The Story of My Face

An unusual, entirely captivating novel that marks a neglected girl's tragic coming-of-age within the confines of a Protestant cult new to her; set in Finland and the U.K. Beautifully written, a thriller of sorts, fine reading. It's partly about the attraction of family when one has none and partly about the seduction of belonging. And, about the ultimate belonging, the ultimate seduction: motherhood.

Story of my face was the book I was searching for, a book that I looked forward to meeting me at home. A fantastic story, great imagery, brilliant characters. I am so impressed that from the first page, I cared about this story, this journey and how it would all work out. Page is able to keep the suspense up thru-out the story, yet you don't seem to mind because everything else that is happening is just as interesting. fantastic read!! A great new style of modern mystery fiction that is becoming ever more popular.

Kathy Page explores a couple of very deep subjects in The Story of My Face, but does so in a really readable, engaging, and accessible way. The subjects are religion and beauty / self image. The story is told in the first person and is set in the recent past (the narrator being adult) in, I think, Finland, as well as in the narrator's adolescence (around 13 years, I would say) in Britain. Page really creates a sense of place for both periods and parallel story lines that hold on to you. The implications as to how religions (in this case a particular sect) form, and the nature of faith are really thoughtful ones. I really recommend this book. Well written, thoughtful, and stays with you.