The Beloveds by Maureen Lindley
Description
An exploration of domestic derangement, as sinister as Daphne Du Maurier’s classic Rebecca, that plumbs the depths of sibling rivalry with wit and menace.
Oh, to be a Beloved—one of those lucky people for whom nothing ever goes wrong. Everything falls into their laps without effort: happiness, beauty, good fortune, allure.
Betty Stash is not a Beloved—but her little sister, the delightful Gloria, is. She’s the one with the golden curls and sunny disposition and captivating smile, the one whose best friend used to be Betty’s, the one whose husband should have been Betty’s. And then, to everyone’s surprise, Gloria inherits the family manse—a vast, gorgeous pile of ancient stone, imposing timbers, and lush gardens—that was never meant to be hers.
Losing what Betty considers her rightful inheritance is the final indignity. As she single-mindedly pursues her plan to see the estate returned to her in all its glory, her determined and increasingly unhinged behavior—aided by poisonous mushrooms, talking walls, and a phantom dog—escalates to the point of no return. The Beloveds will have you wondering if there’s a length to which an envious sister won’t go.
My Review
What a crazy, dark and twisted book this was! It's not hard to get lost in the darkness that is Betty Stash.
Proving that our own perceptions shapes us and our actions, Betty creates an almost alternate dimension in which she's convinced herself of all of the things she is not. Most importantly, that she's not a Beloved. Luck doesn't shine on her and or she believes.
What is it that makes her less deserving than her sister, is it something real or something that's she's conjured in her mind?
I can't say I was super glued to the story, it's hard to go that deep in one sitting and to be honest, Betty's mind is a place no one should spend a considerable amount of time in.
Paranoia, I think affects all of us at some point during our lives. Whether the threat is real or not is debatable because as long as someone feels that way, it is real to them. I find that thoughts like this often stem from either not enough activity or simply that we think people care way more than they actually do.