. 5 beautiful shining red stars.
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