I enjoyed it. The author knows her way around character development. I was interested in the story from the beginning and all throughout. I just put another one of her books on hold at the library…

Guests on Earth is a 2013 historical fiction novel by Lee Smith, set at the Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, from 1936 to 1948, focusing on the lives of patients, including Zelda Fitzgerald, through the eyes of a young narrator, Evalina Toussaint, and exploring themes of art, madness, and societal control, culminating in the tragic fire that killed Zelda and eight other women. The book blends fact and fiction, using the real-life setting and figures to tell a story about creativity and confinement, with Evalina's journey as a pianist and observer driving the narrative.

Both books sound interesting. Thanks for the suggestions!

You’re welcome! I just finished Guests on Earth. At the end, I learned that the author’s father and son were both patients at the mental hospital featured in the story.

Thank you for posting this. I have seen that Lost Girls book and couldn't decide if I wanted to read it. Sometimes the idea of long friendships is hard for me because I don't really have many. Silly me, though, a good book is a good book. I think I have read the Guests on Earth book, it sounds so familiar and I liked it.