The story follows Lois Cairns an unemployed film critic who, by chance, finds an excellent opportunity to get into a research project. She is interested in the life and work of Iris Whitcomb, a woman from the early 20th century, with an troubled life and who apparently was one of the first female Canadian movie makers. Lois tracks historical documents from the woman and her husband and some strange footage she filmed. Apparently Mrs Whitcomb had an obsession with a woman creature who had something to do with her son's death. Nobody knows the meaning of the footage but Lois is determined to find out. However, there is someone who would like to take credit of Lois's work and who would do anything, legal or illegal, to get what he wants. And if that wasn't enough Lois personal live is far from easy, with an autistic son, and her own mental health issues. The more Lois digs into Mrs Whitcomb's life and everything she believed in, the more her own life crumbles. She hears strange voices and identifies similarities between her life and that of Mrs Whitcomb's including the presence of a creepy woman creature.
Opinion: I liked it a lot but I wasn't blown away. The novel is well written. Good character descriptions and development. It provides an excellent historical and technical background for the craft of filming movies 100 years ago, a bit of contemporary Canadian film industry and critics. I loved this bit. Also, I think Lois's personality and family problems, including the depiction of her son's autism, were realistic and interesting to read. I think I empathised with the protagonist's struggles. The story of Mrs Whitcomb was super interesting and the gothic-like atmosphere in the descriptions of her life were great. The myth of the Lady Midday was creepy as well although the lady failed to deliver at the end of the story.
My edition was published in 2015 by Chizine publications. It has 305 pages.
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