The Sanctuary - Charlotte Duckworth - Social Media Blast

I have read all of Charlotte Duckworth’s books. And with each one I begin by thinking, no, she can’t…… a few pages later, no, she can’t possibly…… a chapter later, no, she can’t…….possibly imagine another darkly twisted tale that will have you reading way past your bedtime because you just can’t stop. But dear reader she can! And she has. I think The Sanctuary is her best yet. 

A sanctuary, a yoga retreat is just such an incredible paradox to the sensations you actually experience when you read this book. The whole novel is a sustained melting pot of tensions and unease. At silly o’clock in the early hours of the morning, the feverish turning of pages was all you would have been able to hear from my house. 

Four pregnant women arrive for what should be a prenatal weekend of pampering. Their hostess, Selina, seems to be calm and experienced, full of positive and useful advice for managing their pregnancies. But nothing is as it seems. Of course not! We wouldn’t have a story if it were! 

Although not necessarily apparent instantly every single character has a secret of some kind. Nicky and Bonnie are sisters, with hints of sibling tensions. Georgia is a journalist missing her transatlantic boyfriend, Poppy, unsure if she’s sixteen or seventeen weeks pregnant, suggests some unresolved issues. Then there are the four residents at the sanctuary Selina, her partner Will, her son Kai and Badger, the volunteer……. None of the characters are particularly likeable or so it seemed to me! But I often think that is important in books of this genre because you don’t need to invest too much emotionally in any of them, as a reader, or it can cloud your objectivity as you’re trying to unravel what’s going on.

A cast of characters who will all test your powers of deduction and your equilibrium before you finish the book! However I refuse to be the Queen of spoilers so I’ll say nothing of what transpires except that it is very much an onion type tale where layer by layer the truths are revealed. So

it’s not a shocker of a tale and therein lies some of its strength.  Because it’s a series of subtly, unexplained, disturbing events that create such a palpable sense of unease and the sense everything is spiralling out of control. But it is a very “busy“ plot. It very cleverly builds up to the crescendo and conclusion with sinister chills around every corner. And I suppose maybe subliminally, it has something to say about the new age, self help culture from well-intentioned and supposedly knowledgeable gurus. 

Several of the chapters had one of those italicised prologues that you frequently get at the start of a thriller, usually you’re given few clues as to the identity of the narrator. It works well here and I don’t know if it was just me but I didn’t have an inkling till the end of who it was! 

I’m full of admiration for the quality of the plotting and how all the ends are tied up you aren’t left dangling. But now that I’ve finished the book I need to go and have a lay down because I am, frankly, exhausted! 😉 

My thanks to Ella Patel at Quercus books for an advance proof and a place upon the social media blast.

How Beautiful We Were - Imbolo Mbue

 I read this book as part of Canongate Book’s March readalong. And I’m so grateful for the opportunity. It’s taken me a while to cement my thoughts and commit them to “paper“ for I found it to be a profoundly moving read. There is something quite beautiful about the dignity of a people treated callously who refuse to just take it.

An American oil company have devastated the environment and ecology of the village of Kosawa where the growing land has been rendered infertile and the toxicity of the water has caused death amongst babies and children. False promises are made. But the village fights back. However it takes generations of dedication and sacrifice to fight the profiteers.

A solid, pertinent story is one thing but the quality of the writing behind the story adds so much substance to this novel. The sense of time passing through the generations is cleverly achieved by the chapter structuring. There are chapters featuring one of the main characters followed by chapters entitled The Children. By the end of the book many of “the children“ of the village have their own children! And somehow that had such a potent effect on me.

Thula, her uncle Bongo, her mother Sahel, her grandmother, Yaya and her brother, Juba all enjoy their own chapters but it seemed to me that Thula is the thread that binds them together and her single-minded dedication to her cause and the sacrifices she made are humbling.

It’s a sad, devastating story almost but the indomitable spirit of a wronged community and the determination to fight is inspirational. The cultural traditions of an indigenous people are celebrated too, perhaps subliminally, but nevertheless it’s there. And that was something else I found uplifting. The spiritual beliefs too add another dimension to the overall situation. 

I guess we can hope that books like these can be read, lessons learned and maybe fuel and inspire others to act for what is just and right. 

Thank you Canongate books for the privilege of reading this story. 

