V.C.
ANDREWS
Synopsis
from back cover: Long
before terror flowered in the attic, thin, spinsterish Olivia came to
Virginia as Malcolm Foxworth's bride. At last, with her tall handsome
husband, she would find the joy she had waited for, longed for. But
in the gloomy mansion filed with hidden rooms and festering desires,
a stain of jealous obsession begins to spread...an evil that will
threaten her children, two lovely boys and one very special,
beautiful girl. For within one innocent child, a shocking secret
lives...a secret that will taint the proud Foxworth name, and haunt
all their lives forever!
Stats
for my copy: Mass market paperback, Pocket Books, 1987.
How
acquired: Acquired through BookCrossing.
My
thoughts: After having read all the books in the Dollanganger
saga, some enjoyable, some forgettable, I looked forward to going
back in time with this prequel to see how the Grandmother came to be
the cold formidable woman who would hide her grandchildren away in an
attic. And while it's certainly not great literature, it is a quick
and engrossing story.
We
meet Olivia just prior to her first meeting with Malcolm, living with
her father and taking care of his accounts, longing for love but
despairing of her plain looks and tall stature that turns off would
be suitors. Malcolm coming into her life seems like a dream come
true, as he looks past all the outside trappings and is interested in
the real Olivia. After a very quick courtship, they marry and he
takes her to Foxworth Hall. Little does she know – though she
quickly finds out-- he has no actual interest in her as a person, but
just wanted a wife to run his home and give him lots of children.
V.C.
Andrews apparently only had one voice to write in, as Olivia's
narration is just like Cathy's in FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC. Olivia and
Cathy are very different characters of course, as Cathy was beautiful
and beloved and well aware of it. But it still felt like reading
Cathy again at times. And teenage Corrine is very reminiscent of
Cathy's adopted daughter Cindy in later books.
But if
you just go with everything that happens, it's quite an adequate
story to while away an afternoon with.
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