Member Review
Review by
Tracey B, Reviewer
In 1894 Minneapolis spiritualism inexplicably became part of that day’s zeitgeist—a fact that intrigued me. Why then? Why there? Why did hundreds of people become consumed with mesmerists, who were the precursors to hypnotists?
The Mesmerist tells the story of how three particular women connected by Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers were affected by the fad of the day. It won’t spoil a thing to tell you how at first I thought one of the characters was “the” mesmerist but by the end of the book I saw that the title fit another. And along the way, I was mesmerized.
A fascinating subject and interesting, complex characters earned the book its stars. Tension and speculation added that “gotta-read-one-more-page” factor. But the tie to a true historical story clinched the win.
Thank you to Random House, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy.
The Mesmerist tells the story of how three particular women connected by Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers were affected by the fad of the day. It won’t spoil a thing to tell you how at first I thought one of the characters was “the” mesmerist but by the end of the book I saw that the title fit another. And along the way, I was mesmerized.
A fascinating subject and interesting, complex characters earned the book its stars. Tension and speculation added that “gotta-read-one-more-page” factor. But the tie to a true historical story clinched the win.
Thank you to Random House, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy.
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