Orphans of the Storm - Celia Imrie

 

The Navratil ‘orphans’ will be well known to Titanic buffs, the lost orphans whose identity was uncertain initially but who were finally reunited with their mother just over a month after the sinking.  “Rescued“ by Margaret Hays after survivors from the Titanic lifeboats were safely aboard the rescue ship, Carpathia. But if Titanic buffs are expecting a story focused solely on the great ship they may be disappointed for Ms. Imrie has written a finely researched story that goes way back before the birth of the boys and even before the marriage of their parents. Credit for the immaculate  historical research goes to Fidelis Morgan.

However those of us with more than a passing interest in Titanic lore will find much to enjoy in this well crafted story of the South American seamstress and her fugitive, controlling husband. 

A palpable picture of turn-of-the-century Nice is created in the tale of deceit and manipulation. Our sympathies for Marcella are engaged as we see how a woman deals with social convention and expectations in early 20th century Europe. When she takes the courageous step setting divorce proceedings in motion against her husband and it sets in motion a whole chain of events. 

The story is told from three perspectives, Marcella, Michael and Margaret but I think throughout it is Marcella to whom we offer our allegiance. I found it hard to engage with Michael once I realised what a rat he turned out to be! I think I was as besotted as Marcella initially! I found Margaret an interesting character because she presents initially as a bit of a flake, a bit of an airhead but you realise that her intentions are true and she does a good thing in taking care of the two boys.

I would think that for people who have no interest or knowledge about the Titanic disaster this book will be received ‘simply’ as an historical fiction novel and the sequences aboard the Titanic as part of a bigger story. Those who were drawn to it because of the Titanic connection may feel that there wasn’t enough about the ship. And I’ll admit I fall into the latter category. I’ve been fascinated by the Titanic for years and I was even been fortunate enough to meet a Titanic survivor several years ago. She’s no longer with us now unfortunately but a lot of what she told me, particularly about being rescued by the Carpathia, was accurately described in this book. But as well as being a history nerd I’m also a reader and so I did enjoy this book. The author took an historical event and looked at the wider perspectives and has created a thoroughly enjoyable fiction around it.

My thanks go to my local library for allowing me to reserve this book. Use your library. Or lose your library.

Measuring the World - Ellis

  I feel that any kind of review for this book is superfluous to requirements. It’s not a book I want to review, it’s a book I want to revere. Simple, compact, slender by its page count, immense in its concept, Measuring the World is the story of Kimberly Paula Hetherington aged 10 who decides to……….. measure the world.

‘ I am scared, but I am brave. I know nothing and want to know everything.’

If ever a book like this was needed for the world, it’s now, more than ever. It’s a book for all ages so it can be experienced at whatever conceptual level the reader might be. Younger readers may interpret the text literally and their imaginations will accept that Kimberly can measure the length and breadth of the sea. Older readers will understand the metaphysical intention behind some of Kimberley’s measuring……

‘……. a preacher from each and every faith.’

It’s a book many of us could read in minutes but the content should remain with us for ever. It’s a book that is a perfect gift for those you love, and maybe those you don’t love. For the reading of it may bring about more love than you ever thought possible.

The presentation of the book is delightful. The text, by Ellis,  is accompanied by some simple yet effective black-and-white line drawings, and some pages have the suggestion of blue skies and white clouds along their tops. Drawings are by Emily Woodthorpe. The cover, plate and background design were by Desislava Georgieva.

My thanks to the early reviewers programme at Librarything and Hawkwoodbooks for my much treasured copy of this book. 

AERA - Markus Heitz translated by Emily Gunning and Charlie Homewood

 Reading AERA is the equivalent to binge watching a TV box set. Originally conceived as ten novellas they’re all now contained within one omnibus edition. And what a treat it is. A dystopian Raiders of the Lost Ark almost. Malleus Bourreau is Interpol’s answer to Indiana Jones, although it does take him until the final volume before he wields his whip! 

This is adventure for the grown-ups. It’s action packed with murder and with mystery and a premise that only the most imaginative of fantasy writers could conceive. So what is it?

‘November 2019. The gods are back, the world is in uproar – and only one man has the strength to seek the truth.

Malleus Bourreau, atheist and investigator, has never believed in any kind of god – but that’s a problem when they start manifesting.

