Review of Blue Hour by Sarah Schmidt

 

This complex novel is dark and often disturbing, exploring the ways in which the inherited damage caused by two different wars affects the lives and marriages of mother and daughter, Kitty and Eleanor. These two women are trapped by circumstance, changed by grief, and have few options to transform their fractured lives. The chilling dread builds and burns, the characters resonate and the twists and turns are captivating. Schmidt’s prose style is luminous and she writes with a strong sense of place. A beautifully-written and moving novel.