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Book Review: The Proof Of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe

Posted on by Libby Price

“A BLISTERINGLY FUNNY POLITICAL CRITIQUE WRAPPED UP IN A MURDER MYSTERY, FROM ONE OF BRITAIN’S MOST BELOVED NOVELISTS – AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
Post-university life doesn’t suit Phyl. Time passes slowly living back home with her parents, working a zero-hour contract serving Japanese food to holidaymakers at Heathrow’s Terminal 5. As for her budding plans of becoming a writer, those are going nowhere.
That is, until family friend Chris comes to stay. He’s been on the path to uncover a sinister think-tank, founded at Cambridge University in the 1980s, that’s been scheming to push the British government in a more extreme direction. One that’s finally poised to put their plans into action.
But speaking truth to power can be dangerous – and power will stop at nothing to stay on top.
As Britain finds itself under the leadership of a new Prime Minister whose tenure will only last for seven weeks, Chris pursues his story to a conference being held deep in the Cotswolds, where events take a sinister turn and a murder enquiry is soon in progress. But will the solution to the mystery lie in contemporary politics, or in a literary enigma that is almost forty years old?
Darting between decades and genres, THE PROOF OF MY INNOCENCE is a wickedly funny and razor-sharp new novel from one of Britain’s most beloved novelists, showing how the key to understanding the present can often be found in the murkiest corners of the past.“

I thoroughly enjoyed Jonathan Coe’s previous book, Bournville, and so was delighted to be offered an advance review copy for his new book.

The book starts with Phyl at home after university, a very similar age to my oldest child, and so easy to identify with. Her parents’ friend Chris and his daughter Rashida come to visit the family. The book is then set over the time period of Liz Truss’s prime ministership (so yes, quite a concise timeline) and ends up being a book within a book within a book. It’s all a bit of a head f*ck – but in a good way – and the ending makes you question everything you’ve previously read, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Each book element is a different genre – from cosy crime, to dark academia, with some autofiction thrown in for good measure. This is all clever – as Jonathan Coe’s books always are! It also enables there to be flashbacks to the 1980s when a lot of the main characters first met.

Another similarity with Coe’s previous books is that the locations are close to where I live! Who knew Fish Hill outside Broadway would be such a feature (I spent my 50th birthday with friends in a hotel a short walk from that particular stretch of road).

There is an eclectic mix of characters – and you do have to concentrate not to get confused (although that might just be me?!) The commentary on the current state of UK far right politics is also ‘interesting’.

Overall the book is very good at drawing you in and you wanting to find out more – and I absolutely adored the way the murder ended up being solved (no spoilers here).

A big thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is out in November 2024 and available for pre order now.

Book Review: Honeybee by Dawn O’Porter

Posted on by Libby Price

I have historically LOVED Dawn’s books – in fact for a few years, if anyone asked for a book recommendation, then ‘The Cows‘ was my go to. However, I didn’t particularly enjoy her last fiction book, and so was nervous of reading another one – but decided it was 2 year later and I would be big and brave when I was offered an advance review copy of Honeybee and hoped that my cat allergy was the issue last time.

Here is the blurb:

“For best friends Renée and Flo, adulthood isn’t the party they expected.
Renée’s dreams of being a writer are going nowhere. Flo’s hiding a secret shame. They’re both failing in work and love.
Why did nobody warn them? Why does adulthood feel less like freedom, and more like a trap?
Careening from one disaster to the next, and learning to spread their… wings, Renée and Flo must uncover the secret to living their best lives.
But maybe we never stop growing up. And maybe they’ll survive the course – if only they stick together.”

I hadn’t, until I started the book, realised it’s a sequel to Dawn’s Young Adult book ‘Paper Aeroplanes’ which I’ve never read – so I might be coming at it differently to someone reading a follow up to a much loved previous novel.

The book starts with Renée and Flo being reunited, after 3 years, at a funeral on the island of Guernsey where they (and in fact Dawn O’Porter herself) grew up. They are in their early 20s (so a similar age to my eldest daughter) and their lives aren’t panning out as they’d expected.

Having read 2 wonderful, literary books most recently, I was little concerned about my next read being a disappointment – but I need not have been concerned, this was wonderful. Just so different to either of them – but early in the book Renée’s first day at work had my literally laughing out loud!

Whilst it is part ‘coming of age’ it also deals with infidelity, mental health, grief, menopause, strained parental relationships – but not in a deep, depressing way – just in the way that most people’s lives are complicated with lots of different strands.