But wait – Zeus,The Morrigan, Thor… these aren’t the gods that people have worshipped.

It’s the middle of an invasion, and Malleus is the only one who believes in that reality.’

The prologue sets the scene with a series of transcriptions from radio and TV programmes which introduces the reader to the idea that the ancient gods are back in the world and making their presence felt. We’re also introduced to Malleus with a physical description, let’s not forget his Fu Manchu moustache, some speculations about his life and an interview for the online forum Immortals Today. The prologue also gives us a flavour of our hero in action and it serves as a much-needed introduction to what follows.

Without wishing to give too much away we follow Malleus to various locations across the globe, from the Vatican to Cornwall,  as he searches for a variety of villains, murderers and ancient, missing artefacts. Interpol assigns him an assistant, Marianne Lagrande who proves to be a feisty and formidable lady who may possibly have romantic designs upon her new boss. More than that I’m not prepared to say lest I bring the wrath of the spoiler gods down upon me.

Malleus is a compelling character. If Houdini wasn’t referenced in the book at some point I would be calling him Houdini because he seems to be able to extricate himself from the most dastardly of situations. To be fair he is given some help from an intriguing source. His acerbic wit is an entertaining accompaniment to the mayhem that is sometimes unleashed by angry gods. Aiding his sleuthing is his trusty PDA and a selection of the finest cigars.

Marianne is a great character as well. The part she plays runs parallel to Bouurreau’s; whilst he’s hurtling his way around the world she is systematically solving clues and putting the pieces of the jigsaw together. She’s certainly put through her paces in a way that I’m sure she didn’t anticipate when she took the job on! But she shows herself completely equal to everything that’s thrown at her. I enjoyed her character immensely

I imagine that if people have read these volume by volume they would be desperate for the next one to be written and published. No such problem here with this omnibus edition. You’ve got the whole lot under one delightful roof and reading them all at once enables you to see what a skilful plotter Heitz is. 

It’s escapist entertainment. And there’s possibly a subliminal subtext upon the nature of religion. When accused of being an atheist Malleus avers that he is a denialist. ‘ There’s no such thing as gods, and the powers of these so-called entities are by no means divine.‘

But the book is divine! It’s meaty, substantial and at over 800 pages it’s a committed read but one, I feel, that is well worth the effort. Big shout out to the translators, Emily Gunning and Charlie Homewood, who have done a fantastic job. I wonder if they did it all in one go or as each novella was published?

My thanks to Joe Christie and Jo Fletcher books for a copy and a place upon the blog blast.

The Lying Club - Annie Ward - blog tour

 

 Many crime/mystery stories can be accurately labelled as “whodunnits“. This book is what I like to call a “didshedidn’tshedoit“ but in this case it’s which she did it and if she did it. If none of them did it, then who did? Did what, I hear you ask!

‘At an elite private school nestled in the Colorado mountains, a tangled web of lies draws together three vastly different women.

Natalie, a young office assistant, dreams of having a life like the school moms she deals with every day. Women like Brooke – a gorgeous heiress, ferociously loving mother and serial cheater - and Asha, an overachieving and overprotective mum who suspects her husband of having an affair.

The fates are bound by their relationships with the handsome, charming assistant athletic director Nicholas, who Natalie loves, Brooke wants and Asha needs. But when two bodies are carried out of the school early one morning, it seems the jealousy between mothers and daughters, rival lovers and the haves and have-nots has shattered the surface of this isolated, affluent town – a town where people will stop at nothing to get what they want.’

This is delicious. It doesn’t let up for a minute. From a tantalising prologue that suggests so much but confirms nothing this story unravels slowly and doggedly leaving you to feverishly turn the pages trying to figure it all out from the abundance of enigmatic clues left. It’s all there for the astute reader to fathom but it’s a fiendish plot that will leave you believing you’ve reasoned  something out only to find -  you haven’t! It’s not edge of the seat tension, it’s nuanced suspense that is sustained throughout the book. And the final denouement was unexpected.

I’ve never been to Colorado yet the portrait created here is just as I imagine it to be.  One of the most expensive states in America, this small, isolated town has a privileged population all expecting to get what they want when they want it.

