Skip to main content

Review: The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple book cover on blue background

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple releases on Tuesday, April 9!

Many thanks to Revell Books and LibraryThing for providing a complimentary copy of this book by Joanna Davidson Politano for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing.

Book Synopsis

Peter Driscoll, an underground investigator to the wealthy, has never met anyone like Lily Temple. The beautiful silent-film actress spins fairy tales and plays frivolous roles in front of the cine-camera, but beneath the costumes and stage makeup is a woman with a quick wit--and a murky past.

Peter has been tasked with locating the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire, which Lily wears beneath her gown. In order to stay close to her and hopefully unravel the mystery of her story--and the sapphire--Peter employs Lily's help on a case, which leads to a useful partnership. But as they are investigating together, Peter is also investigating Lily. The closer he gets to the truth, the more danger they face. And the closer he gets to Lily, the clearer it is that he needs her even more than she needs him.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

Some books take you on a roller-coaster; this book takes you to an entire fairground. Poetic and lyrical, Joanna Davidson Politano weaves readers into a story that extends beyond the page. The twists and turns leave you guessing as to what's next until the tapestry is turned over and the picture is finally revealed. Though it is a multi-faceted trek to get there, the way everything comes together is wholly satisfying. The style of writing is definitely more whimsical, fantastical, and fairy tale-like, which adds an air of mystery to the events taking place. For those whose gateway into reading is through prose, The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple nicely fits the bill.

In reading this story, I was struck by how well Lily Temple, elusive and enigmatic, represents the ways we try to find Eden outside of God. Over time, it's delightful to see all of the parallels between the Gospel and what restoration truly looks like. The faith element is what brings this book home for me. Without God, Lily's story would be purposeless and incomplete. Although I was confused by Gypsy Lee's character in a Christian book, the way the story points toward creation and its Creator is a much more overarching theme. Readers who enjoy literary references, especially Dickens, will adore the epigraphs and the allegories sprinkled throughout. This book is certainly a celebration of the power of storytelling by pointing to the greatest Author of all.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📖
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Things I'm Not Supposed to Do

It's interesting to discover what people should be and shouldn't be doing when they share about books online. More and more, I feel like there can be a backlash against anything now, to the point where anyone with a passion for books can feel paralyzed in offering their own bookish content. For the large part, I try to tune out these things because it's ever-changing, and if it's not one thing, it'll be another. I'm sad when people feel stifled due to these capricious "rules" that half (if not more of) the time seem to keep people from excitedly engaging in what they love most. I'm thankful that I've received immense support from the reading community when I first started out, so I want to encourage anyone who is thinking of jumping in with their personal approach to books by sharing how I practically break the following ten rules covering things from content generation to materials access: I'm not supposed to use Canva for my book posts.  ...
2 comments
Read more

Review: Entanglements - Finding Ever After #2

Last week, I shared about the first novella in the Finding Ever After anthology. I'm grateful that I was able to borrow the second novella in this book, Entanglements by Rachel McMillan , from Kindle Unlimited. I wish I could read the other half of the collection; however, I'm glad that two books exist out there to access! Book Synopsis Nic Ricci is a North End piano tuner and part time math tutor who wants nothing more than to compose; but there are few pennies to be found and an ailing father to support. When a well-paying opportunity arises as a rehearsal pianist for a wealthy heiress giving a recital at the Boston Conservatory, Nic grabs at the chance. He does not, however, anticipate a beautiful, intelligent woman frustratingly accompanied by a chaperone and promised to a brute of a fiance. Esther Hunisett is trapped by her father’s poor business decisions, her dowry and future attached to a man who will save her family’s estate. With little to barter before her life is ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! May you have a blessed day, celebrating the birth of our Saviour. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:11 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6
Post a Comment
Read more