A Half Forgotten Song by Katherine Webb

A Half Forgotten Song by Katherine Webb is a beautifully written novel that is set in a small village in 1937. It is a passionate, and haunting tale of love, obsession, and is much more than meets the eye.

Book Description

“A spellbinding tale about the power of love, the danger of obsession, and the unfaithful nature of memory, A Half Forgotten Song is by turns haunting, joyous, and heartbreaking.

1937. In a windswept village on the Dorset coast, fourteen-year-old Mitzy Hatcher has endured a wild and lonely upbringing. But the arrival of renowned artist Charles Aubrey, along with his exotic mistress and their two daughters, changes everything. Over the course of three summers, Mitzy develops a deep and abiding bond with the Aubrey household, gradually becoming Charles's muse. Slowly, she begins to perceive a future she had never thought possible—and a powerful love is kindled in her. A love that will grow as she does: from innocence to obsession; from childish infatuation to something far more dangerous.

Years later, a young man in an art gallery happens upon a hastily drawn portrait and is intrigued by its curious intensity. The questions he asks lead him to the seaside village—and to the truth about those fevered summers of long ago.” – A Half Forgotten Song

My Thoughts

A Half Forgotten Song is the type of book that transports the reader back in time to live with the characters while unraveling their story. Mitzy Hatcher is a memorable and very detailed character that captures the spirit of the novel for me. However, the other characters aren’t just supporting roles with bleakly created profiles – these are unique characters that could have novels of their own, too. This is a very detailed story that is woven around similar threads, but captures the imagination of this story long after you finished reading the last page.

The beginning of the story is a little slow, but it intensifies as the story is laid out. The twists and turns along the way show how brilliant this writer is, and the ending is just superb. This is truly a work of art that anyone who enjoys reading should definitely read. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of A Half Forgotten Song, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.