What do you think?
Rate this book
A Lily in the Light
A harrowing debut novel of a tragic disappearance and one sister’s journey through the trauma that has shaped her life.
For eleven-year-old Esme, ballet is everything—until her four-year-old sister, Lily, vanishes without a trace and nothing is certain anymore. People Esme has known her whole life suddenly become suspects, each new one hitting closer to home than the last.
Unable to cope, Esme escapes the nightmare that is her new reality when she receives an invitation to join an elite ballet academy in San Francisco. Desperate to leave behind her chaotic, broken family and the mystery surrounding Lily’s disappearance, Esme accepts.
Eight years later, Esme is up for her big break: her first principal role in Paris. But a call from her older sister shatters the protective world she has built for herself, forcing her to revisit the tragedy she’s run from for so long. Will her family finally have the answers they’ve been waiting for? And can Esme confront the pain that shaped her childhood, or will the darkness follow her into the spotlight?
For eleven-year-old Esme, ballet is everything—until her four-year-old sister, Lily, vanishes without a trace and nothing is certain anymore. People Esme has known her whole life suddenly become suspects, each new one hitting closer to home than the last.
Unable to cope, Esme escapes the nightmare that is her new reality when she receives an invitation to join an elite ballet academy in San Francisco. Desperate to leave behind her chaotic, broken family and the mystery surrounding Lily’s disappearance, Esme accepts.
Eight years later, Esme is up for her big break: her first principal role in Paris. But a call from her older sister shatters the protective world she has built for herself, forcing her to revisit the tragedy she’s run from for so long. Will her family finally have the answers they’ve been waiting for? And can Esme confront the pain that shaped her childhood, or will the darkness follow her into the spotlight?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2019
6399 people are currently reading
6990 people want to read
About the author
Kristin Fields
2 books159 followersKristin Fields grew up in Queens, which she likes to think of as a small town next to a big city. Kristin studied writing at Hofstra University, where she was awarded the Eugene Schneider Award for Short Fiction. After college, Kristin found herself working on a historic farm, as a high school English teacher, designing museum education programs, and is currently leading an initiative to bring gardens to New York City public schools.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 552 reviews
May 10, 2019
Beautifully told, elegantly executed... this was an emotional story about the aftermath of tragedy.
Kristin Feild’s debut was evocative and heart wrenching. A unique take on the missing child trope. This is not a dark twisted thriller with wild secrets, it is a tender story Full of heart and hope. This book really captures the essence of Esme, and how her sister Lily’s disappearance impacted her life.
Esme is 11 years old, she loves ballet and her biggest concern in life is getting on point. She has a loving family: hard-working parents, an aloof big brother, an impatient big sister, and an adorable little sister named Lily. One day mom is at church, dad just got home, brother is on the balcony, sister is in her room, Esme is making dinner, and Lily disappears. Just like that, while watching “Full House”. No sign of foul play Lily is just gone along with her coat and shoes. Esme is devastated not quite sure how to function in the shell of the family that remains. With some help from her ballet instructor and the urging of her father she finds herself at her dream ballet school in San Francisco all the way across the country from her shattered family. years pass and Esme dances on, using her art to process her grief. Eight years after the disappearance Esme is dancing in Paris when she receives a phone call from her big sister, a phone call that will change everything.
There was an air of grace to the story that was magnified by the ballet. Esme was such a likable and sympathetic character. Miss Fields did a wonderful job of grasping a Childs perspective, a child’s grief and guilt over a sibling going missing. Esme’s guilt and grief were palpable and present on every page. There was an authenticity to the story that made it shine. How does a family move on when their light is gone? Compelling and moving, absolutely recommend!
*** Many thanks to Lake Union for my copy of this book ***
Kristin Feild’s debut was evocative and heart wrenching. A unique take on the missing child trope. This is not a dark twisted thriller with wild secrets, it is a tender story Full of heart and hope. This book really captures the essence of Esme, and how her sister Lily’s disappearance impacted her life.
