Review of The Orpheus Project
Posted: 24 Apr 2023, 03:05
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Orpheus Project" by Valerie Sinason.]
The Orpheus Project by Valerie Sinason followed the shocking story of Lady Rose Redcliffe, a twenty-one-year-old girl with Down syndrome. She was born into the wealthy home of Sir Peter Redcliffe, the British minister of health, and his elegant wife, Lady Lily. For Sir Peter, having a daughter with such a disability had proved to be a booster for his political career, garnering sufficient pity from the populace. However, his private life and relationship with his beautiful wife suffered and continued to suffer from his wife's belief that their daughter was a blot in their bloodline. Lady Rose was placed in a residential home, Harvest House Unit at St Joseph's Hospital, to be taken care of before being relocated to an independent unit named after her. When the St Joseph's Trauma Unit (SJTU) received a shocking call, Dr. Stuart and his team faced a delicate matter with political and scientific implications.
The storytelling technique in The Orpheus Project was peculiar, as the author's narration projected the story in a way that made it seem real. The story was narrated in real time, making the reading experience pleasant and impactful. On another hand, the book had a robust layout of characters and plot. It presented a struggle to keep up with the various characters and their portfolios, even though the author provided a glossary of characters at the end of the book.
The characters were dynamic but human. In a way, many of the characters were symbolic figures representing a large pool found in our society today. For one, the entire St Joseph's Trauma Unit (SJTU) team allowed a glimpse into the struggle that followed dealing with abuse, especially with younger victims. The character pool was gloomy, as many of them were broken victims of one kind of abuse or the other. It cast a sad cloud over the entire book but made the characters authentic. One of my favorites was Sir Peter, the health minister. His struggle to balance his love for his disabled daughter while being sensitive to his wife's feelings was endearing. Although Lady Lily appeared as a villain initially, readers might warm up to her much later and empathize with her story. Most commendable was Lady Rose, whom the author gave enough character for readers to connect with and be invested in her journey.
This book was primarily based on the issues surrounding abuse and mental health — paramount conversations in our modern-day society. Sinason shed light on the trauma left behind by abuse and the debilitating effects on those tasked with managing victims of such. Sinason also highlighted some deep human flaws — the readiness to exploit the weak for selfish reasons and a society that'd ignore the truth for good PR.
I appreciate the message in The Orpheus Project, and it is professionally edited. I recommend it to readers interested in mental health and stories of criminal conspiracies. Regardless of the challenge to keep up with the characters' portfolios, I still rate The Orpheus Project five out of five stars, as it isn't enough reason to deduct a star from the rating.
******
The Orpheus Project
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Orpheus Project by Valerie Sinason followed the shocking story of Lady Rose Redcliffe, a twenty-one-year-old girl with Down syndrome. She was born into the wealthy home of Sir Peter Redcliffe, the British minister of health, and his elegant wife, Lady Lily. For Sir Peter, having a daughter with such a disability had proved to be a booster for his political career, garnering sufficient pity from the populace. However, his private life and relationship with his beautiful wife suffered and continued to suffer from his wife's belief that their daughter was a blot in their bloodline. Lady Rose was placed in a residential home, Harvest House Unit at St Joseph's Hospital, to be taken care of before being relocated to an independent unit named after her. When the St Joseph's Trauma Unit (SJTU) received a shocking call, Dr. Stuart and his team faced a delicate matter with political and scientific implications.
The storytelling technique in The Orpheus Project was peculiar, as the author's narration projected the story in a way that made it seem real. The story was narrated in real time, making the reading experience pleasant and impactful. On another hand, the book had a robust layout of characters and plot. It presented a struggle to keep up with the various characters and their portfolios, even though the author provided a glossary of characters at the end of the book.
The characters were dynamic but human. In a way, many of the characters were symbolic figures representing a large pool found in our society today. For one, the entire St Joseph's Trauma Unit (SJTU) team allowed a glimpse into the struggle that followed dealing with abuse, especially with younger victims. The character pool was gloomy, as many of them were broken victims of one kind of abuse or the other. It cast a sad cloud over the entire book but made the characters authentic. One of my favorites was Sir Peter, the health minister. His struggle to balance his love for his disabled daughter while being sensitive to his wife's feelings was endearing. Although Lady Lily appeared as a villain initially, readers might warm up to her much later and empathize with her story. Most commendable was Lady Rose, whom the author gave enough character for readers to connect with and be invested in her journey.
This book was primarily based on the issues surrounding abuse and mental health — paramount conversations in our modern-day society. Sinason shed light on the trauma left behind by abuse and the debilitating effects on those tasked with managing victims of such. Sinason also highlighted some deep human flaws — the readiness to exploit the weak for selfish reasons and a society that'd ignore the truth for good PR.
I appreciate the message in The Orpheus Project, and it is professionally edited. I recommend it to readers interested in mental health and stories of criminal conspiracies. Regardless of the challenge to keep up with the characters' portfolios, I still rate The Orpheus Project five out of five stars, as it isn't enough reason to deduct a star from the rating.
******
The Orpheus Project
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon