Aurelius tells her that he has always felt as if he belonged to Angelfield. She then travels to the Angelfield ruins where she meets Aurelius Love. In London, Margaret verifies Vida’s story and discovers that Charlie disappeared and was declared legally dead. Margaret returns to London to do research but not before Vida’s doctor tells her that Vida is in very poor health. Vida has been telling this story to Margaret in installments, which Margaret then transcribes in the evenings. After she leaves, Charlie becomes lost in his grief. While there, Isabelle attacks her, and Isabelle is taken away to a psychiatric care facility the following day. After an incident in which the twins steal a perambulator (baby carriage) with a baby still inside, the local doctor’s wife goes to Angelfield to speak to Isabelle. As the twins grow up, they are given no guidance. She leaves the twins in the care of the housekeeper, known as the Missus, and the gardener, John-the-dig (John Digence). She married Roland, who died of pneumonia. The following spring, Isabelle returns with twin daughters, Emmeline and Adeline. She sees him throughout the summer and leaves Angelfield in the fall. When she gets older, Isabelle is interested in a neighbor boy, Roland March. When Charlie tries to torture Isabelle in the same way, she stymies him, and they become inseparable. Her brother, Charlie, terrorizes the staff until only the housekeeper, the gardener, and the gamekeeper remain. In his absence, the household follows Isabelle’s every whim.

When Isabelle’s mother died in childbirth, Isabelle’s father locked himself away to grieve. Vida begins her tale with a woman named Isabelle. Vida tells her that her name was originally Adeline March she names the hospital where she was born and she states that she grew up at Angelfield, an estate nearby that was destroyed by fire. However, she asks Vida to tell her three verifiable truths, as proof that she will not just tell Margaret another lie.

Margaret travels to Vida’s home in Yorkshire and eventually accepts the job. Vida is notoriously reticent about her personal history and has previously invented stories about her past whenever anyone asks. She receives a letter from Vida Winter, one of England’s most famous authors, asking Margaret to listen to her life story and record her biography.

This study guide refers to the 2009 paperback edition of the book, published by Emily Bestler Books/Washington Square Press.Ĭontent Warning: The source material includes descriptions of murder, death by suicide, and sexual assault.Īmateur biographer Margaret Lea lives in London and works for her father at his rare bookshop.

The thirteenth tale book review