I’ve heard great things about Ruth Hogan’s books, especially The Keeper Of Lost Things so I was keen to read her latest novel Madame Burova.
Madame Burova is the fourth novel by Ruth Hogan, published in 2021. It was published in the US under the title The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova.
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Plot
Madame (Imelda) Burova is a tarot reader, palmist and clairvoyant, who has spent her life keeping other people’s secrets. After 50 years of working on the Brighton seafront, Imelda is retiring and decides now is the time to fulfil a promise she made a long time ago.
Billie meanwhile has lost her job, her marriage and it seems now even her identity is in question. Her search for answers leads her to Imelda and the events at a holiday park 50 years ago. Will Imelda ever get closure? And will Billie ever discover the real truth behind her parentage?
Madame Burova Book Review
The story was a little confusing at the beginning with a large cast of characters being introduced. I found myself struggling to remember how everyone was connected to each other but these associations did become clearer as the story unravelled.
I loved Imelda (and her parents). Her loyalty and compassion mixed with her sass and confidence made her such an endearing character. Her relationship with her dogs was also particularly lovely.
There was no big drama or tension, the only real intrigue being Billie’s parentage, but that didn’t matter to me. This is a character-driven story and their interactions and stories are what make this novel work.
I love dual timelines (as with The Glass House and Two Women In Rome) and trying to piece together the clues and hints. The jumps back in time were done well and I loved the intrigue and nostalgia.
It’s quite a light read, although does touch on themes such as sexism, harassment and racism that could be so prevalent in the 1970s. I felt a similar sense of frustration and anger as I did when I read about the homophobia in The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle, knowing these characters had to endure so much cruelty.
The story is full of likeable characters and if I were to be slightly critical, I would have preferred a bit more development to some of the supporting characters. It felt that in some cases the story started, but never really finished. I was left wondering what happened to some of the characters and how they overcame any obstacles such as prejudice and racism.
Overall I really enjoyed Madame Burova and I’m looking forward to reading more of Ruth Hogan‘s novels.
What to read next
If you enjoyed Madame Burova, I’d suggest reading other books by Ruth Hogan, such as The Keeper of Lost Things. If you’re looking for feel-good fiction I’d also recommend The Lido by Libby Page and Away With The Penguins by Hazel Prior.
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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. For more information please see my disclosure policy.