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Summary

“Thomas Hart and Grace Macaulay have lived all their lives in the small Essex town of Aldleigh. Though separated in age by three decades, the pair are kindred spirits—torn between their commitment to religion and their desire to explore the world beyond their small Baptist community.

It is two romantic relationships that will rend their friendship, and in the wake of this rupture, Thomas develops an obsession with a vanished nineteenth-century astronomer said to haunt a nearby manor, and Grace flees Aldleigh entirely for London. Over the course of twenty years, by coincidence and design, Thomas and Grace will find their lives brought back into orbit as the mystery of the vanished astronomer unfolds into a devastating tale of love and scientific pursuit. Thomas and Grace will ask themselves what it means to love and be loved, what is fixed and what is mutable, how much of our fate is predestined and written in the stars, and whether they can find their way back to each other.

A thrillingly ambitious novel of friendship, faith, and unrequited love, rich in symmetry and symbolism, Enlightenment is a shimmering wonder of a book and Sarah Perry’s finest work to date.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

Back in 2016/2016, I read Sarah Perry’s first book, The Essex Serpent, and immediately fell in love with her as an author. It was such a beautiful story with an edge of supernatural. Once again, Perry delivered in Enlightenment with similar writing styles, similar supernatural undertones, and a powerful read.

Enlightenment follows the intertwined lines of Thomas and Grace with a central ghost-like mystery of a missing woman.

Perry manages to write in a style that a lot of modern books do not possess. It harps back to old English literature in the way that she crafts the story, sometimes going around something in a way to paint this picture. It sometimes results in me having to re-read a paragraph over to make sure I entirely understood what I had just read.

This story, while based in reality, has this gothic quality to it. There is this ‘ghost’ but you’re unsure if it is a ghost or a figment of an imagination. There are these strange moments that you’re just like “hmm….“. But it keeps you wanting more.

The ethereal nature of the story was beautiful. Between the ‘gothic’ elements, the theme of comets and the moon, the parts about religion – there was just so much to digest. To me it felt like a story of forbidden love, missed connections, the harsh realities of life, and a ‘mystery’ that spans 20 years resulting in something beautiful. I can’t give much more on that angle without a risk of spoilers.

Enlightenment isn’t a book that has a deeply complex story fully of adventure. It all happens in this small town for the most part and is limited in that sense, but through the stories of various lives and experiences, and the travels through time, you really feel an exposure to a lot. Broken into 3 parts over 3 different time periods, but jumps back through letters into the late 1800’s, you get such a breadth of experiences and situations without it being a book that goes far.

It’s also incredibly raw. It covers life, religion, acceptance, and the harsh realities of life and what growing up brings us. It had me in tears in moments, really feeling the raw emotion of the characters from some of the scenarios. It was beautifully crafted and kept me wanting more as you felt decently connected to both Thomas and Grace.

To me, similarily to her first book, this was a one time read. But it also was one of those stories that kind of felt like an onion. There were so many layers to it and I feel depending on how you approach this book – whether that be your current mental state, your life, et cetera – you’ll take different things from the book.

It was a wonder to read and I am glad that I finally got to enjoy another book by her. I’d give this one a solid 4 out of 5 stars.