The lost sister
The lost sister -or The Missing Sister, by its original title in English—is the seventh book in the contemporary historical fiction series The seven sisters, written by Irish author Lucinda Riley. The work was published in September 2021 by the Plaza & Janés publishing house. Likewise, its translation into Spanish included the participation of Ignacio Gómez Calvo, Andrea Montero Cusset and Matilde Fernández de Villavicencio.
This book was received with a bittersweet feeling by critics and readers. For a start, The lost sister It would be the last novel written by Lucinda Riley, who died just a few days after its release.. Finally, according to reader opinions, the seventh title was not the best way to end the series, so, in 2023, Harry Whittaker took up the story and wrote Atlas: The Pa Salt Story.
Synopsis of the lost sister
Pa Salt's funeral
Maia, Ally, Star, Cece, Tiggy and Electra D'Aplièse were protagonists of the six previous novels. Each one had to embark on a journey of self-discovery, where they investigated their past and revealed the truth about their origin, thus building a more balanced and happy life. Almost a year after Pa Salt's death, his father and benefactor, the sisters wish to pay a beautiful tribute to him, but for this they must all be together.
Throughout the series of The seven sisters Many secrets have been kept and discovered. One of the most important lies in this seventh title, and refers to Merope, the lost sister, the one who has been talked about, but of whom there is no knowledge. That is how The D'Aplièse sisters must embark on a new journey to find Mérope, and thus, in the end, say goodbye to his father properly.
A new trip around the world
Lucinda Riley has accustomed her readers to taking long trips without setting foot outside the home, and, on this occasion, the author's dynamic is no different. The D'Aplièse sisters receive very little information regarding Merope's identity..
The first thing that they find out is that, precisely, “Mérope” is not the real name of his lost sister. Outside of that, the only more or less reliable data they have are: a photo of a star-shaped ring, the name “Merry,” and an address in New Zealand.
Despite the few clues, The D'Aplièse remain hopeful of finding Mérope and uniting the family. However, their search extends much further than they expect, and they end up traveling the world. At the same time, they encounter new characters who will make them understand their father in a very new way. Still, not all secrets will be revealed, which explains the need for there to be Atlas: The Pa Salt Story.
A story of sacrifice, strength and love
As is usual in the works of Lucinda Riley that refer to The seven sisters, The lost sister It has a narrative in two tenses: past and present. While Maia, Ally, Star, Cece, Tiggy and Electra try to find Merope, Marry tells the anecdotes that opened her mind to a reality that she did not believe was possible, in a different period in which she had to fight to get ahead. .
At the same time, Merry's story is synchronized with those of Mary Kate and Nuala, in addition to the respective stories of the D'Aplièse sisters, with stellar appearances by Maia, Cece and Ally. The correlation between all these voices creates a synergy that is capable of surprising both the characters and the readers.. The ending is really unexpected, although not necessarily in the most positive way, as there are several loose threads left.
The most historical side of The lost sister
All of Lucinda Riley's books have a strong connection to historical events. From references to Greek mythology to World War II and other war conflicts, The author knew how to create an almost fantastic universe, but always based on interesting events. from a more rugged past. For example: in the case of The lost sister It touches on a very personal topic for the writer: Irish independence.
Lucinda Riley was Irish, so the history of this country was part of her life from her roots. But it is not the author's own connection that returns to The lost sister a fascinating historical story, but the research that the writer did around this topic, and the way in which she intertwines her protagonists and secondary characters with the events of that time.
So too it is possible to know about a complete social and political context, in which great women and men fought for their freedom, with courage, sacrifice and fervor.
About the author, Lucinda Kate Edmonds
Lucinda riley
Lucinda Kate Edmonds was born in 1965, in Lisburn, United Kingdom. When she was a child, the author was interested in the performing arts, so when she turned fourteen, she moved to London to study ballet and dramatization. Later, At seventeen, Lucinda landed her first major role in a BBC television series., which is an adaptation of The Story of the Treasure Seekers. Later, she also acted in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
The writer continued acting for a few more years, but her career was overshadowed while she was still young by a severe case of infectious mononucleosis. She was barely twenty-three years old at the time of diagnosis. Due to her health problems, Lucinda Riley decided to dedicate herself to writing, starting with the novel Lovers and Players —Lovers and players, in Spanish— (1992).
Other books by Lucinda Riley
As Lucinda Edmonds
- HiddenBeauty (1993):
- Enchanted (1994);
- Not Quite an Angel (1995);
- Aria (1996);
- losing you (1997);
- Playing With Fire (1998);
- Seeing Double (2000)
As Lucinda Riley
- The Orchid House (also known as Hothouse Flower) (2010);
- The Girl on the Cliff (2011);
- The Light Behind the Window (also known as The Lavender Garden) (2012);
- The Midnight Rose (2013);
- The Angel Tree (2014);
- The Italian Girl (a rewrite of Aria) (2014);
- The Olive Tree (also published as Helena's Secret) (2016);
- The Love Letter (a rewrite of Seeing Double) (2018);
- The Butterfly Room (2019);
- The Murders at Fleat House (2022)
The Seven Sisters Series
- The Seven Sisters: Maia's Story (2014);
- Sister Storm: Ally's Story (2015);
- The Shadow Sister: Star's Story (2016);
- Sister Pearl: CeCe's Story (2017);
- Sister Moon: Tiggy's Story (2018);
- Sister Sun: Electra's Story (2019);
- Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt (2023)