In honor of The Lantern being on sale today, we are opening up the floor to questions from you lovely readers for the author, Deborah Lawrenson. Do you have anything you'd like to know about her writing process, the inspiration behind her story, what it's like to live in Provence? Well, comment with your question by end of business on Friday, August 12 and we will get her to answer them for you!
– Annie
We here in LibraryLand have heard so much praise from you guys for Deborah Lawrenson's The Lantern, and it is finally on sale!
This gothic tale of love and intrigue is set in the lush French countryside and basically makes you yearn for a vacation. See Kayleigh's review here and hear her wonderful book talk over on Earlyword's site.
Also, check out USA Today's review that states that The Lantern "lives up to the hype" of being compared to the brilliant Daphne du Maurier…win!
So, what are you waiting for? Take yo'selves to the library/bookstore and get your read on.
That is all.
– Annie
We love when librarians give us feedback about our books.
We were thrilled to receive this rave review of THE LANTERN from Carol A. Kubala, Adult Services Librarian at the Saxton B. Little Free Library in Columbia, CT
What Carol says about THE LANTERN by Deborah Lawrenson:
It came wrapped much like a present, in rich green , heavy paper; filigreed, deckle edged, fastened with a silver seal ; this special treasure of a book, The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson. My fingers carefully opened my gift from the publisher, Harper, imprint of Harper Collins and I read the first page. I was captured immediately by its lyrical language, its setting of a crumbling cottage in Provence, whispering hints of scent that tickled my nose and grew, and an intense, suspenseful story; part ghost, part love, part haunting tale of evil with murky shadows everywhere. Parallel narrators roaming the farmland of Les Genévriers carried me along and kept me reading past my bedtime to see how their journey would end. The Lantern wrapped up satisfyingly, both figuratively and in plot. That it is compared to du Maurier's, Rebecca and Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale seems a good fit. I'd also suggest The Lantern to fans of Joss's, Half Broken Things and Waters's, Little Stranger. Though the finished copy will not be gift wrapped, unfolding the story should be gift enough.
What Carol says about herself:
I have worked at The Saxton B. Little Free Library, Columbia, CT for over 27 years, presently in Adult Services. What this means in a small library is that I do whatever needs to be done with a focus on adult circulation and acquisitions. What I enjoy most about my job is helping our public find materials that fill their needs; particularly books to engage and enchant them. I also love doing book displays and moderate a Readers' Advisory forum on webjunction. My favorite reads are what I call adrenaline adventure, like The Lost City of Z by David Grann and travel narratives.
Carol sent this photo of herself so obviously she's got a pretty good sense of humor, too!
We welcome reviews from all librarians!
Feel free to ask for galleys, write a review and help spread the word about good books!
-Virginia
How does summer in Provence sound to you?
I thought so. Part of my preparation for ALA includes mowing through our summer, fall, and winter list and choosing favorites. Luckily for me, as soon as I heard about Deborah Lawrenson's The Lantern, I knew I had to present it during our book buzz. I'm not alone–there was a groundswell of support for The Lantern at BEA last month, where Salem PL's Robin Beerbower so eloquently sang its praises.
One part ghost story, one part gothic romance, two parts Provencale vacation, The Lantern works in the tradition of books like The Thirteenth Tale, Rebecca, and Five Quarters of the Orange. And between the lavender, the figs, the heliotrope, and the walnut wine, it's nothing short of an olfactory dream, a paean to the senses. We're bringing some beautifully wrapped ARCs to New Orleans, as well as a swoon-worthy L'Occitane gift basket, so stop by our booth (#1316) or catch our book buzz on Saturday morning. I can't buy you a ticket to Provence, but Deborah Lawrenson sure can.
-Kayleigh