Natalie is the main protagonist, damaged, flawed and teetering between getting it right and getting wrong. Right away the reader is invited to believe that she may not be completely honest, and possibly unreliable, yet the skilful characterisation has you willing her to extricate herself from the situations she’s in. We are subtly invited to consider whether she is envious of the lifestyles of the school children and their parents. The other female characters are as well drawn as Natalie but they are harder to like. What I found interesting was that the behaviour of the parents towards each other almost mirrored the childrens’! Even the staff of the school seem difficult to warm to. I had a sense of an ‘us and them’ vibe, the affluent and the less affluent to put it politely. The depiction of the schoolchildren is clever because by the end of the book your opinion of them has changed when you see what they’ve been put through. But I guess you could say that of many characters, initial perceptions turn out to be wrong. 

It’s a fine example of its genre, you come away having felt disturbed, angry and yet satisfied that by the end of the book everything and everyone is, more or less, resolved. Or is it?

My thanks to Joe Christie at Quercus Books for a gifted proof and a spot upon the blog tour.

The Gift - Alan Titchmarsh

 I’ve never read a book by Alan Titchmarsh before. No particular reason for that other than being the age that I am I think of him more as a gardener than an author.  And yet there is no reason why he can’t do both perfectly well! And he does, so far as I can tell from having read The Gift. 

It’s a gentle story in many respects. The characters are decent people, no real villains. And it’s a wonderful celebration of the natural world and the love of family and friends. It’s full of life affirming philosophies and whilst the premise maybe viewed by some as far fetched for others it will simply cement what they’ve always believed. But whatever you do believe it makes for an uplifting, undemanding read. Yet it is by no means saccharin as there are some challenging events that occur but another aspect of the book is to show how humans endure and how fragile is self belief.

The book has a pleasing narrative flow and the sense of being in the Yorkshire Dales is palpable. I found an element of predictability in some of the outcomes which I dislike articulating because it almost implies criticism. But I do believe that there are readers who relish that predictability and find a comfort and satisfaction at the expected outcomes. That wouldn’t work in a crime or a thriller book! But maybe we don’t necessarily always want twists and surprises when we read. It works well in a book of this type. So by the end everything is neatly tied up and we can put the book down satisfied that all our characters are sorted and safe, as much as anyone can be.

My thanks to Team Bookends for a gifted proof.

What Might Have Been - Holly Miller

 On the surface this looks like a straightforward romcom/chicklit novel but when you delve a little deeper you find out that it is a very cleverly structured and plotted novel. Using the old sliding doors theme this novel has a dual narrative. In a nutshell, the protagonist is in a situation where a choice and a decision has to be made -  to stay in one place or go to another. And of course any decision sends us hurtling down one certain path and a different decision would send us hurtling off down another. And in books where that is the theme the reader is often left to surmise what might have happened if a different path had been taken. What is quite unique about this book is that the author has chosen to give the reader both scenarios. And so the sections are titled “stay“ and “go“. Effectively you almost have two different stories but with the same characters in. For Lucy, our heroine, there are certain elements that feature in both the storylines but, of course, the outcomes from the two decisions are very different. What is so clever though is how elements and characters from both scenarios weave in and out seamlessly. And of course it is only the reader who is privy to both. For the most part it’s a feel good read, ultimately, but there is a part where you might be reaching for the tissues. It’s a book to disappear into on a chilly winters evening.

My thanks to Team Bookends for a gifted proof.

Lean on Me - Serge Joncour translated by Jane Aitken and Louise Rogers Lalaurie

 

With a very different landscape from Joncour’s previous novel, Wild Dog, Lean on Me could be seen as a vastly different book but I do believe that, subliminally maybe, there were some parallels;  in the duality of things, the notion of opposites attracting, being driven by a force beyond control. And if the wild dog serves as an allegory in that novel maybe the crows serve a similar purpose in this story.

Aurore, married to a highflying businessman, with a couple of kids and her own fashion company lives in the same apartment complex as Ludovico, a widower, a former farmer and out of sync with the madness of Paris. An incident with crows brings the unlikely couple together and they embark on an affair. Unlikely because they both come from very different backgrounds. Aurore presents as a privileged achiever whereas Ludovico presents are somebody struggling with his very existence. The life he knew seems to have deserted him. 

