Lotus

Lotus (2021) is a novel by Jennifer Hartmann. The novel is a contemporary dark romance that explores the psychological aftermath of abduction. The narrative centers on Oliver Lynch, who returns to his hometown after 22 years of captivity, and his childhood friend, Sydney Neville, as they navigate the challenges of trauma, memory, and rekindled affection. The novel explores The Impact of Trauma on Survivors and Their Loved Ones; The Powerful and Elusive Meaning of Memories; and The Complexities of Sex and Intimacy.

Like Hartmann’s other novels, Lotus is popular among TikTok users (BookTok), and it mixes dark romance, erotica, mystery, and happily-ever- endings (HEA). While Lotus is a stand-alone work, it features secondary characters who are main characters in Still Beating (2020) and The Stars On Our Side (2023); together, the three novels form The Still Beating World trilogy.

The guide is based on the 2021 e-book edition that Hartmann published herself. (Bloom Books published another version in 2023.)

Content Warning: The text and this guide contain depictions of sexual violence, child abuse, child sexual abuse, suicidal ideation, graphic violence, sexual content, cursing, illness, and death.

Plot Summary

The story doesn’t explicitly provide a specific geographical setting; however, as the Lotus characters share the same setting as those in Still Beating, the Lotus characters, too, live in a smallish town in Illinois (the state where Hartmann lives).

Lotus features two dominant narrators, who are also the protagonists and eventual romantic partners: 30-year-old Oliver Lynch and 29-year-old Sydney. The chapter titles almost always correlate to the narrator. The narrative occurs in the present but often returns to memories from July 2-4, 1998. For clarity, the Plot Summary presents the plot chronologically.

In 1998, Sydney is five and Oliver is six. They’re next-door neighbors, and Sydney and Oliver become best friends after Sydney assures Oliver that she’s free of “cooties.” Oliver lives with his mother, Charlene Lynch, his younger stepbrother Gabe Wellington, and his stepfather, Travis Wellington. As a successful restaurant manager, Travis travels often. When he’s home, he plays with the kids.

On July 2, 1998, Travis and the kids play Capture the Flag. Clementine Lynch—Clem—is Sydney’s older sister. Clem wants to be on Sydney’s team, but Travis insists that Clem be on his team as Oliver and Sydney are always on the same team. As Travis and Clem take a long time to hide the flag, Oliver spies on them and sees Travis sexually abusing Clem. Distraught, Oliver runs to his mother; before he can tell her, Travis arrives and attributes Oliver’s disquiet to cheating. Separately, Travis threatens to permanently separate Oliver and Sydney if Oliver tells anyone.

Oliver informs Sydney that he has a secret that he can’t share, and Sydney suggests that Oliver tell her teddy bear, who’s skilled at keeping secrets. Worried that Oliver won’t remain quiet, Travis visits a local contract killer named Raymond Bradley Ford, who goes by “Bradford.” Bradford presents himself as miserable since his last assignment led to the death of his wife and son. He doesn’t want to keep killing, nor would he kill a child. His past targets have been compromised adults. After Travis offers Bradford $100,000, Bradford changes his mind.

On July 4, 1998, Oliver and Sydney watch the fireworks on a hill. They discuss wishes, and they debate whether it’s better to wish on stars or fireworks. Sydney wants to marry Oliver and wishes that they’ll be together forever. She writes her wish on Oliver’s arm—“sn + ol,” but Oliver reads it upside-down as “lotus.”

Travis summons Oliver and then leaves him alone on the pretext that he left his wallet on the playground. Bradford kidnaps Oliver, but Oliver reminds Bradford of his son, so Bradford doesn’t kill him: He puts him in a cell beneath his room. Bradford tells Oliver that nuclear war has made the world unsafe. He keeps Oliver as comfortable as he can with food, TV, novels, and comic books. Oliver creates his own comic book, The Lotus Chronicles, which reflects his bond with Sydney.

After 22 years in captivity, Bradford falls down the ladder connecting the cell to his room. He hits his head and bleeds profusely. Oliver puts on Bradford’s hazmat suit and goes to get help. Bradford dies, and Oliver realizes there is no nuclear war.

In the hospital, Oliver is either silent or incoherent. Eventually, he moves in with Gabe, who still lives in his childhood home (Travis gave it to him). Sydney still lives next to Gabe (her parents gave her the home). Gabe and Sydney are “best friends.” Sydney reads erotic dark romances and consumes a large quantity of content from the 1990s. Her passion is painting; for money, she does graphic design and works at a bar. None of the characters know or suspect Travis’s central role in Oliver’s abduction.

Sydney’s link to Oliver remains strong. Oliver has trouble adjusting to the new technology and sexual culture, yet he stays grounded through cooking and a job at the library. He wants to become romantic partners with Sydney, but Sydney believes sex is casual, which clashes with her serious feelings for Oliver. Gabe advises Sydney not to have a romantic relationship with Oliver, as Gabe thinks Sydney could hurt him. Oliver declares that he’s ready for sex, and he’s not excessively vulnerable. After a fair amount of physical intimacy, Sydney and Oliver have sex.

Travis starts to spend more time at Gabe and Oliver’s home. Travis says Oliver could live with him, and that Travis will provide Oliver with financial assistance. Sydney dislikes the plan, and after accepting Travis’s offer, Oliver rejects it. A masked person breaks into Sydney’s home. He attacks Sydney, but Oliver saves her. The attacker escapes.

Since Bradford is dead, the police close the case and return Oliver’s comics. Oliver and Sydney review them and find a drawing of an obscured villain—the Faceless Man—sexually abusing a girl. The drawings of Sydney feature a girl with pigtails, and the girl who’s abused lacks pigtails. Sydney concludes that the girl is Clem. Clem confirms that she was abused. She claims Bradford abused her, and she wants to move on.

Oliver and Sydney’s relationship remains intensely sexual. After they have sex in her bed, Travis breaks in and ties them to the bedpost. He identifies himself as Sydney’s attacker and Clem’s abuser. He explains his role in Bradford’s abduction. He plans to burn down Sydney’s home, killing Sydney and Oliver. With help from a cantankerous neighbor and Gabe, Sydney and Oliver escape. Travis survives but will likely spend the rest of his life in jail. On the present July 4, Oliver proposes, and he and Sydney marry and have a daughter.