Speaking of capturing Mr. Wells spirit, Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Daughter of Doctor Moreau does it beautifully! Ms. Moreno-Garcia's new book is a brilliant, evocative take on the classic.
Dr. Moreau's beautiful daughter, Carlota, grows up on the island paradise that is their home and also a compound with a hospital. Her best friends are about her age, Lupe and Cachita. They are hybrids created by the doctor and engaging characters who will win your heart as you fall into the rhythm life in the exotic retreat.
Disruptions to their every day life are caused by Doctor Moreau's patron, Hernando Lizalde. It's his money that keeps the place going and enables the doctor to carry on with his research and "experiments". One day he shows up and brings a new manager, or mayordomo, to oversee Lizalde's property, the doctor and everyone and everything else. The man who will be filling the role is Montgomery.
Montgomery is an alcoholic and a sardonic presence. He's a man who has seen it all and drinks to forget the beautiful, rich wife who left him in the Yucatan, where he could never make the kind of living she expected.
An outsider, he is slowly drawn into life with the doctor and his creations and develops a special soft spot for Carlota.
Told in the alternating voices of Carlota and Montgomery we learn more about them both as time passes and with it possible changes and threats to their idyllic life. What happens will keep you reading until the last page!
I love Ms. Moreno-Garcia's work, having read Mexican Gothic and reviewed it on this blog. I will be looking forward to reading more of her titles. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is one of the best books I've read recently and I was completely involved in the world and the characters the author created. If you are looking for a great book to enjoy this summer...or anytime, look no further!
Thanks to NetGalley for the DRC!
