THE LOST TAROT

by Sarah Henstra

I love finding random books from library displays, and The Lost Tarot fits that description perfectly. It was exhibited with other books that are set in Toronto, one of which, River Mumma, I reviewed last month. (read review here) The Lost Tarot really only begins with the protagonist in Toronto, and the story includes multiple time periods as well. And despite the word Tarot in the title, the book deals mainly with fine art and how we credit its creators, as well as how a cult is formed and what it takes to break free.

Henstra sets her story alternating between the present day and the time between the major World Wars. In the present day, Theresa’s career as an art historian has stalled as she is turned down for yet another professorship. When a mysterious note with a tarot card appears in her mail, she is just desperate enough to follow its lead and eventually uncovers the epic story behind the artist who created it. In the past, Lark Ringold and his twin sister Nell have crossed the ocean from Canada to England to join their famous, cult-leader uncle who has promised to promote Lark’s paintings and make him famous as well. Told primarily from Nell’s perspective, we slowly learn the history and all the irregularities at the commune known as “the Shown.” 

I loved the slow building mystery of this novel, and although I had my suspicions about some of the surprises, I did not fully guess the intricacies of the unravelling until they were revealed in due time. I also enjoyed the lengthy, though not overly dense or academic, discussions about creating and studying art and how authorship is credited. If you’re looking for some good historical fiction from a new author, I highly recommend The Lost Tarot. (Lily)