The Book of Lies by Mary Horlock

Book Review by James Carson | 26 Apr 2011
Book title: The Book of Lies
Author: Mary Horlock

 

“There’s something about this island makes you go a bit mental…” As ringing endorsements go, it’s not the kind of remark to give Guernsey’s tourist chiefs much comfort and joy. But then The Book of Lies is less about happy holidays and more to do with the darker side of island life. To start with, there’s Catherine Rozier, an overweight, under-appreciated teenager who’s just hurled her best friend from a cliff top. At least, that’s what she keeps insisting in her melodramatic diary entries. Catherine’s sure she’s guilty, and she knows that sooner or later the truth will out. But on Guernsey, the truth can be hard to pin down. Voices from the past interrupt Catherine’s tragi-comic rants, churning up unnerving recollections of an island at war. Her father’s papers uncover a story of family tragedy during Guernsey’s occupation by the Nazis. But even after liberation, uncomfortable questions remain about collaboration and betrayal. Mingling historic revisionism with teenage angst takes some doing, but Mary Horlock pulls it off skilfully. And although Catherine’s wry observations are enlightening, it may take more than one reading to understand what really happened. It is, after all, a book of lies. [James Carson]

 

Out now. Published by Canongate. Cover price £12.99.