Esme is 11 years old, she loves ballet and her biggest concern in life is getting on point. She has a loving family: hard-working parents, an aloof big brother, an impatient big sister, and an adorable little sister named Lily. One day mom is at church, dad just got home, brother is on the balcony, sister is in her room, Esme is making dinner, and Lily disappears. Just like that, while watching “Full House”. No sign of foul play Lily is just gone along with her coat and shoes. Esme is devastated not quite sure how to function in the shell of the family that remains. With some help from her ballet instructor and the urging of her father she finds herself at her dream ballet school in San Francisco all the way across the country from her shattered family. years pass and Esme dances on, using her art to process her grief. Eight years after the disappearance Esme is dancing in Paris when she receives a phone call from her big sister, a phone call that will change everything.
There was an air of grace to the story that was magnified by the ballet. Esme was such a likable and sympathetic character. Miss Fields did a wonderful job of grasping a Childs perspective, a child’s grief and guilt over a sibling going missing. Esme’s guilt and grief were palpable and present on every page. There was an authenticity to the story that made it shine. How does a family move on when their light is gone? Compelling and moving, absolutely recommend!
*** Many thanks to Lake Union for my copy of this book ***
May 10, 2019
I was so excited to read this book when I saw it. The idea of it being a mystery yet really focusing on how a family moves past unthinkable grief just intrigued me. I liked this book but I didn't love it like I thought I would.
Here are the positives - the storyline is excellent. Reading this you honestly feel like this scenario could have happened to anyone, even you. And that's humbling and scary. The characters are extremely relatable (whether you like them or their decisions or not). I feel they were true to many of the emotions and decisions a family would have/make while going through a traumatic experience such as the one this story was about. It felt real, true, authentic. The beginning of the book starts off so strongly but then it starts to fizzle. And here is where I go into my criticisms of the book - I do feel the book started to fizzle. There were parts that seemed very repetitive, and as a reader that's a little frustrating. A few parts were somewhat boring there in the middle and at times a tad flat, but I was so drawn by the whole premise of the story I wanted to know how it ended. This is a slower read, I personally felt the pace could have been picked up a little and still have the intended results. And lastly, by the end of the book I felt there were too many unanswered questions to be able to wrap this up with a neat little bow. It's an okay book, not a great book.
My thanks to Kristin Fields, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of is book in exchange for an honest review.
Here are the positives - the storyline is excellent. Reading this you honestly feel like this scenario could have happened to anyone, even you. And that's humbling and scary. The characters are extremely relatable (whether you like them or their decisions or not). I feel they were true to many of the emotions and decisions a family would have/make while going through a traumatic experience such as the one this story was about. It felt real, true, authentic. The beginning of the book starts off so strongly but then it starts to fizzle. And here is where I go into my criticisms of the book - I do feel the book started to fizzle. There were parts that seemed very repetitive, and as a reader that's a little frustrating. A few parts were somewhat boring there in the middle and at times a tad flat, but I was so drawn by the whole premise of the story I wanted to know how it ended. This is a slower read, I personally felt the pace could have been picked up a little and still have the intended results. And lastly, by the end of the book I felt there were too many unanswered questions to be able to wrap this up with a neat little bow. It's an okay book, not a great book.
My thanks to Kristin Fields, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of is book in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2019
1.5 STARS
Eleven-year-old aspiring ballerina Esme’s life changes the day her little sister Lily disappears. Eight years later, older sister Madeline calls Esme in Paris with startling news.
Either I have terrible luck choosing Amazon Prime Read First Books, or those books aren’t very good. I enjoy books about child abductions and stories about ballerinas, so I was excited to start reading A LILY IN THE LIGHT. Kristin Fields came up with a great premise, but the execution lacked both tension and emotion.
Esme was an easy character to embrace. I wanted to be able to feel her heart.
The writing was fine., though lacked a distinct voice. I kept wanting more from the story. I wanted to care and just didn’t.
I bumped by rating up to 2 stars, because I did care enough to finish.
Eleven-year-old aspiring ballerina Esme’s life changes the day her little sister Lily disappears. Eight years later, older sister Madeline calls Esme in Paris with startling news.
