'The Girl in the Red Coat' by Kate Hamer is a gripping tale of a missing child and the emotional turmoil faced by both the mother, Beth, and the young girl, Carmel, who is abducted. The story is narrated from alternating perspectives, providing insight into the struggles and growth of both characters. The plot unfolds with elements of mystery, emotional depth, and unexpected twists, keeping the readers engaged as they navigate through themes of loss, hope, and resilience. The writing style is described as beautiful, engaging, and immersive, capturing the raw emotions experienced by the characters in a compelling manner.

Characters:

The characters include a guilt-ridden mother and a resilient young girl, both richly developed to evoke empathy and engagement from the reader.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is characterized by beautiful prose and emotional depth, utilizing alternating viewpoints to enrich the reader's experience.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot centers around a mother's desperate search for her abducted daughter, weaving themes of child abduction and grief while alternating between their perspectives.

Setting:

The setting is mostly in East Anglia, UK, with parts in America, reflecting the characters' emotional journeys.

Pacing:

The pacing is steady, favoring character development over rapid action, which some readers found contemplative.

Tonight I’ll dream of her again, I can feel it. I can feel her in the twilight, sitting up on the skeined branches of the beech tree and calling out. But at night in my sleep she’ll be walking backwar...

Notes:

The Girl in the Red Coat is Kate Hamer's debut novel.

It combines elements of magic realism, fairytale, and contemporary fiction.

The story focuses on the theme of child abduction, which is a parent's worst nightmare.

The narrative alternates between two perspectives: the mother, Beth, and her daughter, Carmel.

Carmel is taken by a man posing as her grandfather during a storytelling festival.

Beth experiences profound guilt and grief throughout the search for Carmel, which spans several years.

Carmel believes she has special healing powers, which complicates her abduction story.

The book draws parallels to classic fairy tales like Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.

Readers have noted the emotional weight of the story, which often evokes intense feelings of fear and sadness.

The writing style has been described as beautiful and immersive, capturing deep emotional responses.

The relationship between Beth and Carmel remains a central theme throughout the narrative, highlighting the strong mother-daughter bond.

Hamer's portrayal of both characters adds depth to the emotional journey, engaging readers on multiple levels.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of child abduction, grief, trauma, and manipulation, which may be distressing for some readers.

From The Publisher:

Shortlisted for the 2015 Costa First Novel Award

Eight-year-old Carmel has always been different - sensitive, distracted, with an heartstopping tendency to go missing. Her mother Beth, newly single, worries about her daughter's strangeness, especially as she is trying to rebuild a life for the two of them on her own.

When she takes Carmel for an outing to a local festival, her worst fear is realised: Carmel disappears into the crowd. Unable to accept the possibility that her daughter might be gone for good, Beth embarks on a mission to find her. Meanwhile, Carmel begins an extraordinary and terrifying journey of her own. But do the real clues to Carmel's disappearance lie in the otherworldly qualities her mother had only begun to guess at?

Ratings (2)

It Was OK (2)

Reader Stats (14):

Read It (2)
Want To Read (6)
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1 comment(s)

Pallavi

It Was OK

7 months

I won't say that I LOVED this book, but yes it kept me hooked to it till the last page. Its actually not a big mystery or a thriller and there is nothing much bad that happens in this story, except yes, the girl in a red coat goes missing. Its more of a tragedy than a mystery. We readers will be knowing where the missing girl is and how her life goes on etc. But the mother/parents/police wont know.

There are some paranormal situations too.

Actually these paranormal beliefs are the root of this kidnapping business. And just wanting to know whether the girl Carmel will reunite with her mother or not keeps us going, not the suspense. There is no suspense.

Overall a good read.

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About the Author:

Kate Hamer grew up in the West Country and Wales. She studied art and worked for a number of years in television. In 2011 she won the Rhys Davies short-story prize and her short stories have appeared in various collections. Her debut novel The Girl in the Red Coat was published in 2015. It was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Prize, the British Book Industry Awards Debut Fiction Book of the Year, the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger, and the Wales Book of the Year. It was a Sunday Times bestseller and has been translated into sixteen different languages. Kate now lives with her husband in Cardiff.

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The Girl in the Red Coat

Kate Hamer