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Résumé
Résumé
The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home turns the clock back one hundred years to a time when two young girls from Cottingley, Yorkshire, convinced the world that they had done the impossible and photographed fairies in their garden. Now, in her newest novel, international bestseller Hazel Gaynor reimagines their story.
1917... It was inexplicable, impossible, but it had to be true--didn't it? When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright from Cottingley, England, claim to have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden, their parents are astonished. But when one of the great novelists of the time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, becomes convinced of the photographs' authenticity, the girls become a national sensation, their discovery offering hope to those longing for something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war. Frances and Elsie will hide their secret for many decades. But Frances longs for the truth to be told.
One hundred years later... When Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript in her late grandfather's bookshop she becomes fascinated by the story it tells of two young girls who mystified the world. But it is the discovery of an old photograph that leads her to realize how the fairy girls' lives intertwine with hers, connecting past to present, and blurring her understanding of what is real and what is imagined. As she begins to understand why a nation once believed in fairies, can Olivia find a way to believe in herself?
Critiques (2)
Critique de Kirkus
A woman inherits a bookstore and discovers her family's connection to a famous set of photographs.In 1917, while the world was in the midst of a war, cousins Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright staged photographs to make it appear that Frances was surrounded by fairies. Although they never intended for the faked photographs to be seen by anyone outside their family, the photos became famous enough that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle publicly claimed they were real. With so much attention directed toward them, Elsie and Frances promised to keep the truth a secret. One hundred years later, in the present day, Olivia Kavanagh inherits her grandfather's bookshop in Ireland. But Olivia's grandfather didn't just leave her the bookshophe also left a manuscript written by Frances, and it details exactly how (and more importantly, why) she and Elsie staged their photographs and maintained their hoax for so many years. Olivia has her own troubles to deal withextracting herself from an unhappy engagement, caring for her ill grandmother, and facing a diagnosis of infertilitybut she soon discovers that, as her grandfather told her, stories choose "the right readers at the right time." Just as Frances realized that people needed to believe in fairies to find hope during WWI, Olivia finds that believing in a little bit of magic helps her reconnect with the woman she used to be. The insight into the true story of the Cottingley fairies is interesting, and it's easy to understand why two girls might play along with an innocent trick that became a worldwide sensation. Olivia's struggles are never quite as compelling, and readers may find themselves eager to slip back into the world of the fairies. Gaynor (The Girl from the Savoy, 2016, etc.) creates a lovely meditation on the power of belief and hope. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Critique de Booklist
*Starred Review* Nine-year-old Frances Griffith believes she has seen fairies in the woods behind her family's home. When the adults don't believe her, Frances and her cousin Elsie take a set of fake photographs, a series of self-portraits including Elsie's carefully constructed paper fairies. When famous writer and avowed theosophist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sees the photographs, he is convinced they are authentic. As Frances and Elsie pledge to keep the true nature of the photos to themselves, they and their photographs become a national sensation. In present-day Ireland, Olivia Kavanaugh discovers a manuscript in her late grandfather's bookshop that tells the story of the girls and their famous pictures. At a crossroads in her own life, Olivia becomes absorbed in the mystery and sets out on a journey to discover the truth while learning something about herself along the way. Gaynor (The Girl from the Savoy, 2016) once again takes readers deep into the lives of her characters, making history come alive. Beautifully written and expertly researched, Gaynor's latest is a look at one of history's most intriguing mysteries and an important reminder of the power of belief.--Gladstein, Carol Copyright 2017 Booklist