Either I have terrible luck choosing Amazon Prime Read First Books, or those books aren’t very good. I enjoy books about child abductions and stories about ballerinas, so I was excited to start reading A LILY IN THE LIGHT. Kristin Fields came up with a great premise, but the execution lacked both tension and emotion.
Esme was an easy character to embrace. I wanted to be able to feel her heart.
The writing was fine., though lacked a distinct voice. I kept wanting more from the story. I wanted to care and just didn’t.
I bumped by rating up to 2 stars, because I did care enough to finish.
April 28, 2019
This is an amazing debut novel - some people are just born storytellers and I think Kristin Fields is one of those. The story was told from the perspective of Esme whose sister Lily disappeared when she was 4 and Esme was 11. The book charted the progress of the family from the happiness before and the imploding family dynamics after Lily vanished. It was beautifully written and with such empathy. Her mother Cerise disappeared into herself, she never gave up but she had no room for her family to fill the gap of Lily. Her father Andre did his best to keep things together but his relationship with Cerise declined as she blamed him for the loss of Lily. I loved Andre for his wisdom, his truthfulness, his loyalty and love for Cerise and the family. Her brother Nick removed himself from the family and became a cop. Her sister Madeline stayed but nothing was ever the same.
What of Esme? She took her grief and sense of loss and plunged into a successful ballet career. Although I did ballet as a child (baby elephant springs to mind) it’s not an art form I’ve developed an interest in but I loved the ballet references in this book. I particularly liked the way that Esme used Anna Pavlova and asked herself ‘What would Anna Pavlova do?’ This for me took the book to a different level. Esme constantly reflected on the void that Lily left behind and to quote Joni Mitchell it was a case of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone’. Ballet took Esme to SF (💕) and Paris (❤️) and through ballet she found Adam who made her feel safe. The ballet was beautifully described as was how performing made Esme feel.
The book is really well written with some beautiful sentences in the book such as ‘dancing let her soul breathe’ and ‘Mom was a gray water-color of her former self’. I felt it described really well what I imagine the loss would be of a family member vanishing. It described heartache, how part of you was missing, the constant wondering and questioning that must become part of your life. Esme had a constant nagging, an inability to move forward, unhappiness and the feeling that ‘she would never be normal’. She showed her pain and how broken she was in her performances. However, the book ended on an optimistic note. I found parts of the writing very moving and the quality of writing excellent.
What of Esme? She took her grief and sense of loss and plunged into a successful ballet career. Although I did ballet as a child (baby elephant springs to mind) it’s not an art form I’ve developed an interest in but I loved the ballet references in this book. I particularly liked the way that Esme used Anna Pavlova and asked herself ‘What would Anna Pavlova do?’ This for me took the book to a different level. Esme constantly reflected on the void that Lily left behind and to quote Joni Mitchell it was a case of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone’. Ballet took Esme to SF (💕) and Paris (❤️) and through ballet she found Adam who made her feel safe. The ballet was beautifully described as was how performing made Esme feel.
The book is really well written with some beautiful sentences in the book such as ‘dancing let her soul breathe’ and ‘Mom was a gray water-color of her former self’. I felt it described really well what I imagine the loss would be of a family member vanishing. It described heartache, how part of you was missing, the constant wondering and questioning that must become part of your life. Esme had a constant nagging, an inability to move forward, unhappiness and the feeling that ‘she would never be normal’. She showed her pain and how broken she was in her performances. However, the book ended on an optimistic note. I found parts of the writing very moving and the quality of writing excellent.
April 12, 2019
This well told debut takes a look into a family caught in a maelstrom of sorrow,grief and recrimination when a four year old goes missing. Told from the perspective of then eleven year old Esme, overwhelmed with sadness not just for her missing sister but for the family that she sees disintegrating before her eyes.
Esme is able to escape to her ballet classes where she can temporarily put aside her grief and the new toxicity of her family. Given a chance to live with her ballet instructor, she is able to pick up the pieces and shape a new better life.
