The Fool and the Magician

I wanted to read The Fool and the Magician because I never heard of a memoir being told using the tarot. Angela Lam details her tumultuous marriage using tarot readings and tarot archetypes. I really liked the tarot inclusion as it helped to put feelings and situations into more context and brought a mystical aspect to the book. This is a confessional type of memoir because it doesn't really offer up any advice, it's just a story about a woman trying to find her happiness. The writing made it feel as though I was reading a fiction story because it was suspenseful and well paced. I will not judge Lam's choices because that is not my place but I'm not sure what the intention was for writing this book? What is she hoping the reader takes away from it?

A heart wrenching memoir about a woman who uses tarot cards to look into her future and finds herself at a major crossroad with her husband when seeking answers about her work life, He is repeatedly nonplussed by the reading of the impending destruction of their relationship as she stumbles down a lonely road trying to figure out where her life will take her. They are two people in a relationship on different paths.

I was immediately intrigued with this book when I picked it up. I found the interweaving and explanation of the tarot to be fascinating and it was an excellent backdrop for her memoir. The story of her relationship with her husband, children, and boyfriend was both beautiful and sad. I can only imagine how hard it was to be so forthcoming and honest, and I don't think many could do it. She really put herself "out there" for the reader and showed all of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some parts made me cringe, some made my heart swell, and all of it kept me reading to find out more.

I have never read any of Angela Lams books before this, but I truly enjoyed it and imagine I will pick up this author again.

Did I just read a memoir or women's fiction. The book is classified as both. The Tarot card portion concerned me and the title intrigued me.

The story is written beautifully. When I finished I was satisfied and wanted to read it again. This is a love story that spans years. While the Tarot readings are done, the decision-making processes and outcomes can be the same with or without the cards.

I would love to have an audiobook experience with this story. Anna Massey comes to my mind as the narrator.
The book has a noir vibe. I appreciated the ending, I accepted and totally understood it.

Thank you NetGalley and Backlit PR for accepting my request to read and review The Fool and the Magician. It was my pleasure. I had the E-book and one day should I run across the physical book, I will proudly place it on my one shelf only keep books.

This book was interesting and very well-written. I would likely want to read more from this author and will recommend this to friends.

I really wanted to love this book because I love anything related to Tarot cards, and the fact it is a Memoir made it even more appealing, so this was one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book. But I had a hard time getting immersed in the story, but from the very first pages, I was struggling to like what was happening.

It is not about the way it was written or any of that is only because I couldn't digest to read how the main characters were living separate lives as if they weren't married or didn't have any compromise at all.

Without giving too much away I felt very anxious with every page because the characters weren't even trying to fix their marriage they were more immersed in destroying what they had even if that was somehow subconscious. I know this is a true story and is hard for me to rate someone's experience but it was somehow painful to read what the author went true.

The constant silence and regrets, the constant not saying what they want or meant also really was deterring. There was a sad feeling at all times that permeate the whole book. I know not everybody has a happy ending but I felt the main character would have had a better opportunity if they had better communication in the first place.

Overall it was a good book but somehow something struck a nerve in me that made me feel sad to read this story

Thank you, NetGalley and Backlit PR for the advanced copy of The Fool and The Magician in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting and unique. Hard to critique at its somebody’s love story. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.