A legendary set of tarot cards is the key to unravelling decades of secrets in this dazzling novel about art and deception, from Governor General's Literary Award–winning author Sarah Henstra. Theresa Bateman, a struggling junior art historian in Toronto, receives a single tarot card in the mail. The image is unmistakably the work of celebrated avant-garde artist Lark Ringold, and its discovery would mean a breakthrough in Theresa's career. But the legendary Ringold Tarot doesn't exist. . . . Its paintings were lost in a fire that claimed Lark's life along with dozens of others—the final, horrific implosion of a notorious cult called the Shown. Sixty years earlier in England, Lark and his twin sister Nell join a bohemian commune led by their charismatic uncle. While Lark settles happily into his work on the tarot project to aid in his uncle's occult teachings, Nell finds it harder to adjust. Just beneath the Shown's golden surface she uncovers secrets that, if revealed, threaten to erupt into chaos. Why was the tarot card sent to Theresa? How can she prove its connection to Ringold when her art-world superiors declare it a fake? And who has been holding onto it for all these years—and why? As Theresa follows the trail of the lost tarot, she is drawn into the deeply entwined mysteries of Nell, Lark and the Shown. What begins as the tale of one artist and the battle over his legacy unspools into a web of passion, violence and deceit. In twist after startling twist, and in vibrant, exquisite prose, The Lost Tarot is a landmark novel about love, creativity, power and perception.
Reviews with the most likes.
I just finished The Lost Tarot by Sarah Henstra and here are my musings.
Theresa is a junior art historian but she isn't doing well in her position but all that changes when she receives a single tarot card in the mail... A card that is undoubtedly painted by the celebrated artist Lark Ringwold. This could mean big things for Theresa's career. Nothing of Lark's artwork survived from the fire that not only destroyed all the art but also took Lark's life along with many others. It also meant the end of a horrific cult called the Shown.
What Theresa doesn't understand is why she was sent this card. How did it survive? Who had it all this time and why does someone want the card declared a fake?
This book straddles two timelines. Current day and 60 years in the past. In the past we follow Lark and his sister Nell where they live with their uncle in the commune where things Nell doesn't want to know or see happen right in front of her. She struggles to settle in and the longer she is there, the more she can see just how dangerous her and Lark's situation is.
Theresa in the present ends up in search of who sent the tarot card and why it has come to light now. I love anything to do with art so this book really set my imagination ablaze!
There is a heck of a lot to unpack. So Uncle Corvo is the cult leader pushing occult teachings and he wants a tarot deck painted to help push his darkness. Lark has the unpleasant task of painting these cards. Nell wants to get as far away from the cult as she can get. She is one of few people who made it out alive.
I think the story had more going on than it needed. There were a lot of threads to pull together and while I loved how it ended, I think the story could have been less complex to really make it a truly epic read. Someone trying to stop the truth coming out in the future and all the stuff that happened in the past... It could have easily filled 3 books.
I actually did enjoy how much was going on but I can see why some people would have preferred less.
4 stars. I would have loved more about the occult and the cult and less about the twins. The things with the cousin could have been left out. I don't think it added value.
Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomca for my gifted copy