Over the years, Esme finds that her better life is not necessarily a happier life but a tolerable one. One in which she can make a living in dance but is still haunted by the sister's disappearance. But a phone call changes everything.
This is not a happily every after, tie it all up in a bow kind of story. And I appreciated that. Well done!
Esme is able to escape to her ballet classes where she can temporarily put aside her grief and the new toxicity of her family. Given a chance to live with her ballet instructor, she is able to pick up the pieces and shape a new better life.
Over the years, Esme finds that her better life is not necessarily a happier life but a tolerable one. One in which she can make a living in dance but is still haunted by the sister's disappearance. But a phone call changes everything.
This is not a happily every after, tie it all up in a bow kind of story. And I appreciated that. Well done!
August 22, 2018
“What happens when a four-year-old vanishes without a trace, when a family is unshaped and long held dreams begin to unspool—when you don’t even know what to hope for anymore? These are the questions Kristin Fields deftly explores in her beautifully written debut, A Lily in the Light. Honest, heartfelt, and at times wrenching, Fields’ novel exposes every heartache and raw nerve of her compellingly flawed characters, touching on the many ways we punish ourselves and those we love when life leaves us feeling powerless—and how we must ultimately learn to forgive.” ~ Barbara Davis, bestselling author of When Never Comes
March 7, 2019
I'm obsessed with books with a ballet backdrop. So when I saw this for free on Kindle first reads, I was very excited to read it.
Interesting story; the youngest child of a NYC family disappears, leaving them all somewhat adrift. The book concentrates on one character, middle child Esme, who is an aspiring ballerina, age 11.
The story is mainly about how the disappearance of Lily, their 4 year old sister/daughter, affects their family in various debilitating ways.
The book started off well, but really seemed to get repetitive toward the end. I kept feeling like I was reading the same page over and over again, like the author had a difficult time wrapping up the storyline.
End result, although I liked the book, I didn't LOVE the book.
Interesting story; the youngest child of a NYC family disappears, leaving them all somewhat adrift. The book concentrates on one character, middle child Esme, who is an aspiring ballerina, age 11.
The story is mainly about how the disappearance of Lily, their 4 year old sister/daughter, affects their family in various debilitating ways.
The book started off well, but really seemed to get repetitive toward the end. I kept feeling like I was reading the same page over and over again, like the author had a difficult time wrapping up the storyline.
End result, although I liked the book, I didn't LOVE the book.
April 9, 2019
11 year old Esme lives and breathes ballet. One night, her 4 year old sister Lily disappears without a trace and life as she knows it is altered forever. Her family starts to fall apart, everyone is a suspect, and Lily throws herself into ballet as a way of forgetting. She is given the chance to escape when she receives an invitation to join an elite ballet company across the country. Fast forward 8 years later and Esme is a rising ballerina and dancing in Paris. She gets a call from her older sister, in tears, explaining that something has changed. A girl has been found that matches Lily’s description. Could this be Lily?
This is a heart-wrenching story that I flew through in a day. This is not a thriller but an exploration into the affect of trauma on a family. This is beautifully told from an 11 year olds viewpoint and I think the author did a fabulous job writing from this perspective. I am impressed by this debut author and look forward to more from her in the future. For me, a Lily in the Light was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @amazonpublishing for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
This is a heart-wrenching story that I flew through in a day. This is not a thriller but an exploration into the affect of trauma on a family. This is beautifully told from an 11 year olds viewpoint and I think the author did a fabulous job writing from this perspective. I am impressed by this debut author and look forward to more from her in the future. For me, a Lily in the Light was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @amazonpublishing for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
July 17, 2019
I've written this review for Really Into This
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
BOOK REVIEW: A LILY IN THE LIGHT BY KRISTIN FIELDS
We meet a ballet prodigy with her whole life ahead of her. When her little sister goes missing, her life, along with her family is thrown into a tailspin.
FAMILY DRAMA
One thing I really enjoy about A Lily in the Light is this imperfect family. Well, let me be clear. I don’t particularly like this family, but I appreciate Kristin Fields writing about a dysfunctional family in a way that resonates with authenticity. As she paints this picture of a family struggling, readers really champion Esme. We want her to make it out of this hell hole & go on to live an amazing life, right?