Aurore’s problems with her business and  business partner, Ludovico’s dissatisfaction with his city occupation as a debt collector collide and events spiral into an almost Patricia Highsmith type scenario.

It seemed to me that it was more than a mere story, rather an exploration of how two very different people come to rely on one another when the balance of their circumstances is disturbed and their paths cross. Is it fate? Whatever it’s a catalyst for an edgy story. One of those stories that never quite allows you to relax. There is a melting pot of tensions poised to explode.

What I found very interesting was that I never really engaged on an empathic level with either of the two main protagonists. I think Ludovico is probably the nicer person of the pair. I think he cared at a level beyond his own self, I’m not sure I can say the same of Aurore. She seemed to see Ludovico as a protector, a safety blanket but I’m not sure she considered what she brought to him in the relationship. Although I do believe that she really loved him. Ludovico gave me the impression that he would’ve done anything for her. But my diluted rapport with the characters meant I could retain my objectivity for the most part. I was curious to see what each of them would do but I was indifferent as to the outcomes. What I did see was that two people found each other, and in a way, used each other to extricate themselves from the difficulties they were experiencing in their everyday life. That I could empathise with and relate to. The relationship was their oasis in their desert. Everything outside of that seemed poised for disaster. 

The book is translated by Jane Aitken and Louise Rogers LaLaurie. I’m always interested when two people translate the same book! And it was also interesting that two people translated Wild Dog. I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the way this author manages to convey the doubt and indecision that people experience when navigating their way through the maze of life. It’s subtle and nuanced but very effective. In one sense this is a love story but a very stylised love story it exists purely because a certain set of circumstances occurred at a certain moment in time.

My thanks to Gallic books for a gifted copy.

The Reindeer Hunters - Lars Mytting translated by Deborah Dawkin

 The year is 1903, and twenty-two years have passed since Astrid Hekne died in childbirth. Her son Jehans lives on a modest smallholding up in the hills near Butangen, having withdrawn from his community. He is drawn to freedom, to fishing and reindeer hunting, and one day meets a stranger over the body of a huge reindeer buck.

Outside the new church in Butangen, Pastor Kai Schweigaard still cares for Astrid Hekne’s grave. The village’s overworked priest is tormented by his old betrayal, which led to death and to the separation of two powerful church bells cast in memory of two sisters in Astrid’s family. Kai is set on finding an ancient tapestry made by the sisters – the Hekne weave – in the hope that it will reveal how he can remedy his iniquities.

Conceived on an epic scale by Norway’s bestselling author, The Reindeer Hunters is a novel about love and bitter rivalries, sorrow and courage, about history and myth, and the country as it enters a new era, about the first electric light and the Great War in Europe, my brother stands against brother.’

I found the Bell in the Lake to be an immersive read, a novel of depth and substance. I remember feeling a frisson of anticipation for it being part of a trilogy. So I was extremely happy to get my avaricious little hands on The Reindeer Hunters, the second book in the Sister Bells trilogy. Do you need to have read the first to enjoy this new book? No, you don’t, it passes muster as a standalone. But I do believe the experience will be enhanced if you have. However I’m pretty sure you’ll be clamouring to read the Bell in the Lake after this book if you haven’t.

I was riveted from start to finish. There’s something about a saga, a trilogy, always an ambitious endeavour, to create and sustain a fascinating tale across the generations. Mytting strikes the perfect balance between what has gone before and what is happening currently in the lives of the Hekne family. Jehans is the family member to take up Astrid’s baton and you can see aspects of her character developing in him. The pastor is another key character and I love the way that Mytting has not just sustained, but shown how he has developed in his thinking in the course of the two books. Gone is the impetuous, callow young man. By the end of this book I was far more sympathetic to Kai than I had been in the previous book. I enjoyed all of the characterisations but if you feel you will mourn the absence of a strong female character with Astrid’s demise, fear not, for Kristine steps up to the plate ably. The character of Victor is an interesting one and I don’t want to go down any kind of spoiler route here. 

The landscape and beauty of the natural world is also a dominant feature of this novel. As an animal lover I found the concept of reindeer hunting distressing so I probably better not comment on those sequences of the novel but the landscape and the sense of space and distance and the relationship between man and land plays a big part.

