Village England, southern variety, in the late Eighties. Helen and Edward slowly find themselves following the death of their controlling cantankerous mother.
Younger sister Louise, who escaped to London in her late teens, visits from time to time, with an accompanying personal whirlwind that stirs things up.
Helen has a crush on the local solicitor; Edward eventually acknowledges his own homosexuality.
A chance find on the Walton bookshelves, I suspect this was one of the books we inherited from Janet or John at the caravan. Just right for a blustery Bank Holiday Monday and ensuing working week.
We spend a few months in the company of multiple Londoners, born, bred and immigrant, whose lives are all affected by the random mugging of 77 year old Charlotte. An exploration of the butterfly effect and the characters that inhabit modern middle class London.
A speedy read this one, started on Sunday and polished off on Monday at home where a pot of tea and a good book managed to shift a trying tension headache.
Penelope Lively selects a handful of key moments in her life, and adds a fictional spin to each scenario to explore “what might have been” for someone else in the same circumstances.
If you liked Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, I think you’d like this.
Glyn finds a photo of his (dead) wife surreptitiously holding hands with another.
This novel traces the fall out as he proceeds to question family and friends about his wife’s fidelity during their marriage.
Why did Glyn feel the need to persist in his selfish pursuit for The Truth? I’d say it’s part of his nature. At least he continued his compassion-free quest to the bitter end, and I would love to know what happened next.
One English Edwardian house – Allersmead
Two parents – Charles and Alison
Six offspring – Paul, Gina, Sandra, Roger, Katie, Clare
One Swedish au pair who never, really, leaves – Ingrid