So, you say you want to go on a wellness retreat? Nine people sign up for our the 10-day program that promises that they "will leave Tranquillum House feeling happier, healthier, lighter, freer."
The "guests" arrive at the beautiful compound, are escorted to rooms in the restored Victorian mansion and prepare to meet the director and team who will guide them in the personalized processes designed so that when they leave on the last day, they won't be the same person who entered. They certainly get a transformative experience during their stay NO SPOILERS.
The characters are totally engaging, each one so well-drawn that they feel like old friends by the end of the book. Quirky, prickly, obsessed, neurotic, depressed -- the nine have all had some very specific life events that have led them to Tranquillum House in need of, desperately seeking SOMETHING that will allow them to move beyond their pasts and resume living with a different attitude. A writer, a teacher, a midwife, a young woman focused on her social media, an ex football star, a lawyer, a divorced mother of 4, a man in love with his Lamborghini, a girl about to celebrate her 21st birthday -- all are about to meet the driving force behind this extraordinary resort -- Masha Dmitrichenko. She and her team (Yao and Delilah) have planned the 10 days down to the last detail. None of those attending this session will ever be the same again. But not in the way they had imagined.
I can't say which of the characters was my favorite as each had quite a unique presentation and I enjoyed the changing point of view through the narrative. Although it starts off a little slow as the reader is introduced to the characters, the pace picks up and becomes so engrossing that I found it impossible to put down and so had to finish it basically in one sitting. I loved it and I think you will too. It would make a great choice for a book club as there are so many themes to discuss and I know I'll be thinking about the story for a long time.
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