I enjoyed this book, it was different than what I was expecting. The Dual timelines were wonderfully written and really gave you beautiful insight. This was artfully written and a pleasant read.

Author Sarah Henstra uses a dual timelines, one set in 1938 in a cult's commune in England, and the second set in 2000 in Toronto.

1938: Lark and his twin sister Nell Ringold begin living in a commune, called the Shown, started by their uncle. He's charismatic and controlling, and has unusual ideas his followers must live by. Nell has trouble adjusting to life in the commune, but does begin a relationship with one of the followers, while Lark is commissioned to paint images for tarot cards their uncle plans to use as part of his teachings.

2000: Theresa Bateman is a junior art historian whose working at the Centre for Studies in Surrealism (a.k.a the Vortex). Her supervisor Russell keeps her busy at the Vortex, but Theresa needs a better paying and more satisfying position as her financial situation is pretty rocky. When Theresa receives a single tarot card from the famed Shown tarot deck, she is fascinated and thrilled. Russell is intrigued, as he had written a paper about Ringold's work that made his name years earlier.

It's not clear why the card was sent to Theresa, but she begins investigating, and gradually unearths a messy story of jealousies, abuse, manipulation, and a startling talented artist. Who gets to manage the artist's legacy leads Theresa from her crummy apartment to a secluded house far from Toronto, and a series of revelations that will change her life.

Henstra shows us that not all villains are obvious. Instead, they can twist words, or steal opportunities, or harm the bodies and minds of the people they find threatening in their lives. Theresa and Nell are both manipulated and lied to repeatedly, in each case by men who needed them to support them rather than build lives of their own.

The writing is great, and each timeline comes alive beautifully. I found it easy to divine the identity of the creator of the tarot paintings, but that was really less interesting than the way the two timelines connected, as well as the wonderful atmosphere created, particularly in the 1938 time period, and way nature and art are described.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! 2.5/5

I was eager to read this as it was giving me a little tarot mystery vibe that peaked my interest. The book wasn't bad! It didn't draw me in completely as I hoped it would. I did finish the novel, as I wanted a resolution to the story which was satisfying enough for me. At the end of the day it wasn't my favorite story, I found the tarot aspect interesting. It was an okay read overall.

This book is three things :
🖼️ A deep analysis and love letter to Surrealism and art in general
🔮 A dive into the occult art of Tarot reading
🚺 A feminist take on the place of women in the art world

As I am not versed in Surrealism, I found it difficult to understand everything that was going on at first in the life of Theresa, an art historian trying to make her place as a tenured teacher at the Univerity of Toronto. But as soon as I understood I didn’t need to understand it all, that all I needed to understand were the characters motivations and feelings about art, I was completely hooked.

I loved seeing Theresa, and Nell, in her timeline, build up resilience and strenght and finally decide that the men were not entitled to control and dominance and mastery in art, and everywhere.

I also hated the male characters SO. MUCH. Because they were so well written, so clearly abusive and delusional of their birthright place in the world, and so gaslighting and controlling of the FMCs, I just wanted to slap them.

Finally, I adored the place of the occult, especially of tarot decks, in this book. Every chapter is named after a tarot card, and I found myself trying to tie what was happening in the chapters to what I know of tarot cards meaning. I loved doing this! And I loved how the teachings of each card was brought into the story. It made my little witchy heart so happy 🥰

I think this book was very good and I would gladly read the author's other books! :)

I just finished The Lost Tarot by Sarah Henstra and here are my musings.

Theresa is a junior art historian but she isn’t doing well in her position but all that changes when she receives a single tarot card in the mail… A card that is undoubtedly painted by the celebrated artist Lark Ringwold. This could mean big things for Theresa’s career. Nothing of Lark’s artwork survived from the fire that not only destroyed all the art but also took Lark’s life along with many others. It also meant the end of a horrific cult called the Shown.

What Theresa doesn’t understand is why she was sent this card. How did it survive? Who had it all this time and why does someone want the card declared a fake?

This book straddles two timelines. Current day and 60 years in the past. In the past we follow Lark and his sister Nell where they live with their uncle in the commune where things Nell doesn’t want to know or see happen right in front of her. She struggles to settle in and the longer she is there, the more she can see just how dangerous her and Lark’s situation is.

Theresa in the present ends up in search of who sent the tarot card and why it has come to light now. I love anything to do with art so this book really set my imagination ablaze!

There is a heck of a lot to unpack. So Uncle Corvo is the cult leader pushing occult teachings and he wants a tarot deck painted to help push his darkness. Lark has the unpleasant task of painting these cards. Nell wants to get as far away from the cult as she can get. She is one of few people who made it out alive.

