Starred review from January 3, 2022
Dark (Think of England) celebrates women’s friendships and artistic mentorship in this expansive yet intimate novel. At the age of 80 in the year 2000, Agnes Lee is thinking about her legacy, especially following her third breast cancer diagnosis. While celebrated for writing a series of feminist children’s books centered on a plucky character named Nan, Agnes is also secretly the author of a literary series for adults, published under a pseudonym. The fifth volume is due, but she’s suffering from writer’s block. Meanwhile, Agnes seeks support from her lifelong best friend, Polly, on her mission to donate a valuable stretch of land along the Maine coast held jointly by their families, rather than pass it to the next generation and risk it falling into the hands of developers. Blunt and self-reliant Agnes, who has no children, finds herself at loggerheads with Polly, who has several—and who, much to Agnes’s everlasting frustration, invariably defers to her husband. The families and their grudges and grievances fill a broad canvas, and within it Dark delves deeply into the relationships between Agnes and her work, humans and the land, mothers and children, and, most indelibly, the sustenance and joy provided by a long-held female friendship. It’s a remarkable achievement.
September 1, 2022
Dark's (In the Gloaming: Stories) novel is a sweeping tale spanning the 20th century in a complex, intricately woven, and beautifully told story of female friendship. Agnes Lee, a celebrated children's author, has cancer. She wants to finish the final book in her famous series; she also hopes to protect land, known as Fellowship Point, but must convince her friend and fellow shareholder Polly to do so. Polly has lived a life opposite to Agnes, one full of family and harmony. She is caught between her desire to fulfill the wishes of her friend and the wishes of her children. Plans are further thrown awry when ambitious editor Maud enters the scene. Maud presses Agnes to write her memoirs, and what she uncovers has repercussions for each of the women. Narrator Cassandra Campbell brings each of the women to life, highlighting the differences in time, place, age, and life circumstances. The ending provides a satisfying finish. VERDICT Listeners looking for a novel that reads like a classic but tackles modern issues will enjoy this book.--Elyssa Everling
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