The setting of Guernsey is really well described as well – I’d definitely like to go and visit having never ‘done’ a Channel Island.

I hadn’t fully appreciated the time period of the book until a huge international event takes place – one of those times when you will always remember where you were – and I thought Dawn captured both the unfolding of the event – but also how everyone felt in the aftermath – really well.

The book is told alternately from Renée and Flo’s points of view – but the supporting cast of characters – family members, neighbours, colleagues, even bees – all provide a rich tapestry for the storyline. I romped through it – keen to see how everything turned out for our leading ladies. There would definitely be room for another instalment in their lives in the future too.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable, escapist read – it would appear I prefer bees to cats!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC. Honeybee is out in September 2024 and can be pre ordered now.

Book Review: Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

Posted on by Libby Price

I feel like I’ve ‘known’ Susie Dent forever – she’s been in Dictionary Corner on Countdown since 1992 – which is a very long time. I heard her interviewed on a podcast recently and really enjoyed hearing about her being herself, not just the lexicographer and etymologist that she is famed for being on TV. When I heard that her first novel was being released, I was delighted to be granted an advance review copy. Here’s the blurb:

“Guilty by Definition is a love letter not only to language but to the city of Oxford, wrapped within an intriguing mystery of a missing woman and considering the emotional aftershocks of her disappearance on those left behind.
She’d known there would be ghosts in Oxford. Martha wasn’t afraid of any headless horsemen, or nuns haunting the local ruins; it was Charlie, always Charlie she was afraid would find her.
When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, it is rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the letter hints at secrets and lies linked to a particular year.
For Martha Thornhill, the new senior editor, the date can mean only one thing: the summer her brilliant older sister Charlie went missing.
After a decade abroad, Martha has returned home to the city whose ancient institutions have long defined her family. Have the ghosts she left behind her been waiting for her return?
When more letters arrive, and Martha and her team pull apart the complex clues within them, the mystery becomes ever more insistent and troubling. It seems Charlie had been keeping a powerful secret, and someone is trying to lead the lexicographers towards the truth. But other forces are no less desperate to keep it well and truly buried.”

The book is set at the ‘Clarendon English Dictionary’ offices in Oxford. I know Susie has worked for Oxford University Press in the past – so I’m guessing she’s drawing on personal experience for a lot of the setting (maybe novel 2 will be set in the world of TV?!)

Martha has returned from working in Berlin to a role at the CED – where her older sister, Charlie, had been employed before she disappeared many years before. Martha and her colleagues, and other people connected to Charlie, start to receive cryptic letters and postcards which they try to decipher.

I have to say some of this deciphering went over my head a bit – as my Shakespeare knowledge is not extensive – but that didn’t detract from enjoying the book. And whilst I haven’t read any more Shakespeare than my GCSE syllabus required, I did grow up close to Stratford Upon Avon – so am familiar with him and his family. In fact I grew up thinking the expression ‘It’s black over Bill’s Mother’s’ – when a storm was incoming – was due to the fact the clouds were gathering from a Southerly direction where Mary Shakespeare (nee Arden)’s house was. However, having attempted to fact check that (I’ve been ‘influenced’ by the book) it would appear this is one explanation – but actually people all over the UK use the same odd phrase and it may well refer to Kaiser Wilhelm II from Germany instead.

The start of each chapter features an unusual word which is then explained (some I knew, some I didn’t – but do now) and as you would expect, the language throughout the book is just wonderful. I felt like I was being educated whilst enjoying a fantastic book at the same time! This did mean that at the start the storyline felt quite slow – as lots of page space was taken up explaining the meaning of words – but I enjoyed that. I’m not sure if I just got used to that – or if the pace did pick up – as the ‘mystery’ element of the book seemed to gather momentum throughout.

The relationships between Martha and her colleagues are explored – and Martha and her parents and particularly how that changed after Charlie disappeared. The fact that someone who disappears / dies is remembered through rose coloured spectacles is also looked at, along with ‘recollections may vary’ between different parties of the same experience and ‘survivor’ guilt. That makes it sound really heavy – but it’s not at all – it’s a great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book – from an educational standpoint – but also as a well written mystery novel. A huge thank you to the publishers for my ARC. It actually was released 2 days ago – so if it’s taken your fancy, you can order it right now.

My only ‘slight’ quibble, is that a certain pop group from the 1990s were never mentioned…………….


