By Monica Ali (259 pages)
Published by Scribner
Bookish rating: 4
So, I admit it. My decision to read Untold Story, a novel that explores identity and the what-ifs had Princess Diana faked her death and now worked at a kennel in a small American town, might have been slightly influenced by the recent royal birth across the pond.
My snobby side thinks the very bad reader reviews on Amazon and Goodreads are a result of mediocre readers who expected a non-literary, sensationalistic piece of crap and were thus disappointed that this novel was done so much better than that. Fortunately, I suppose, I had read Ali's Brick Lane, so I knew what sort of author she is: a good one. In other words, I suspected Ali would create a thoughtful novel that didn't scream OPPORTUNISTIC. She succeeded.
Ali presents the story from the perspectives of Lydia (Diana), her dying confidant and bodyguard (which ensures she ends up utterly alone), and a paparazzi photographer. We go deep inside her mind and internal conflict, which explores whether leaving her entire life behind was worth it. I wondered how Ali would handle making Lydia's decision to leave her sons, certain she'd come up short. What mother could actually do that, especially such a hands-on one? Well, Ali pulled it off.
Ultimately, Untold Story makes you seriously consider what sort of selfhood an entirely public figure might have. Where do the evening gowns and tabloids leave off, and where does real identity begin? At what point do you lose your mind?
Anyway, this is a thought-provoking, insightful read. Recommended.
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