The Thirteenth Tale By Diane Setterfield (2006)

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

                “I am going to tell you a story- a marvelous story!... Once upon a time there was a haunted house… Once upon a time there was a library… Once upon a time there were twins.” And so the writing began. The story of Vida Winters and Angelfield was finally told. After so many false narratives handed to journalist on a silver platter as if they were the real things. After each new novel, Vida Winters told a new tale, a new truth, a new life. But now finally after her last novel has been written she is ready to tell the true story of her life, her home, her family and her ghost. The person chosen to hear that story is the introvert and amateur biographer Margaret Lea. Always more comfortable in the antiquarian bookshop her family owns, Margaret is initially shocked to find herself invited by such a prestigious author to write her biography. But with each passing day as the story continues to unfold, Margaret examines her own story, her own family and her own ghost.

                This seems like such a simple concept: an author on her deathbed has chosen someone to write her biography. But when nothing, absolutely nothing, is known about that author’s life then every story brought forth is a discovery, a revelation, a harsh reality. Margaret and Vida were both brilliant characters. Both were complicated in their own right, educated and avid readers but with secrets that defined who they are. But secrets over time can carry weight and both of these characters have been living under that weight. Both Vida and Margaret become lost in the telling of the story. Vida in the recounting of a life long lived, and Margaret in hearing the tale itself.

                I really enjoyed the mystery of this story. The reader is forced to make assumptions about our main character and it isn’t until the very end of the story that we gain any real understanding. Vida’s narrative keeps you on your toes and keeps you observant. I wanted to know the story and was as absorbed in it as Margaret. I was trying to undo the puzzles before I even had all the pieces. And it was magically told. I feel like this story almost falls into the magical realism realm but only because of the narrative which kept me hooked. The Thirteenth Tale a mystery about family was simply well told and enjoyable. I give this 4 out of 5 stars.