Reviews

The Forgotten Daughter, by Joanna Goodman

sarahs_readingparty's review

3.0

I love finding unique historical fiction to read. Don't get me wrong, I looove a good WWII novel (that sounds weird) but sometimes, a different era or location is welcome. The Forgotten Daughter fits the bill on both fronts! Set in Quebec during the 1990s, with flashbacks to the 70s and 80s, this book was interesting and so well written. The story weaves together aspects of the fight for Quebec's independence from Canada as well as the trauma of one (of many) orphaned children who grew up in the Catholic orphanages in Quebec. Our heroines - Véronique (the daughter of a French radical separationist) and Elodie (I looove that name btw! - who was given up for adoption at birth) - experience so much pain and loss as a result of their families, yet are linked and bonded together as a result of one special man, James. I loved the characters and the setting so, so much.

My main complaint about this book - and the reason why this is a bit rambly - is that the connections between the characters are unclear at times and there were side plots that didn't make sense to me. Sometimes it was just hard to track everything. But overall I liked the book! And the love story was sweet.

emmadilemma's review

2.0

2.5 stars. The writing was fine, if a little self-indulgent. I appreciated how well Montreal was described. However, the author's clear disdain for QC's separatists left a sour taste in my mouth. She was intent on portraying them as impoverished, uneducated, and one-dimensional. I'm curious to know what francophone Quebecers think of this book, but I wouldn't want to insult any of them by suggesting they read it.

njw13's review

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5