Lady Jayne Disappears

by Joanna Davidson Politano
Hennepin County Library paperback 395 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

I read our monthly book club title two weeks before discussion! I can't believe I've been unfinished the last two months.

The first third of this book seemed a bit too trite and formulaic to me. This is a debut novel, so I didn't get too hung up on it. But then it actually caught my curiosity and had a few surprises in store. I'm eager to read her next book, which will be out this summer.

Aurelie Harcourt is a sweet twenty-something who has lived her entire life in debtor's prison with her father. She loves the Lord and is a kind person who ministers to others. When her father dies, she goes to live with her father's wealthy family.

Some questions I had as I read (which were mostly resolved):
Why didn't her father use the royalties from his writing to get them out of debtor's prison?
How could he raise a child for two decades in a prison?!? (And why?)
What is the deal with Lady Jayne and why won't anyone talk about her?
Does Glenna know about her husband's past?

There were more, but I don't remember them all. I liked the mysteries woven into the story. I started suspecting things around every corner. Many twists that I anticipated didn't happen! Finding out the truth about Kendrick surprised me.

Page 76 - "It's always a choice, Aura Rose. Happiness is always a choice." Her father's wise words came back to me. I love right before this, when she recalled Scripture that helped strengthen her!

Page 120 - ". . . he would set about righting the lies she believed about herself and her worth. How great was God to use husbands so often in that task." I often praise God for letting me experience overwhelming love via Louie! It's wonderful to think that the Lord loves me even more than my spouse does! I am so blessed.

Page 322 - "Standing in place, I bowed my head and wordlessly connected my soul to God. I remained in this posture, submissive and trusting, breathing slowly. Peace did not come. Instead, I felt an energy firing through my chest, compelling me to move, to act. Go. Go find her." I think Aurelie is one of the absolute best faith-filled heroines in the stories we've ever read! And her cousin Juliette . . . a great counterpoint.

Page 348 - I liked the carriage scene between Aunt Eudora and Aurelie. It was beautiful.