The main action takes place on the cusp of the 20th century in Butangen in Norway. We see a community, remote and independent, dealing with the challenges of life and pulling together as communities should. As in an historical novel it is believable and the attention to detail is impressive. As well as being a novel with a great story there’s also observations regarding  progress, industrialisation and how innovations and people with ideas can change the very fabric of a community. Yet, in a sense at the heart of the novel is a simplicity, an ordinariness, of a people simply trying to live their lives and survive. To keep themselves housed, fed and warm in sometimes challenging conditions. But it’s done in such a way as to fulfil all the requirements of an epic saga.

In a work like this, with its breadth and scope, a great big shout out must go to the incredible work of the translator, Deborah Dawkin. When you’re reading you can sometimes forget that someone has gone through the entire Norwegian text and rendered it into the English language and created a flowing narrative that showcases Mytting’s extraordinary talent. 

I can’t wait for the third and final instalment! My thanks to Corinna Zifko at MacLehose Press for an advance copy.

The Last Good Funeral of the Year - Ed O’Loughlin

 

While I consider myself to be primarily a fiction reader that’s not exclusive at all.  I was thoroughly engaged with this memoir from Ed O’Loughlin. When I first began it, I found that it was written in the third person so it read almost like a novel. I was curious but the author explained his reasons for using the third person narrative rather than the first later in the book. And I get it.

The catalyst for the book seems to be the death of somebody just before lockdown whom the author had known in his younger past . He attended her funeral and the title is alluding to the fact that attendees at lockdown funerals were limited. 

Ostensibly appearing to mourn Charlotte, the lady who passed away, the event prompted him to reappraise his whole life. And as he examines events both personal and professional he is looking for meaning and explanations. It’s a moving memoir. We hear about the tragic suicide of his brother aged just 30. His life as a journalist in war zones. His role as husband and father. it’s all written with a refreshing honesty and some subtle wit. A moving realisation of how one ages and how it can creep up on you when you least expect it. That awful moment when you suddenly have to face the fact that you are old and cannot be or do who or what you used to. 

I found it a very readable volume. Some memoirs can be self aggrandising and self absorbed, this isn’t. There’s almost an unspoken apology for things not done. It’s quite refreshing in this day and age. And you realise that in mourning Charlotte he’s also mourning himself, or the loss of himself as he was. And so perhaps the title takes on a deeper significance.

Thanks to Ana McLaughlin at riverrun for a gifted proof.

Mouth to Mouth - Antoine Wilson

 

This is one of those books where I had no real preconceptions and I found it an absolute delight to read. I suppose the premise was not an wholly original one. Two people who haven’t met for a long time, thrown together in a certain circumstance, in this case it’s a flight delay,  and the protracted revelation of one person to the other. In a way it is one story embedded in another but the backstory of how the two men became acquaintances is of lesser consequence when it comes to the main fiction, other than to highlight the difference between the two men and demand us to consider how the one became as privileged as he appears to be.

What makes the book so readable and so absorbing is the concise and well paced narrative with fairly short chapters. It doesn’t let up for a moment. I suppose it’s more a novella than a novel at under 200 pages but that’s another strong point of the book. To have spun it out to a longer book would possibly have rendered it tedious.

Whilst the main story begins with a near drowning incident, It’s mainly set in the art world, galleries and shows, hinting at the more nefarious side of dealing. There’s a curious sense of foreboding and what I like to call the “Patricia Highsmith“ effect, where you can see things take a wrong turn that could so easily be avoided were a different path taken.. The main protagonist, Jeff, pursues a vaguely Ripleyesque compulsion to find out all he can about the man who nearly drowned, Francis Arsenault, after saving him by giving, you guessed it, mouth to mouth. And sets Jeff off on a journey that seems doomed almost. I’ll say no more about the plot for I don’t want to offer any spoilers.

The recipient of the tale frequently questions why Jeff is telling him all this. But since he is a writer it’s strongly hinted that Jeff would like him to write it as a novel, perhaps. There’s a twist at the end that is possibly predictable but it emphasises considerations of morality within the book.

I think there is little doubt that the skill of the author, his intelligent prose and narrative construction elevates the story. The characters aren’t particularly likeable. They seem self interested, obsessed even. So as a reader you don’t necessarily engage with them. But as a work of fiction it has a surprising compulsion. Books are so frequently described as ‘unputdownable’ as some kind of publicity or sales spiel. But, genuinely, I couldn’t put this book down!

