The Invitation

Emma Lacasse is a beautiful, naive, 20-something woman living in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. She is an accomplished harpist and an aspiring writer, and her stories are gaining the attention of some publishing houses. But Emma’s life is about to come crumbling down. After nursing her beloved grandmother through cancer, Emma has driven herself into a debt that she can never hope to scrape out of. Enter Emma’s cold and calculating sister, Caroline. The sisters have been estranged for nearly 20 years, and their lives could not be more different. Caroline married into ‘new money’, moved to New York, and was barely heard from again. She has set herself up as a formidable socialite in New York. Caroline invites Emma to stay in New York to help mentor her awkward daughter, Isodora, whom Emma has barely met. If Emma does this, Caroline will wipe her debts entirely. And so, to New York she goes. She is immediately thrown into a world of luxury but is also exposed to the sinister side of the Gilded Age. In the tenements on the Lower East Side, there is extreme suffering, as new immigrants starve and die while the rich get richer. It’s not long before Emma realises she is being used as a pawn by her sister, who delights in manipulating people and situations to suit her own needs. Belinda Alexandra’s delightful ability to describe the luxury of the time indicates a great deal of time and research has gone into the creation of this novel. However, the way in which high society made money off those who were financially disadvantaged is barely touched upon. The main character’s growth is slow and her consistent naivety frustrating. Despite these flaws, Alexandra manages to deliver an entertaining and enjoyable read. Reviewed by Joanna Rogers