Book Review: You Belong With Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Posted on by Libby Price

First things first, I am a HUGE Mhairi McFarlane fan. If I’m ever asked for a book recommendation (which actually happens reasonably often, as I overshare my love of books to everyone!) my first question is always ‘have you read everything by Mhairi McFarlane yet?’ – and yes, I do explain to everyone ‘you say her name Vahree’. All of her books are wonderful, funny, clever, emotional, modern, beautifully written – and all round fabulous. However one did leave me begging for a sequel as you can see by my previous review of ‘Who’s That Girl?‘ – and 8 years later, Mhairi has delivered!

Here’s the blurb for her newest book ‘You Belong With Me’:

“She found The One. But when everyone wants him, can she keep him?
When there’s a ring on her doorbell on Christmas Day, there’s only one person Edie Thompson wants it to be. The person who’s still in her heart. The person who just might be The One.
She and Elliot Owen called it quits once before – but aren’t they too good together not to try? And here he is – offering her everything she dreamed of.
But dating Elliot, an actor, is anything but plain sailing. Being an ocean apart and followed by the press is one thing, but when Edie’s friends and Elliot’s family are drawn in, things get messy. Then her boss hires a friendly face in the form of Declan Dunne, who’s there for her when times are tough, and Edie starts to wonder … are she and Elliot a fairytale come true – or a cautionary fable about getting what you wish for?”

So immediately we find out who was at the door – phew! It’s what we all wanted all those years ago – and now we get to find out how the relationship between Edie and Elliot pans out. The fantastic supporting cast of the first book are all back to help – and sometimes hinder – things, along with new characters like Declan – who is thoroughly lovely as well (and an image of him naked will stay with me for a while!!)

I have to say there were certain times when I wanted to give both Edie and Elliott a good shake and tell them to talk to each other properly – but this did not detract from the storyline, I was still desperate to read on.

As it’s a Mhairi McFarlane book you expect twists and turns, and it did not disappoint. I’ve commented before about her use of modern technology and how it thus feels really real and modern – and yet again that’s fundamental to the storyline at times. The dialogue between the characters is, as ever, clever, witty and laugh out loud funny at times.

‘You Belong With Me’ is out in June 2024 – and I would highly recommend pre ordering now as a lovely gift to your future self! If you haven’t read the prequel ‘Who’s That Girl?’ then:

a. Why not?! and
b. I probably would if I were you – but you wouldn’t HAVE to as this would stand alone – but you might miss some of the historic references

Many thanks to Harper Collins, Net Galley – and of course Mhairi – for my advance review copy.

Book Review: The Revenge Club by Kathy Lette

Posted on by Libby Price

Whilst I’ve followed Kathy Lette on social media for years – I don’t think I’ve ever read one of her books before (and I definitely have never reviewed one on here) – but when I saw she had a new book out, I managed to get an advance review copy off Net Galley. Now weirdly on Net Galley it says it’s not out until August 2024 (but I now wonder if that’s a US release date perhaps?) as it appears to already be out on Kindle – and imminently released as a hard back – and Kathy has been having a fabulous time on book tour in her native Australia and has now started on a UK book tour! But at least that means I’m not tempting you loads in advance, and you can order it immediately if you like the sound of it?! So here’s the blurb:

“WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU, IT’S TIME TO GET EVEN.
Matilda, Jo, Penny and Cressy are all women at the top of their game; so imagine their surprise when they start to be personally overlooked and professionally pushed aside by less-qualified men.
Only they’re not going down without a fight.
Society might think the women have passed their amuse-by dates but the Revenge Club have other plans.
After all, why go to bed angry when you could stay up and plot diabolical retribution? Let the games begin…”

The main character in the book is Matilda – who is an Australian born writer now living in London, with 2 children (one of whom is autistic) and is separated from their father (now, this does sound vaguely familiar when compared to the writer’s own life – but ‘write what you know’ is often said!)

Tilly reunites – after 30+ years – with 3 friends she was in a band with at University (Louche Women is a most excellent band name!) but has lost touch with since. Jo has been in the US working on movies, Penny is a news anchor and Cressy is an actress married to a high flying lawyer with 4 daughters. All 4 women – as they approach their late 50s – have experienced issues with being a woman of a certain age – and so come together – as The Revenge Club – to, as the name suggests, take their revenge!

Whilst the book is silly and funny and frequently made me laugh out loud – it also covers important topics facing women of a certain age, but in a very entertaining way.

