Returned Empty

by FLORENCE Louisa Barclay

Returned Empty by Florence Louisa Barclay. The novel follows Luke Sparrow, a lonely foundling labeled 'Glass with Care,' who grows into a gifted yet isolated writer. On a lonely seaside evening he trespasses to a cliff-top estate and encounters Lady Tintagel and her family, and gradually learns a shocking Luke is the reincarnation of Nigel Tintagel, once a man who loved Miriam and who endured a long, spiritual quest for home. Through flashbacks and a ledger of memories—letters, diaries, and the silent witness of those who remember him—Luke and Miriam confront love, loss, and the limits of earthly life. Nigel’s ultimate decision to return to his wife in time, even at the price of leaving behind his memory and life, unfolds into a second Luke, later living as Sir Nigel Tintagel, fights in war and dies, leaving a family to carry forward his legacy. A meditation on home, the will of God, and the redemptive power of love, Returned Empty blends romance and spirituality with a Gothic sense of fate.

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1920

Reviews

[Clare]

Disappointing.... didn't understand it and it had a strange ending...

[Trine]

I love Florence Barclay so it hurts to give this book one star, but I really didn't like it. Already as a teenager I didn't like it, but I thought I would give it a second chance, but was only confirmed in my sentiment. I do not like this book. Even when it talks about God's will and love, it's message is blurred by the surrounding story. The thought of reincarnation would in it self turn me off, and if the book was meant to be a beautiful love story surpassing even death, in my mind it was just an awful sad story of missed lives.

[Marty]

The writing this woman did in her day is by far the most beautiful I have read from this time. She remains a favorite author and this book, I suppose, is the hardest to find in antique stores because it would have been quite shocking during that era.

[Christine]

I love Florence Barclay. It hurt to give this one star, but I was pretty disappointed with it.