Everything derails when Lily goes missing. Esme moves on & moves away from her family. In effect, they are stuck searching for Lily, while she attempts to distance herself from her childhood in every way. Years later, news arrives about Lily’s disappearance. In an instant, the news yanks Esme back into her dysfunctional family filled with secrets & despair.
As secrets come to light, I kept turning the pages. While I wouldn’t necessarily classify A Lily in the Light as suspense, I finished it one day. Although I found the plot to be a little slow in places, it kind of fit with the theme of the book. Lily’s disappearance is drawn out over the course of the novel & everything revolves around it.
Kristin Fields does a great job reeling in readers with this family’s realistic situation. It’s about impossible not to feel for this family. I also really enjoy ballet as a supporting character in the novel.
THE VERDICT
I am Into This book. While at times haunting & heartbreaking, this novel is about resilience, love & family.
Special thanks to Kristin Fields, Lake Union Publishing & Kathleen Carter for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
BOOK REVIEW: A LILY IN THE LIGHT BY KRISTIN FIELDS
We meet a ballet prodigy with her whole life ahead of her. When her little sister goes missing, her life, along with her family is thrown into a tailspin.
FAMILY DRAMA
One thing I really enjoy about A Lily in the Light is this imperfect family. Well, let me be clear. I don’t particularly like this family, but I appreciate Kristin Fields writing about a dysfunctional family in a way that resonates with authenticity. As she paints this picture of a family struggling, readers really champion Esme. We want her to make it out of this hell hole & go on to live an amazing life, right?
Everything derails when Lily goes missing. Esme moves on & moves away from her family. In effect, they are stuck searching for Lily, while she attempts to distance herself from her childhood in every way. Years later, news arrives about Lily’s disappearance. In an instant, the news yanks Esme back into her dysfunctional family filled with secrets & despair.
As secrets come to light, I kept turning the pages. While I wouldn’t necessarily classify A Lily in the Light as suspense, I finished it one day. Although I found the plot to be a little slow in places, it kind of fit with the theme of the book. Lily’s disappearance is drawn out over the course of the novel & everything revolves around it.
Kristin Fields does a great job reeling in readers with this family’s realistic situation. It’s about impossible not to feel for this family. I also really enjoy ballet as a supporting character in the novel.
THE VERDICT
I am Into This book. While at times haunting & heartbreaking, this novel is about resilience, love & family.
Special thanks to Kristin Fields, Lake Union Publishing & Kathleen Carter for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
March 5, 2019
My Kindle First choice for March....it's the only choice this particular month for me whereas sometimes I could pick 2 or 3......and then I opt for the one with most pages as a rule. However, none really jumped out at me this time, even this one, but this is the closest to my type of story. It's very well written but probably a little too flowery and deep for my liking. I almost gave up around a quarter of the way in but was pleased I persevered as it got better as it went along. Passages like "Cerise had rolled into the room as quietly as a dropped Chapstick forgotten on the floor" or ".....imagined Lily was tucked into the space beside Esme, warm as a potato in her slipper-feet pajamas" just make me roll my eyes in exasperation !! The scenes with Andre and Esme in San Francisco were some of my favourites, though, and I raced through the final sitting as I was just dying to know how things ended up for them all.
It was horribly sad to see how fractured this family became after Lily disappeared-the stuff of nightmares. This story mainly sticks with Esme, who I liked a great deal, though I'm not a ballet fan and clearly the author must be, as I think we had way too much dance detail where it really wasn't required. However, I did look up Anna Pavlova as I compiled this review to see the photo of her that Esme liked so much (with Jack) and there's a whole set and they're just lovely.
She spelt Tabu like this when it should be Taboo and had the apostrophe wrong in cardinal's and didn't capitalise French but no other errors whatsoever so presentation is terrific and very impressive indeed for a debut. I'd read her again.
