A storm rages outside Isla’s family holiday cabin by Lake Superior, where she has come with her parents and grandmother Moni. As she looks out into the darkness, the face of a young girl is looking back at her. When the girl turns and runs, Isla darts outside, following without thinking. That fateful night brings Marlow into their lives as, with Marlow having no memory of her life before, and no one coming forward to claim her, Isla’s parents slowly draw Marlow into their own family. Years later, Marlow, now a highly successful model and actress steps in front of the camera for a hugely anticipated prime-time interview to have the conversation everyone wants to hear. Who really is Marlow Fin? And what happened to Isla? 

Moving back and forth in time, between several timelines and perspectives, including Isla’s and the transcription of Marlow’s interview, Becoming Marlow Fin traces the trials and tribulations of this newly created family through Isla and Marlow’s childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. 

I loved Isla’s character development over the years, in particular her relationships with her childhood friend Sawyer and with her Korean grandmother Moni, a nurturing and wise character who in many ways is the heart of this family. Marlow herself is an unsettling and enigmatic character but we see flaws in all of the characters bar Moni. Steil beautifully explores the bonds and strains of sisterhood created under such strange circumstances, while also exploring themes including the families we have and the families we long for, love and the lengths it drives people to, loss and trauma, secrets and envy, addiction, self-destructive behaviour and the devastating consequences, identity, and how people can seem to have it all yet feel like they have nothing. 

The writing is atmospheric and I really enjoyed the format, shifting from narration to the interview transcription, adding to the sense of tension and mystery as we move towards what we know will be some explosive revelation. A haunting novel that gripped me more the more I read, where at times we are served only clues rather than full answers, with a powerful, gut-punch ending.

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Published by Lake Union on July 23rd. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the DRC.

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Ellen Won Steil grew up in Iowa in a Korean American family. She majored in journalism at Drake University and earned her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law. Most days you can find her chasing her two young sons, reading or writing when she should be sleeping, catching up on a TV show with her husband, and eating obscene amounts of pizza. She believes most good stories have at least a hint of darkness in them. She is the bestselling author of Fortune. Becoming Marlow Fin is her second novel.