An elderly woman, Ruth Field, lives alone in a
remote area of Australia. Despite suffering from back pain, she is
self-sufficient and content with her life. However she regularly dreams that
there is a tiger in her house. Only when she discusses this with her son during
their occasional phone calls does she realize it was only a dream. One day a
woman named Frida arrives at her door. Frida says she has been sent by a
government agency to help Ruth. Ruth allows her in and Frida, taking charge of
the cooking and cleaning chores, does make Ruth’s life much easier. But is
Frida actually a government health care worker? Sometimes she appears to be
bullying Ruth or taking advantage of her. Is she really? Ruth is obviously
suffering from dementia, or at the least confusion, and cannot always trust her
memory of Frida’s mistreatment. Neither can the reader. The Night Guest is an unusual novel of
suspense and Fiona McFarlane expertly uses domestic events to create a sense of
uneasiness.