I think the story had more going on than it needed. There were a lot of threads to pull together and while I loved how it ended, I think the story could have been less complex to really make it a truly epic read. Someone trying to stop the truth coming out in the future and all the stuff that happened in the past… It could have easily filled 3 books.

I actually did enjoy how much was going on but I can see why some people would have preferred less.

4 stars. I would have loved more about the occult and the cult and less about the twins. The things with the cousin could have been left out. I don’t think it added value.

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomca for my gifted copy

Theresa is a junior art historian living in Toronto, just trying to survive. In the mail she receives a single tarot card. The sender claims it is an authentic Lark Ringold, and surreal artist who died before WW2 in a fire at the cult commune of The Shown, that claimed his life, a lot of his work and the lives of countless others. The discovery of the lost tarot deck would make her career but all signs point to it being after his time but undoubtedly his work.

On her search to find out the truth she uncovers secrets long buried between the Lark twins, the going ons in the cult, and art thought to be lost.

This is the second novel I have read from this author and it did not disappoint. The dual timeline narrative worked so well and felt so seamless. The stories come to a head so satisfyingly and also mirrored each other so well. The prose was so beautiful, the author has such a strong distinct voice. I really enjoyed the characters and they felt so real. Cults fascinate me, and do does explorations of tarot, and this was such a niche book that appealed to me. Also it being set partially in Toronto and about Canadian characters was another aspect that really made the reading experience for me.

Art history postdoc Theresa is sent a tarot card and plane ticket money out of the blue, as an inducement to get her to come look at some paintings of a tarot deck presumably by Lark Ringold, the focus of Theresa’s work. Lark was a famous Surrealist, and is the pet project of her advisor Russell. Initially, Theresa decides to ignore it, but as the precarity of her employment situation gets worse, she goes - and finds herself embroiled in a fantastic art story. Interspersed with Theresa’s story is the perspective of Nell, Lark’s twin sister, during the time they returned to England and the time Lark would have painted the tarot deck.

This is an interesting novel, but I struggled with it. It’s got a lot going on, and was sometimes hard to parse. Theresa and Nell become more compelling as their stories begin to intersect. The ending is a little too tidy for me, but I can see its appeal for others.

(3.5/5) Part historical art mystery, part philosophical journey, this novel traverses the politics of the art world both modern and past, exploring ideas around artistic ownership and legacy through a Surrealist lens.

Theresa Bateman, a struggling art historian, has just been denied a tenure-track job. When she receives a tarot card in the mail, purported to be part of the fabled Ringold Tarot, she is immediately captivated. More enigma than man, Lark Ringold's life – and his legendary works – ultimately went up in flames. Her supervisor is insistent that it must be a fraud, but if Theresa is able to uncover the truth, this discovery could change her career forever.

Meanwhile, in the 1930s, twins Nell and Lark first arrive in a remote homestead in Kent, England after their mother's death. Captivated by Lark's art, family friend Corvo Ringold is keen to take Lark under his wing. While Lark immediately takes to life in the cult, Nell is the only one who isn't taken in by Corvo's teachings. As Lark falls deeper under Corvo's thrall, Nell is forced to confront the truth about her brother and the reality of their sibling dynamic.

Alternating between these two timelines, this novel explores concepts of the seen and the unseen, the things that people willfully overlook – secrets that live in the open, hidden only by people's willingness to stay silent. From pre-war England to modern-day Toronto, this is an excoriation of the men who are quick to belittle the accomplishments of women, yet are happy enough to take credit for them.

While I'd generally prefer a faster-paced plot, I was captivated by the description of life in the Shown. The contrast between bacchanal decadence and stark loneliness, Nell's complex emotional state and her experiences of profound joy, awakening, fear, and disillusionment. Overall, if you prefer literary fiction with a hint of intrigue, you might enjoy this one.

This is a great read for anyone who loves fine art and reading about cult life.

Taking place in two timelines The Lost Tarot follows Theresa, a young art historian trying to find her place in her career in present day, and Nell in the 1930s during the creation of a historically significant collection of paintings while living in a commune.

It explores the responsibilities of preserving history through art while also getting to know wonderfully complex characters. Things aren’t quite as they seem at first and the story kept surprising me throughout the novel.

The writing had me invested in every character and the plot. I was excited to see where it was going every time I picked it up.

