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.
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