The Fortune Teller's Daughter

 

I finished reading Diane Wood’s second novel, The Fortune Teller’s Daughter, in one sitting a couple of days ago.

 Since I will be writing the majority, if not all, of the reviews on this site, it might be best if I explain to those of you who aren’t familiar with my reviewing style why I finish a book and wait a couple of days before penning the review. The explanation is simple really; it’s to give the book time to percolate in my mind. If I don’t think about it after I finish it, then it’s usually not noteworthy. If I find myself thinking about the characters and the storyline off and on, then it has got to me.

Sometimes an author’s second work doesn’t quite measure up to their first, however, Wood doesn’t have to worry about falling into that category as The Fortune Teller’s Daughter, released earlier this year by Bella Books, doesn’t disappoint. Wood manages through her craft to capture the imagination and curiosity of the reader by way of mystery, darkness, friendship, lesbian attraction, sex and drugs, and that’s just in the 24-page prologue.

Now, if I were going to dissect the book like one would if writing an essay, I would say if you like foreshadowing then there is plenty between the covers. However, in order to be able to recognize foreshadowing, you have to have read the complete story. And while I have read it cover to cover, to go into its literary elements I’m afraid I would give away the story, which I will not do. But, if you’re an old hand at this as am I, you’ll recognize it the moment you read the words.

That’s not to say the plot is contrived or predictable in any way because it’s not. The Fortune Teller’s Daughter is chocked full of character realizations and plot twists at almost every turn. The reader will find themselves identifying with main characters Natalie Duncan and Alexandra Messner to the point of rooting them on. In addition, the reader will also find they are not very fond of the fortune teller’s son George and come to downright hate the fortune teller herself.

The Fortune Teller’s Daughter is the story of a young woman, Duncan, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she meets Messner. It’s a journey of sexual identity, as well as coming to terms with her upbringing  and scars it has left festering and boiling to the surface in Duncan’s dreams. It’s about relationships, not just the obvious blossoming one between Duncan and Messner, but between ex-lovers, close friends, siblings, co-workers, as well as the one between parents and children. All of this is intricately woven around a murder investigation or two.

In preparing for an interview with Wood, the author admittedly stated, “My books are definitely not your run-of-the-mill sweet lesbian romances.” When she first told me that I wondered exactly what she meant, which is why I asked her. (For Wood’s own explanation, see the interview with Wood, which begins on the home page of this website) I, however, found it to mean something else. A lot of lesbian romance novels have more than their share of let’s say gratuitous sex scenes, and if that’s what you’re looking for you might want to look somewhere else because there isn’t one graphic sex scene in the entire 296 pages. I’m just saying. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing because the story simply doesn’t need it to grab the reader’s interest and hold it until the very end.

As I said earlier, The Fortune Teller’s Daughter definitely passed my “one-sitting” test (for those who don’t know what this is, if I read a book in one sitting, it’s good, if not great). I’ll be keeping my eye out for Wood’s next effort and to see just how many accolades The Fortune Teller’s Daughter brings her. Wood’s first novel, Web of Obsessions, earned her finalist honors from the Lambda Literary Review, the Gold Crown Literary Society and a Lavender Certificate from the Alice B. Readers Appreciation Committee, the latter of is given to authors early in their career who, in the committee's opinion, have an outstanding "maiden" novel - or first couple of novels - in print. This recognition is intended this to serve as a token of encouragement for future writing and a note of thanks for a job well done.

The Fortune Teller’s Daughter, as well as Web of Obsessions, are available as eBooks for $9.99 each, or as paperbacks (for those who still like to feel the pages rifle through your fingers) for $16.95 each at                                        .