The ‘Revenge’ plans twist and turn during the plot of the book and keep you guessing right to the end – but the development of the main characters is great and the relationships between them all. I also really enjoyed how Tilly’s kids came into their own in the book – with kids a similar age I could very much empathise with Tilly’s initial frustrations!

Overall this was a fantastic, escapist and hilarious read – and perfect for those of us 50+

A huge thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC.

Book Review: You Are Here by David Nicholls

Posted on by Libby Price

Having adored previous books by David Nicholls, (so much so that I can’t watch the new Netflix series of One Day in case it disappoints) I was delighted to be granted a Net Galley advance review copy of his new novel. Here’s the blurb:

“Sometimes you need to get lost to find your way
Marnie is stuck.
Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that often feels like it’s passing her by.
Michael is coming undone.
Reeling from his wife’s departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells.
When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the most epic of walks and on the precipice of a new friendship.
But can they survive the journey?A new love story by beloved bestseller David Nicholls, You Are Here is a novel of first encounters, second chances and finding the way home.“

I have to say from the off that David Nicholls has done it again – ‘You Are Here’ is WONDERFUL.

The chapters are told alternately from Marnie and Michael’s points of view – with the timelines sometimes overlapping slightly so that you get each of their perspectives on the same situation. I really liked both main characters from the start in different ways, and felt like we got to know them well and understand their back stories and how they are the 40 something people they are now over the timeline of the book.

I have to say that the geography of the trip and the coast to coast walk is also described beautifully – and Michael’s geeky geographical knowledge was very well received by me (even if not always by Marnie!)

It is a beautiful, gentle love story – where you’re rooting for the characters throughout. It twists and turns – much like the walk itself – as the tale unfolds, and is not straightforward at all (although the shocks aren’t quite as gobsmacking as in One Day!) but at the same time it feels really ‘real’.

The ‘banter’ between Michael and Marnie feels very genuine – as do their interactions with other characters in the book. It is funny, moving, sad, joyful – all rolled up into one fabulous book.

I loved the ending – and would love it not to be the end, but to be the beginning of a sequel.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy – it’s out on 23 April 2024 so not long to wait if you like the sound of it.

Book Review: Now Is Not The Time For Flowers by Stacey Heale

Posted on by Libby Price

Stacey Heale first hit my radar when she was a guest on the Don’t Buy Her Flowers podcast talking about grief. A friend had recently died – and I found the podcast really powerful – and immediately sent it to my friend’s equally young widow for when she felt ready to listen to it. I’ve subsequently followed Stacey on social media where she’s shared much of her life – and that of her fabulous daughters – as they navigate their lives (and hair colour and footwear!)

I’ve recently become a ‘DBHFer’ – having been a customer of Don’t Buy Her Flowers since it started (I waxed lyrical about them 9 years ago on this blog!) Being a DBHFer is essentially being an ambassador and in a kind of ‘focus group’ for the brand (if only all focus groups involved #gifted gin and chocolate!) and as Stacey’s book is now available in Don’t Buy Her Flowers packages, they asked if I’d like to receive a #gifted copy in return for an honest review. Given the title has a very similar vibe to the concept of Don’t Buy Her Flowers – it does seem like it will be a great fit.

Here is the blurb for the book:

“When Stacey Heale’s husband, Greg, was diagnosed with incurable cancer on their daughter’s first birthday, everything changed. She quickly realised how little is spoken about what the harder times in our lives really look like, leaving us lost to navigate the unknown alone.
Confronted with a new life she was not prepared for, Stacey began to untangle the brutal realities of life and death – and the fundamental differences between our expectations and reality.
Now is Not the Time for Flowers is Stacey’s unflinchingly beautiful and raw memoir that addresses the big conversations that imminent death dictates, boldly taking the reader on a journey through the full spectrum of our lives and their complexities. Told through vignettes of her own life and the death of her husband, Stacey offers a movingly honest, insightful and humorous account of modern womanhood through the lenses of love, desire, motherhood, death, grief, identity, personal growth and the challenges and questions that our lives force upon us.
Now is Not the Time for Flowers is a powerful call to arms for us to discuss the messy and unexpected truths of our nuanced lives.”

Stacey says at the start that her debut book is not a guidebook for death, but is her own experience.  It’s been driven by her husband dying and leaving her a young widow with two small daughters, but it is much more than just about Greg’s diagnosis and death.  Stacey talks honestly and frankly about this, but also other aspects of her life and loves. 

