The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley

In 1755, Abel Cloudesley, a watchmaker and creator of automata, is mourning the loss of his wife, Alice, in childbirth. He is shocked and guilt-stricken six years later when an accident causes his beloved son, Zachary, to lose an eye. Abel’s apprentice makes Zachary an eye out of gold and lapis that somehow grants him the ability to see deeply into people’s hearts and motivations. Unable to properly care for his son, Abel sends Zachary to live in the country with his Aunt Frances. Meanwhile, after being forced to accept a commission in Constantinople, Abel himself disappears. Years later, a teenage Zachary receives a letter that leads him to believe his father is still alive. Zachary sets out on an adventure to find his father. Bert Seymour and Clare Corbett skillfully narrate Lusk’s debut novel, capturing the hint of magic that runs throughout his lushly described world. Both narrators create full-bodied portraits of the characters that populate this historical novel, movingly communicating the love, grief, and perils of Zachary and Abel’s complicated relationship.