It was horribly sad to see how fractured this family became after Lily disappeared-the stuff of nightmares. This story mainly sticks with Esme, who I liked a great deal, though I'm not a ballet fan and clearly the author must be, as I think we had way too much dance detail where it really wasn't required. However, I did look up Anna Pavlova as I compiled this review to see the photo of her that Esme liked so much (with Jack) and there's a whole set and they're just lovely.
She spelt Tabu like this when it should be Taboo and had the apostrophe wrong in cardinal's and didn't capitalise French but no other errors whatsoever so presentation is terrific and very impressive indeed for a debut. I'd read her again.
May 2, 2019
A child goes missing and you have no idea what happened or where she is. How do you react. As a mother can you get over that kind of loss. Not knowing if your child is being cared for or treated bad.
Kristin Fields did a wonderful job with this book. It has great characters, great plot and the story is one that will keep you wanting to know what happens next. From the beginning to the very last word you will want this child to come home. For this family to be able to heal. Each child has their own feelings of guilt. The parents blame each other and themselves. Yet no one could have done anything to prevent this from happening. It is a story of such heartbreaking loss. A story of the love between siblings and the strength they have for each other in many ways. Blame is a dangerous thing at times and at times like this it’s enviable. Esme is a ballet dancer who goes on to make it big as a dancer. Falls in love and makes a life for herself all the while thinking Lily is watching her. Not actually there but in her dreams.
This book is so touching and so raw. It is one you won’t soon forget. A debut novel by Kristin Fields. I look forward to more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for the ARC of this book. It’s a very touching story of love, loss and making it back to where you truly belong.
Another 5 star read for me.
Kristin Fields did a wonderful job with this book. It has great characters, great plot and the story is one that will keep you wanting to know what happens next. From the beginning to the very last word you will want this child to come home. For this family to be able to heal. Each child has their own feelings of guilt. The parents blame each other and themselves. Yet no one could have done anything to prevent this from happening. It is a story of such heartbreaking loss. A story of the love between siblings and the strength they have for each other in many ways. Blame is a dangerous thing at times and at times like this it’s enviable. Esme is a ballet dancer who goes on to make it big as a dancer. Falls in love and makes a life for herself all the while thinking Lily is watching her. Not actually there but in her dreams.
This book is so touching and so raw. It is one you won’t soon forget. A debut novel by Kristin Fields. I look forward to more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for the ARC of this book. It’s a very touching story of love, loss and making it back to where you truly belong.
Another 5 star read for me.
March 1, 2019
Lily
My First Reads choice for March, an easy choice- the synopsis spoke of an interesting, emotional story about a missing four year old and the destruction of a family. The first half of the book is told from the point of view of Lily's eleven year old sister- an aspiring ballet dancer.
Esme, eight years later is in Paris, when Madeline calls her with news of a girl found locked in a basement. I won't put any spoilers in my review, you need to read it yourself. But the continuing havoc on Esme and her family is heart wrenching. It's a good book, gets you emotionally involved from the beginning.
My First Reads choice for March, an easy choice- the synopsis spoke of an interesting, emotional story about a missing four year old and the destruction of a family. The first half of the book is told from the point of view of Lily's eleven year old sister- an aspiring ballet dancer.
Esme, eight years later is in Paris, when Madeline calls her with news of a girl found locked in a basement. I won't put any spoilers in my review, you need to read it yourself. But the continuing havoc on Esme and her family is heart wrenching. It's a good book, gets you emotionally involved from the beginning.
March 10, 2019
Really good story with very relatable characters. Didn't want to stop reading
March 29, 2019
Boring book, a struggle to get through, I thought it'd be a mystery/thriller but it wasn't.. I think it was about ~dealing with the aftereffect of trauma and loss~ ~broken families~ and ... ballet? I dunno, but it was boring. Lately, all of Amazon's Kindle First reads taste like dry, crumbly red delicious apples you get for free at a boring conference.
March 21, 2019
Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "A Lily in the Light" by Kristin Fields, Lake Union Publishing, April 1, 2019
Kristin Fields, Author of "A Lily in the Light" writes an intense, intriguing, suspenseful family drama. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, Mystery, and Suspense. This is also a coming of age novel. The timeline for this story starts in Queens, New York, in 1997, and goes to the past and future when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, dysfunctional, and each has his/her set of problems to contend with.
