A review by home_again
The Attic Child by Lola Jaye

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

5.0

It made me ugly cry.

The issues touched on in this book are heavy and real. While it's definitely a historical fiction, the historical moments are woven in so seamlessly that they never get in the way of the plot. They are more of a distant setting while the emotional impacts of those moments take center stage.

We get an intimate look at the hearts and minds of the two main characters who are both victims of horrifying abuse. While it is easy to gloss over the horrors found in history, it is impossible not to perceive the terrible impact they had on the characters. The characters also have hard conversations with each other, addressing important issues about equality, abuse, mental illness, and overcoming hardship.

In the end, these two people both find healing in forming loving ties with people who respect and care for them. It's a hopeful and positive ending.

I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 12. The issues are difficult but presented in ways that younger readers can digest. While it's troubling material, it also contains very important ideas that are necessary to understand as we move forward to combat the social ills of our day.