Helen Lambert is going on a blind date. In her thirties and fresh off a divorce, she hasn't done much dating. And sadly, the man she meets isn't what she'd call traditionally handsome. Not to mention the fact that his personality puts her off as well. But when he claims he knows her, that he knew her in past lives, Helen is convinced he must be mad!And then she begins to have dreams. Dreams of France and of a teenage girl in love with an artist. A teenage girl who's mother is so enraged by the relationship that she casts a spell that lasts generations!
Helen is just the latest incarnation of that girl, Juliet LaCompte. And the man she met on that date, Luke Varner, has been with her through every life. As Helen remembers more and more about her past selves—her life as Juliet in nineteenth-century France, her life as Nora in 1930's Hollywood, and her life as Sandra in 1970's California—she begins to fall for Luke. But the curse is always there. And, as Helen soon learns, she has very little time left in this life.
I was intrigued by the premise of A Witch in Time: A woman bound by a curse that follows her even beyond death. And she forgets her past every time she's born again.
Constance Sayers's debut isn't quite as witch-y as I would have expected. But it is a lot of fun. As Helen dreams of her past lives, the reader is taken on a tour of each of the places Helen has lived throughout time. I especially loved Juliet's chapters!
Sayers's attention to detail throughout the book and depth of characters is fantastic. But the book did feel a little out of balance. Juliet's chapters are neatly and gradually woven into Helen's story but Nora's and Sandra's are less so. In fact, by the time we get to Sandra, her story is basically two big chunks shoved into the last third of the book. And while Helen certainly has less and less time as the story progresses, I think I would have liked Nora's and Sandra's pieces to resemble Juliet's a bit more in terms of being more interspersed within Helen's narrative.
I want to stress again, though, that the depth of each character is wonderful! They're fully fleshed and full of emotion! The particular times and places that each of their stories is set in also comes to life wonderfully! Aside from a hiccup in terms of balance (for my personal taste) this was a really good debut and I'll wholeheartedly be looking forward to more from Sayers!
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1 comment:
I loved this book! And I do agree with you about Nora and Sandra, I was fascinated with their lives and wanted just a bit more.
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