When a terrible tragedy occurs in any family, I don't think the members of the family realize what feelings, and how the dynamics of a family can change. When Esme is 11 years old, a terrible tragedy happens to her family. Esme sees light in a dark world through ballet dancing. Her dancing is a way of coping with reality. Esme is able to escape through her dance. Esme's dance takes her away from her familial home and some of the problems there. But, can you really escape your problems and your past? Esme loves the feelings of the music and dance, and being in the spotlight.
The other members of the family deal with this tragedy in different and possibly dysfunctional ways. How does one cope with pain and loss?
I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of a support system, family, friends, home, forgiveness, love and hope . I would highly recommend this though-provoking novel to readers who enjoy reading an intense and suspenseful story.
Kristin Fields, Author of "A Lily in the Light" writes an intense, intriguing, suspenseful family drama. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, Mystery, and Suspense. This is also a coming of age novel. The timeline for this story starts in Queens, New York, in 1997, and goes to the past and future when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, dysfunctional, and each has his/her set of problems to contend with.
When a terrible tragedy occurs in any family, I don't think the members of the family realize what feelings, and how the dynamics of a family can change. When Esme is 11 years old, a terrible tragedy happens to her family. Esme sees light in a dark world through ballet dancing. Her dancing is a way of coping with reality. Esme is able to escape through her dance. Esme's dance takes her away from her familial home and some of the problems there. But, can you really escape your problems and your past? Esme loves the feelings of the music and dance, and being in the spotlight.
The other members of the family deal with this tragedy in different and possibly dysfunctional ways. How does one cope with pain and loss?
I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of a support system, family, friends, home, forgiveness, love and hope . I would highly recommend this though-provoking novel to readers who enjoy reading an intense and suspenseful story.
April 20, 2019
Thank you to Kathleen Carter Communications and Lake Union for a free copy of this book for review. This was a beautifully written book by a debut author. Much of the book is told through Esme who is 11 years old at the beginning of the story. Esme lives for ballet. Her mother encourages her and takes her for lessons hoping Esme can become famous. Tragedy strikes the family when four year old Lily vanishes. As the days become weeks there is no sign of Lily. The family is falling apart. Esme’s mother is consumed with the search and disregards her other three children and husband. Esme is heartbroken about Lily but she just needs to dance to maintain her sanity. Her father realizes this and takes her to ballet. Eventually the dance teacher offers to have Esme live with her temporarily to ease the situation for the family. Esme definitely has the talent and drive and is soon offered to come to San Francisco to live and continue her training. When Esme is 18 she is dancing in Europe and is becoming increasingly unhappy with her life when she gets a call from her sister that a girl has been found matching Lily’s description. This was a beautiful story and I raced through it to find out how it would end.
March 12, 2019
I chose this book as my March Kindle First Reads book and it did not disappoint. I initially chose it because it sounded like a good mystery but I was pretty surprised by how it was more about what happens in the wake of a horrific family event and the grief that follows the characters around, years afterwards. It was very moving to read about the day to day struggles that the characters had as a result of this incident and I truly cannot imagine going through that myself. The way that Kristin writes is very forward and tangible. The emotions were raw and also incredibly vibrant at the same time. I would recommend this to a friend in a heartbeat.
March 12, 2019
This was my Amazon First read for March and I absolutely loved it. I was not sure about it when I read the description because I am more into crime novels. This is a really cute book and I highly enjoyed it. It is a story of a missing little girl and how her sister uses dance to over come her grief.
March 3, 2019
Will Please Readers
I think this book will please readers who are drawn to it. It has all of the elements of a good story. For me, I can’t put my finger on it, but it was missing that something that would make it a special standout novel. Maybe it was too sweet and tied up so nicely and that took away some of its authenticity? I’m not sure. It was a good book, certainly. I just wanted more once I’d finished.
