Dear friends. Spring has arrived and with it a lot of exciting new books, most of which I read last year, thanks to NetGalley.
It's a superb array this month with something to tempt everyone. Those with an asterisk are books I bought myself. Those without were sent to me as digital advance copies in return for an honest review.
The Fisherman's Gift by Julia Kelly (5 out of 5 stars)
Set in 1900, a little boy washes up on the beach of a small fishing village in Scotland, barely alive. He bears an uncanny resemblance to teacher Dorothy's son, lost to the sea many years before.
Dorothy agrees to look after the child until he can be returned home. But, as the past rises to meet the present, long-buried secrets in this tight-knit community start to come to light. Dorothy finds herself thrown together again with the reclusive fisherman Joseph, after years of keeping their distance.
It's been a while since I read such a beautiful book, the debut novel of Julia Kelly. Poignant and heart breaking at times, but ultimately redemptive. The characters are deftly drawn and I felt that I knew them: Dorothy the teacher, whose awkward introduction as she met the women in the village shop seals her fate, and charismatic fisherman Joseph.
Flesh by David Szalay (4 out of 5 stars)
I became engrossed in this deeply nuanced novel. For the first few chapters the writing is sparse and factual as it records the adolescent István, his affair with a woman his mother's age, and a dead end job followed by the army. István's communication is largely restricted to saying everything is ok, the classic teenage response to dissuade further engagement.
Szalay uses a highly effective device to occasionally not covering major milestones, but placing us in a narrative which makes us realise things have moved on.
Becoming a driver for a wealthy couple in England, István has an affair with the wife and becomes a wealthy property developer. He has moved on from saying OK but rarely gives any emotional response. I was surprised that he seemed to be doing well as there had not been much sign of potential in his younger years. Unfortunately it all goes wrong and becomes bleak.
Something happens near the end of the book that triggers an emotional breakdown. I realised István has been repressing his emotions, perhaps as a safety mechanism because of the abuse he suffered as a teenager. Szalay doesn't moralise or question why István is the way he is. He presents the man and his life, with its ups and downs, and we make up our own mind
The Wardrobe Dept by Elaine Garvey (4 out of 5 stars)
Mairéad works in a theatre's costume department in London. We don't know why she left Ireland, although we know she's lonely and binge eating. During the day her job sees her washing and mending costumes and running to the cobblers. The other girls seem very worldly. Her overtures at friendship are rejected. She has to deal with creepy men at work and a bullying producer.
In the second part of the book, the action moves to Ireland as Mairéad dashes home for her grandmother's funeral. A complicated family and home life is revealed: an ex boyfriend who's now engaged; a father who bullies her and the wife who despises him. As she prepares to return to London, Mairéad's mother makes a confession.
The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas (3.5 out of 5 stars)
Lena and her husband have moved into a pleasant Bristol suburb. Their neighbours are a lovely couple in their 60s. But Lena overhears something that suggests her neighbours have dark secrets.
Not quite as powerful or nail biting as The Wrong Sister. Has an intriguing plot but the ending seemed a bit drawn out: we reached the denouement and it just petered out.
Nonetheless it kept me reading. Clare Douglas is a fine storyteller. She casts a net round the reader and hauls you in.
One night at the Chateau by Veronica Henry (4 out of 5 stars)
The perfect book to counter our dreary winter skies. Veronica Henry's writing is balm for the soul. Who could resist those deep blue Provencal skies? The amazing food, which she describes so well?
As always there's a sensitive and sympathetic story, this time centred on a 50 year old woman, Connie, whose husband has gone off with another woman. "I had burned so bright, I thought sadly, but I'd been extinguished, stamped on until I barely showed a glimmer."
Deciding at short notice to help her godparents out, running their luxury Chateau, Connie is immediately back in her milieu. I was cheering when she stood up to her husband, and when she dealt with a ghastly guest. I liked how the older folk, Lismay, her husband Piers and Connie's father, are treated with respect, rather than out of touch or decrepit, as usually happens in novels.
Henry is always up to date with contemporary trends which gives her books a delightful charm. Enchanting!
The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh (4 out of 5 stars)
Helen Appleby just wants a quiet life. Recently released from prison for the manslaughter of her partner, she's trying to forget her past mistakes to rebuild her life and move on. She decides to open a book shop.
Unfortunately Helen is dogged by misfortune. Everything that can go wrong for Helen just about does.
Great pacey writing by Valerie Keogh with some very complex female characters. I loved the way some of the Boldwood and Storm stables of her fellow authors got name checks.
Birding by Rose Ruane* (4 out of 5 stars)
Lydia was a teen popstar in the 1990s and now in middle age, she’s trying to process the things that happened to her and her bandmate, Pan, whose feelings about her time in The Lollies differ from Lydia’s. Pan and Lydia haven't seen each other for a long time when Lydia, down on her luck, moves in. Meanwhile mother and daughter Betty and Joyce live in a claustrophobic flat and venture out only occasionally, dressed in identical clothes. Joyce, in her 40s, is never allowed out on her own. She remembers a different story in her childhood, when the family was quite wealthy.
The two narrative seams overlap. The book asks: can we ever be reliable narrators of our own history?
Superbly written and thought provoking.
NON-FICTION
Mastering the Art of Choosing and Wearing a Hat by Clare Smythson*
Suddenly Single at Sixty by Jo Peck*
I was inspired to read this after seeing it in the reviews of some of my Australian blogger friends. Dumped by her husband of twenty-five years, Jo Peck—smart, successful and sixty—is totally floored.
There’s the complete bombshell of the news, the cliché of a much younger woman, and the disappointment of cancelled retirement travel plans. Not to mention the loss of her sense of identity. Jo came across as feisty and fiery, and I was rooting for her the whole time.
BOOK BLOG TOURS IN MARCH
The Crime Writer by Diane Jeffrey
Death at Horsey Mere by Ross Greenwood
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How you manage to get through so many book & keep your busy lifestyle going, I really do not know! Lots of books here I will want to read - & many thanks indeed for your review of my own book
ReplyDeleteFortunately I read quite quickly! I normally read for a couple of hours before bed. My annual beach holiday sees me getting through about 8 books. I definitely wear a hat then!
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