Addie LaRue is a beautiful, 23year old woman born in France in the early 1700s desperate not to lose her independence in a forced marriage. In a moment of crisis, she begs the gods for any alternative and unwittingly summons forces of darkness. In a Faustian-tale, Addie makes a deal with the devil that leaves her immortal but unable to be remembered by anyone who meets her. She cannot hold onto objects or property and is forced to find a way to survive in an impermanent world that wakes up fresh each day without remembering her.
Addie finds her way to modern day New York where she has become a master of finding temporary accommodation and has become a muse to many artists. Plagued by flashbacks to her childhood in France, and memories of significant historical moments in Modern European History, Addie carries a deep sadness for her family that no longer remembers her, and regret about making a deal she didn’t really understand at the time.
This is a beautiful, quick read that addresses themes of loss, regret, impermanence, love and the very human need to be seen and heard by someone.
“There are nights when she cannot sleep, moments when she lies awake and dreams of dying. But then she wakes and sees the pink and orange dawn against the clouds, or hears the lament of a lone fiddle, the music and the melody, and remembers there is such beauty in the world. And she does not want to miss it—any of it.” p.342