This book had excellent vibes. I enjoyed the setup but it was still lacking something by the end of the book. I’d say a 3.5 rounded up to a 4. Thank you so much for this ARC opportunity and I would definitely give the authors other work a try

The Lost Tarot is an occult mystery about the seen and unseen and the power of art to perceive and deceive.

The Lost Tarot is a dual timeline story that follows Theresa Bateman, an junior art historian in Toronto who receives a mysterious tarot card in the mail and becomes embroiled in a decades old mystery about a legendary artist named Lark Ringold and the obscure cult called the 'Shown' he was rumoured to be a part of.

In the other timeline, set 60 years before, Lark and his twin sister Nell go to stay with their controversial uncle Corvo in England, who is the leader of the Shown, where he requires Lark to paint a tarot deck that will eschew his occult teachings to the world. The pagan and twisted teachings and practices at the cult disturbs Nell who sees beneath its seemingly innocent facade and that of her uncle Corvo, while her brother Lark becomes lost in its tantalizing promises. As Theresa begins exploring the origins of the Lark Ringold tarot, she discovers a heart wrenching truth about the tarot paintings, the Shown, and Nell which will completely shatter her perception of the past.

This story takes the reader on a journey through the Major Arcana and the process of individuation which will lead to the truth about Lark, Nell, and Corvo, with each character and event reflecting the archetypal meanings of the cards. With explorations about perception and deception, a good portion of the plot involves discussions around surrealism and art criticism and how everything we perceive is influenced if not controlled by the unconscious. The duality of life and how everything has a good and bad expression was a metaphor used throughout the story with twins, the sun and moon, and the eyes common symbols used in the plot. Sex, desire, and identity were the cards both upright and reversed, offering different interpretations for the characters who never had clear answers themselves. The role of women in the art world was also a big part of the story and how their respect and credibility is still questioned today.

There are many layers to this story as there are combinations of tarot cards, and how we choose to interpret their messages is up to the eye of the beholder.

Arcane and suspenseful, The Lost Tarot is the perfect read for fans of The Cloisters by Katy Hays.

Although it was very different from what I normally read, this book hooked me and made me feel a broad range of emotions. I would recommend for readers who like feminist literature and topics like art and cults.

❤️ Evocative and captivating writing style
❤️ Atmosphere and imagery
❤️ Skillful depiction of patriarchy, trauma, and resilience
❤️ Women empowerment and collaboration/ sisterhood
❌ Very slow start
❌ Inconsistent main character
❌ Pretentious and frustrating artspeak

Trigger warnings: cults, fraud, death and grief, fire (including fire injury and death), injury and injury detail, blood and gore, violence, abuse of power, emotional and physical abuse, drugs, gaslighting, manipulation, incest, plagiarism, sexual abuse.

Plot:
When she receives a tarot card made by a celebrated avant-garde artist who died in a mysterious fire that also destroyed most of his life’s work, Canadian art historian Theresa Bateman undertakes research that could lead to a breakthrough in her career. Sixty years earlier, twins Nell and Lark leave Canada to join a bohemian commune led by their uncle in England. As Theresa follows the trail of the lost tarot, she will uncover dark secrets and frauds that will shake the ground beneath her feet.

When reading the synopsis, I thought I’d dive into a story of a cult and the occult. And while these topics were broadly discussed, I was surprised (and delighted) by how themes like women’s oppression, patriarchy, abuse and trauma, resilience, manipulation, and women empowerment and collaboration were seamlessly woven in both storylines. We follow two very different women who suffer abuse and manipulation from men they admire, trust, and love… and who seem to think the breadcrumbs are the best they’ll ever get. It felt so good to watch them rise from positions of power imbalance and take control without in turn using oppression or violence.

Throughout the book, I went like “this timeline is superior to the other” and then “no, this one is better!” about ten times. By the end, I really couldn’t say which one I preferred. I feel like this balance between dual timelines is very hard to achieve, and Henstra absolutely nailed it. However, I thought the story was a little slow to start and some major plot twists came too late in the story. By the time I got to these twists, I was expecting them.

Characters:
I think Henstra did very well in showing that the worst villains don’t necessarily yield magic or weapons. They can be women who cower before men and engage in female rivalry, men who place career blocks because they feel threatened by their female counterparts, abusive siblings who use love as a tool to control and manipulate. Nicely done. (Also, Van is so precious and should be protected at all costs!)

Writing:
Henstra’s writing was sharp and evocative, atmospheric and captivating. However, the artspeak got on my nerves very early on, with too many paradoxes, adverbs, pompous words, syntactically complex prose, and endless phrases. Also (and this is a personal pet peeve), I was a little disappointed to read a story written in American English by a Canadian author.