I'm a sucker for a great literary and psychological mystery, and this book did not disappoint. Told from three points of view and three different time periods, the book opens in 2019, when Estee, an antiquities curator, discovers the original manuscript of Sylvia Plath's novel The Bell Jar, handwritten in crumbling spiral notebooks. From that point on, I was hooked. The story then switches to the late 1950s and the viewpoint of poet Boston Rhodes, who styles herself as Plath's literary rival, and then to the early 1950s and the perspective of Dr. Ruth Barnhouse, a psychiatrist who treats Plath in McLean Hospital.

As Kravetz builds his portrait of Plath through the perspectives of these three woman, I was pulled along by the central mystery: How did these Plath's notebooks end up in a dusty attic, and what will happen to them now? Will they disappear into a private collection? The book explores themes of creative inspiration--where does it come from? What encourages it, and what silences it?--as well as the corrosive effects of artistic jealousy. It also made me think deeply about the bonds between women, especially women artists: How do we support each other and yet, sometimes undermine each other?

Note: This is a book not so much "about" Sylvia Plath but about how people projected their own needs onto her; thus, it's not a biographical novel so much as a psychological mystery and portrait of three women facing their own demons. If you enjoy reading about the creative process, you'll love this book. I will be re-reading it!

I loved this book and think it will be wildly popular, especially with book groups. I come from an academic background and have written biography, so I was nervous about the author's depiction of the iconic Sylvia Plath. I am not convinced her captured her essence perfectly, but I didn't care. It was a great story and perfect escapist read.

I received this as a e-galley from NetGalley.

I maybe knew too much about the time period & the folks involved - but the premise of this book annoyed me a little? The original character was obviously based on Anne Sexton (who was also in the seminar that the OC and Sylvia were in) was never mentioned?!!

I really loved this book! The premise drew me in and the story did not disappoint. Kravetz keeps the plot moving and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next, both in the current auction house storyline as well as the past poetic rivalry between Boston Rhodes and Sylvia Plath. I love how the storylines intersect. I will admit that the mental hospital narrative wasn't quite as intriguing for me, but I understand why it's included. I also appreciate how Plath's notebooks almost become like characters themselves. This is a riveting historical mystery and I look forward to more from this author.

A perfectly told story that we used together to time periods expertly. I absolutely loved this book. The characters felt like real people to me and I couldn’t wait to see what happened.

Welcome to The Public Domain SYLVIA PLATH! Well, we're only welcoming some of yr work, but hey, at least yr not getting Gatsby'd and there's a book out there ("Nick") that asks the question, "What if Great Gatsby, but boring?"

Anyway I guess I expected this book to be awful because it's almost impossible to do this kind of Speculative Fiction About Beloved Historical Figure literary trope well, but dang if Lee Kravetz doesn't pull it off. Also, don't you guys think that for a movie that made hardly any cultural filmic impact or money at all, SLIDING DOORS is used way too often in book blurbs? I mean, as long as we're welcoming new neuroses, let's greet the the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon with a "What if Gwyneth, but bangs?" frequency illusion you'll never get away from.