Yesterday's Sun A Novel4stars

 

 

Sacrifice Dictated by a Mysterious Orb

By Amanda Brooke
Harper, $14.99, 323 pages, 4 stars

Yesterday’s Sun introduces the reader to Holly and Tom. They are newlyweds living in an idyllic country house outside of London. Holly is a successful artist and Tom is a roving television journalist. Due to Holly’s troubled childhood, she believes motherhood is not for her, yet Tom is convinced a family is what they need. As the couple renovates their home and garden, Holly finds a mysterious moondial and orb. Jocelyn, a village inhabitant and former resident of Holly’s home, knows the secretive powers of the orb too well. When Holly experiences the power of the moondial and its ability to predict the future, she is frightened by what she sees regarding motherhood and a baby named Libby.

Yesterday’s Sun is easy to read, with an engaging, fantastical storyline to keep the reader interested.  Amanda Brooke writes with humor and even snark at times, though the topic is rather morbid. The author’s own son died at three years old of cancer, and the book feels cathartic, taking on the subject of motherhood and the reality that perfection is a subjective view based on the holder’s beliefs.

Reviewed by Seniye Groff

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