Review: The Imperfects

Title: The Imperfects

Author: Amy Meyerson

Publisher: 20th April 2020 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 384 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: family, mystery, contemporary

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays comes a captivating new novel about a priceless inheritance that leads one family on a life-altering pursuit of the truth.

The Millers are far from perfect. Estranged siblings Beck, Ashley and Jake find themselves under one roof for the first time in years, forced to confront old resentments and betrayals, when their mysterious, eccentric matriarch, Helen, passes away. But their lives are about to change when they find a secret inheritance hidden among her possessions—the Florentine Diamond, a 137-carat yellow gemstone that went missing from the Austrian Empire a century ago.

Desperate to learn how one of the world’s most elusive diamonds ended up in Helen’s bedroom, they begin investigating her past only to realize how little they know about their brave, resilient grandmother. As the Millers race to determine whether they are the rightful heirs to the diamond and the fortune it promises, they uncover a past more tragic and powerful than they ever could have imagined, forever changing their connection to their heritage and each other.

Inspired by the true story of the real, still-missing Florentine Diamond, The Imperfects illuminates the sacrifices we make for family and how sometimes discovering the truth of the past is the only way to better the future.

My Thoughts

“I’ve been so busy thinking she betrayed me I didn’t stop to consider that she may have been protecting me.”

The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson is a contemporary tale with an interesting historical backstory. Travel along with the family as they investigate the mystery behind the Florentine Diamond and how it came to be in their family’s possession. Much like the stone itself, this tale is as much about the individual members of the family as they face their own ‘imperfections’. 

The most interesting aspect of this novel for me was the history (fiction based on some truth and myth) behind the diamond. Amy lets her creativity flow as she imagines how it might have ended up with this family. This is so engaging that you are left wishing more time were devoted to this aspect of the story. The history of the diamond is fascinating and Amy’s twist on where it might have gone to after its disappearance in 1918 is worthwhile. I particularly enjoyed these historical aspects to the novel. Sadly, the majority of the novel is not dedicated to this but rather the family members and their backstories. 

Each member of the Miller family is given the opportunity to tell their story with its many obstacles, challenges and many, many setbacks. With the discovery of the diamond it sets in motion their journey to prove its authenticity and their legitimacy eager to anticipate how it could change their lives. Whereas I would have preferred the story behind the diamond's journey, we are left with a squabbling family that do nothing to endear themselves to the reader, despite their obvious ‘imperfections’. They are hard to like and the ending ... well, a bit of a letdown despite the author's obvious wish to indicate otherwise.  The bickering between siblings gets too much at times, despite labelling them dysfunctional. 

The premise of the book had much potential and overall the historical mystery kept it afloat. If only there had been more of the grandmother and less of the squabbling siblings.  The story of the grandmother Helen and her mother Flora would have made a very compelling tale. I understand the modern characters were flawed and that this was a journey to maybe allow them to work together and heal their rifts?

“You can’t make characters like these up.” “Don’t worry,” Jake assures him. “I won’t write about your friends.” Mr. Frankel stops, still holding Jake’s arm. “Oh, you must. If we don’t tell stories, they disappear. You must write everything. You must keep us alive.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.