It is not written in a strict chronological order – but is instead grouped into chapters within specific topics – love, desire, mother, bodies, death, grief, identity and growth. The chapters are different lengths and have really interesting titles. It feels like Stacey is talking to you in a very personal way rather than regurgitating a story from start to finish.

It’s definitely not all doom and gloom – it’s funny, entertaining, thought provoking – making you think about things you might not ever have considered before but will affect us all at some point.  It’s also incredibly well written – Stacey is an excellent communicator on her Instagram – and her writing is equally as eloquent. And yes, of course, it made me cry.

Different elements of the book will be relevant to different people at different times in their lives. It’s definitely the sort of book you could go back to and read again and find something new. One thing that has stuck with me is the comment ‘There are no medals at the Shit Olympics’ – and that people go through awful, awful things all the time. Some years ago I remember a friend, who had recently lost his wife to breast cancer, discussing another friend whose 11 year old son had just died from a brain tumour and him saying ‘I just can’t imagine what they’re going through’, whilst I’m thinking ‘I just can’t imagine what both families have been through’.

I obviously hope that lots of the book won’t be relevant to me personally for years and that my husband lives a long and healthy life – and in that way, reading this book reminded me of when I did a paediatric first aid qualification when my eldest kids were much younger. The theory back then being that even if I was an emotional wreck if one of my own children was injured – there might be a time when I needed to be the slightly emotionally removed responsible adult for someone else’s child in an emergency. In the same way – as well as making me ruminate about my own life and loves – I think this book will also help me be far more aware of how to be a support if someone I know is going through the terminal diagnosis or death of a loved one.

Now Is Not The Time For Flowers was released on 28 March 2024 – and is now available in Don’t Buy Her Flowers gift packages too – I can highly recommend Montezuma chocolate to accompany it (thanks DBHF HQ!)

Book Review: Murder On The Dance Floor by Katie Marsh

Posted on by Libby Price

Having recently enjoyed the first book in the Bad Girls Detective Agency series by Katie Marsh, How Not To Murder Your Ex, I was delighted to see that the second book was available on Net Galley ahead of its release later in March 2024, and I was granted an advance review copy.

Here’s the blurb:

“They DID promise her a killer hen weekend…

Jeanie’s getting married, and – despite her completely impossible four sisters – her best friends Clio and Amber are determined to give her a bachelorette weekend to remember. They’re in matching pink T-shirts and the drinks are flowing…
But the night turns out to be unforgettable for all the wrong reasons when a girl turns up dead on the dancefloor. And – even though she’s a stranger – she is wearing one of Jeanie’s hen T-shirts.
Who is she? And why are the police convinced that the hens are involved? Can the newly-formed Bad Girls Detective Agency solve the murder? And in time to get Jeanie up the aisle?
Unputdownable mystery set on the English coast – perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Bad Sisters and How to Kill Your Family.”

The book follows on 6 months after the initial book in the series – with Jeanie on her hen weekend before getting married to Tan, the father of her 18 month twins. There is the usual friends and family politics of such a weekend – but then there’s a murder on the dancefloor. (Interestingly the song of the same name by Sophie Ellis-Bextor appears to be a timeless classic, with my teenage kids enjoying it when out clubbing just like we did back in the 90s – even before Saltburn made it a global hit recently!)

Now I’m just going to throw up a little niggle at this point. The murder victim has the same surname as the crime family in the first book of the series, and it’s a distinctive surname, not a Smith or a Price – but NO ONE MENTIONS THIS AT ALL. I’m assuming this is an oversight – and the surname may even change before the book is published – but it seemed really odd to pedantic old me!

Since solving the murder of Clio’s ex husband in book one, the ladies have formed a detective agency – and use their skills to try and solve this new murder. There are lots of references to the first book – and characters that reappear (like Marg the septuagenarian drug dealer) but I think it would still stand alone, as enough of the back stories are explained if needed. However, I think reading ‘How Not To Murder Your Ex’ first would be a good plan (and it’s currently free to download if you have Prime!)

Whilst this is primarily a ‘cosy mystery’ – there are lots of other issues discussed too – family dynamics, relationship secrets and lies, female friendships to name but a few. The different characters – particularly Jeanie’s sisters – are well described and thought out, and the camaraderie between Jeanie, Clio and Amber is again evident. I also liked the storyline of Jeanie’s relationship with her own Mum.

