Assessment:
Through intense dialogue and vivid characterization, Gates creates a somber and powerful portrayal of a preteen girl suffering sexual abuse amid a mentally-ill American mother's struggles to raise her children in England. The victimization of Lottie Arkwright by her piano tutor Master Rory is presented in convincing psychological complexity and rings true to life. Although Lottie's final revenge on Rory seems more symbolic than plausible, Gates shuns simplistic moral imperatives, delivering a chilling mingling of the monstrous and human.
Date Submitted: June 11, 2016
Finalist, General Fiction, 2015
"A historical novel in which an abused young girl finds the strength to stand up for herself.
All is not well in the Arkwright family. In her latest novel, Gates (Praying for Rain, 2014) offers a glimpse into the psyche of an abused child, from her feelings of shame and fear to her affection for her abuser and desire to please him. As a result, Lottie is by turns heartbreaking and charming. She's still young enough to trust in her mother's addled fantasies of speaking to God but old enough to suspect that there is something seriously wrong with her family, and especially with Rory's unhealthy fixation on her. Gates also skillfully shows how abuse can go unnoticed, even by those closest to the victim, as Lottie's family sees Rory as a savior, not a deviant. Midcentury London comes to life through period details (Beatles songs on the radio, Little Noddy on the "telly") as well as Lottie's sometimes-incongruous cockney accent. Even characters who behave badly are sympathetic at times, including Althea and even Rory, particularly when his own history of abuse is revealed. But the smart, funny and wounded Lottie remains the story's heart and soul. A troubling but perhaps necessary portrait of abuse handled with grace and sensitivity."
-- Kirkus Reviews (in BEST OF INDIE September 2014)