My thanks to Readers First for a copy.

One Italian Summer - Rebecca Serle Blog Blast

 Well, there’s chic lit and there’s romantic fiction and then there’s…… Rebecca Serle! I think she merits a genre all of her own! 

Her novel In Five Years was a bold exercise in twisting the reader around her little finger in terms of plot. Twists and turns that you didn’t see coming. One Italian Summer sees a major twist. But it’s clear that this author is still interested in playing with time and space. And she does it very well.

‘When Katy’s mother dies, she’s left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mum, but her best friend. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her most she’s gone.

As she sets off on the trip of a lifetime, which she was meant to take with her mother, Katy feels herself coming back to life. And then Carol appears, healthy and suntanned… And thirty years old.

Katy doesn’t understand what’s happening, or how - all she can focus on is that somehow, impossibly, she has her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy get to know Carol, what is another, but as the young woman who came before.

Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman who came before.

But can we ever truly know our parents? Soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.’

Another tale that tugs at your heart especially if you understand what it feels like to lose your mum.  In that respect the opening of the book is a little heavy, but moving. As the narrative progresses those of us still paralysed by the pandemic into staycations rather than travelling further afield will be able to vicariously enjoy Positano. I would go as far to say that the Italian tourist board should be alerted to the potential of this book! I defy anyone reading it not to want to go to the Amalfi Coast. It’s very uplifting; the sights, the sounds the smells ………and the food. So if the first part of the book has you tearful, the rest will have you salivating too!

The characterisations are interesting. Because there are aspects of Katy that I found jarred with me. At time she seemed quite selfish but then I had to remind myself that she’s grieving and that does strange things to your behaviour. And the depiction of the young Carol as compared with the adult Carol are at odds but that really is one of the points of the story and I think it’s very well done. And there is such a poignancy to these characterisations and it is so interesting to consider the point at which you regard your own mum as more than ‘just’ your mum but as a person in her own right, with ideals, dreams and wishes. 

If you’re looking for a story steeped in realism then you’re not likely to get it! But if you enjoy a story resplendent with romance and imagination you will. Yet it is more than “just“ a romance. It does explore the depths of grief that the loss of a loved throws you into. I suppose there’s a touch of the Mitch Alboms about it. But it also has interesting considerations about the nature of motherhood and the bond between a mother and a daughter, relationships too.

It’s probably a good escapist read, one for the beach but with the proviso that you do need tissues! 

My thanks to Milly Reid at Quercus books for a gifted proof and a place upon the blog blast.

The Unsinkable Greta James - Jennifer E Smith

Despite her being a prolific author this is the first of Jennifer E Smith’s books that I’ve read. I found it to be an enjoyable, although emotional, read. And I think for anyone who has lost their mum it may affect them. It’s a story of family dynamics, partly fractured, dealing with bereavement and healing.

And for any Titanic buffs out there the title will resonate. The unsinkable Molly Brown was an indomitable force in one of the lifeboats helping to evacuate passengers. helping to steer the boat and by all accounts was a larger-than-life character. The comparison is partially a symbolic one. Greta James is not as ‘in your face’ as Molly and the action takes place on board a boat, sorry ship, that doesn’t sink. And the story really is about Greta trying to stay afloat, not on the boat, sorry ship, but in life. The book also looks at the relationship she has with her father.

The ship, too, serves as a symbol of Greta’s artistic and personal claustrophobia, in fact the whole concept of the cruise works very well as a metaphor for this indie musician’s struggles. The Alaskan landscape too with its glaciers, sea lions, whales all sustain the metaphors. 

Although this book might be categorised as romantic fiction genre it does go beyond that with its observations of how people deal with losing someone they love, it’s cultural allusions, the nature of creativity and passion. The characters are well drawn unbelievable. You feel the pain in the conflict between Greta and Conrad, her father. I thought the author achieved a good balance between being compassionate yet not overly sentimental which could’ve been easy to do. The ending is satisfactory, enigmatic even, without being predictable, another trap that it would’ve been easy to fall into. It’s an entertaining read that offers its audience things to consider. 

My thanks to team bookends for a gifted copy and to Milly Reid at Quercus Books for a spot upon the blog tour.