I think this book will please readers who are drawn to it. It has all of the elements of a good story. For me, I can’t put my finger on it, but it was missing that something that would make it a special standout novel. Maybe it was too sweet and tied up so nicely and that took away some of its authenticity? I’m not sure. It was a good book, certainly. I just wanted more once I’d finished.
January 17, 2020
Can't really recommend...
Hmm. I'm pretty torn over this one, but in the end I can't recommend it. It's way too sad and I wish I hadn't read it. On the other hand, it's very well written, it's a compelling story, and was hard to put down. Put the all encompassing sadness was too much for me.
Hmm. I'm pretty torn over this one, but in the end I can't recommend it. It's way too sad and I wish I hadn't read it. On the other hand, it's very well written, it's a compelling story, and was hard to put down. Put the all encompassing sadness was too much for me.
March 9, 2019
A Limit on the Light
This story allowed me into a world of what is and what could be. The writing evoked feelings of loss and wonder that the author could capture so much of what the dance world is like from the inside. The characters are lovingly crafted into complete people with feelings that are universal. A great debut for a talented young writer
This story allowed me into a world of what is and what could be. The writing evoked feelings of loss and wonder that the author could capture so much of what the dance world is like from the inside. The characters are lovingly crafted into complete people with feelings that are universal. A great debut for a talented young writer
March 10, 2019
This was an enjoyable read. It kept me going as the desire to know what happened intensified as well as wondering if Esme would make it.
March 5, 2019
This book was amazing. I thought the writing was beautiful and exceptionally done. The trauma at the beginning of the story wove itself into the fabric of so many lives and emerged into a feeling of hope, also for so many. Aside from the obvious theme of trauma it enlightened the reader as to the world of ballet and the sacrifices of the dancers. This was a wonderful read.
March 1, 2019
A Lily in the Light captures family in the throes of chaos. A journey through guilt and suffering, the world of ballet, culminating in the miracles achieved through both. Fields is an emerging literary talent and her debut, deftly written, uncovers the heart of family and forgiveness.
April 23, 2019
I was thoroughly impressed with this powerful debut. it deals with the impact of a missing child on the family members left behind. Mainly told from the point of view of her elder sister Esme, the daughter who distances herself from the family and throwing herself into dance. Once I started I couldn't put this down, I found it compelling, and the emotions felt very real.
March 9, 2019
A sequel could finish this story
Enjoyed the weave of family relationships with the tough yet beautiful world of ballet.
The protagonist was a very developed character, others a bit less so but it was HER story so that’s reasonable. I wanted to know more about Lily’s feelings at reunification but maybe when it’s herstory to tell—-
Enjoyed the weave of family relationships with the tough yet beautiful world of ballet.
The protagonist was a very developed character, others a bit less so but it was HER story so that’s reasonable. I wanted to know more about Lily’s feelings at reunification but maybe when it’s herstory to tell—-
March 4, 2019
T
Didn't like it, it was to slow. Dragged on on on on on so sad then happy took forever no
Didn't like it, it was to slow. Dragged on on on on on so sad then happy took forever no
March 23, 2019
I’ll be honest—in an effort to get this book wrapped up, I skimmed the last half. Despite its relatively short size, this was one of those reads that felt like it just dragged on and on. For whatever reason, the plot never engaged me. Maybe, in part, this was because so much time was spent on Esme, and her story wasn’t as interesting to me as the subplot of Lily’s disappearance. The various conflicts and their resolutions also felt contrived and not really believable. Overall, just not a book I would recommend.
February 25, 2024
Did Not Finish. I couldn’t get into this one. There are so many great reviews maybe I’ll try it again some day, but I found it far too slow to be worth continuing. There were a lot of lengthy descriptions of random details or memories, which were well written but just not compelling - I felt like I could skip the majority of each page and not miss much of value. I did get some nice naps from trying to read it!
March 1, 2019
A Lily in the Light is a tender, heart-wrenching novel that considers the long-ranging effects of shattering loss upon a young dancer and her family. A haunting and beautifully rendered tale of survival and the careful tending to a wild and desperately needed hope. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 552 reviews