A review by bookedbymadeline
In the Garden of the Fugitives by Ceridwen Dovey

challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was pulled in immediately! The novel is told through a series of letters going back and forth between Vita and Royce. I marked so many lyrical passages or thought provoking lines!

Slow, quiet reflections on privilege, obsession, control, and confronting/reflecting on the past. Also got to learn about Pompeii, Ancient Roman art, archaeology/anthropology, and filmmaking which was pretty cool!

Some of the most thought provoking passages were about privilege; how much are we responsible for the sins of those before us/that look like us?; and looking for similarities between ourselves and past generations; is it disrespectful to see them as being the same as us or natural to want to find similarities and connection throughout human history? 

Oh my god the twists?! Jaw dropping 😱 we don’t get full answers on maybe one or two things but it makes sense in the context of the book. I devoured this book and didn’t want to put it down! It was fascinating and thought provoking, easily a fave for the month 🤍 The only problem is now I’ve read two 5 star reads in a row, can I continue the streak of good reading? 🤞🏻 
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