Overall I really enjoyed this new book – another fun and escapist read – and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Bad Girls Detective Agency get up to next!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Net Galley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Thirty Days in Paris by Veronica Henry

Posted on by Libby Price

Having previously enjoyed books by Veronica Henry, I’d requested and been granted an advance review copy of this back last year – but had got behind with my reviews and it had slipped down the TBR pile, but took my fancy over Christmas 2023. Here’s the blurb:

“Because Paris is always a good idea…
Years ago, Juliet left a little piece of her heart in Paris – and now, separated from her husband and with her children flying the nest, it’s time to get it back!
So she puts on her best red lipstick, books a cosy attic apartment near Notre-Dame and takes the next train out of London.
Arriving at the Gare du Nord, the memories come flooding back: bustling street cafés, cheap wine in candlelit bars and a handsome boy with glittering eyes.
But Juliet has also been keeping a secret for over two decades – and she begins to realise it’s impossible to move forwards without first looking back.
Something tells her that the next thirty days might just change everything…”

The blurb – and start of this – reminded me of a book I’d read recently with a similar premise, and I did wonder if I’d get confused – but I didn’t at all, and it was lovely to be back in Paris! I say ‘back’ – but this book was actually released first.

Juliet is a similar age to me, with children of a similar age (although in an dissimilar way, I haven’t separated from my husband!) and so there was lots to empathise with immediately. Coincidentally Juliet was from Worcester – and I write this from a coffee shop in the shadow of Worcester Cathedral as I wait to pick my kids up from school!! And whilst Juliet might have been disparaging about a night out here, my 20 and 18 year olds love an evening at Sin and Bush!!

Juliet closes the door on the old family home – and heads off to Paris to revisit where she’d spent some time in her teenage years. She rents a little flat – and it sounds wonderful! The descriptions of the nearby cafes and bars – and re-exploring Paris were very evocative – it almost felt like I was there.

You know something bad happened on Juliet’s first visit – and there are flashbacks to her time as an au pair – and the friends she had back in the 90s – but it takes quite a while for what actually happened to be revealed. I felt sorry for young Juliet – she had been so young and naïve.

The two time lines play out – intertwining – and I kept wanting to read ‘just one more chapter’ to find out what was happening – which is truly the sign of a good book. Overall a fantastic, escape to France, and a highly enjoyable read.

Whilst I’m behind the times in reviewing it – this does at least mean you can order it right now if you fancy it – and I’m not tempting you weeks before it actually comes out!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC – and I promise to be more efficient with future titles!!

Book Review: A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe

Posted on by Libby Price

“When we go through something impossible, someone, or something, will help us, if we let them . . .
It is October 1966 and William Lavery is having the night of his life at his first black-tie do. But, as the evening unfolds, news hits of a landslide at a coal mine. It has buried a school: Aberfan.
William decides he must act, so he stands and volunteers to attend. It will be his first job as an embalmer, and it will be one he never forgets.
His work that night will force him to think about the little boy he was, and the losses he has worked so hard to forget. But compassion can have surprising consequences, because – as William discovers – giving so much to others can sometimes help us heal ourselves.”

I’m lucky that I get given lots of books – but sometimes friends recommend ones I’ve missed, and if I trust their judgment, I will part with hard cash if they think I will love a book!

The book starts on the night of the Aberfan disaster. It’s something I knew about in principle – but had never really researched – but I feel much more informed now (how absolutely horrific it must have been for everyone involved).

The book then flashes back to William’s childhood where he was a chorister. Whilst none of my own children are choristers (we did try and persuade our son to audition as it meant a big chunk off his school fees – but he wasn’t up for it! I’m pleased to say that nowadays the rules have changed and we could have tried to persuade his sisters too – but I suspect would have been met with a similar negative response!!), lots of their schoolfriends are – so it’s something on my radar (albeit at Worcester cathedral the choristers are no longer boarders).

The intervening period is then filled in, with William and his parents, his Dad passing away, the relationship with his Uncle – and eventually joining the family undertaking business. A real family saga of a book spanning the 1950s to the 1970s.

You know something bad happened during his time as a chorister – but it takes almost all of the book for this to reveal itself despite it clearly shaping William’s future.

The relationships between William and his family – both by birth, marriage and singing – are also integral to the storyline and seemingly empathetically explored. As well as looking at the Aberfan disaster – other things ‘ of the times’ – in particular rampant homophobia – are looked at too. You forget how different society was – and within my own lifetime.

Lots of the locations were familiar – from Sutton Coldfield (my husband’s home town – although he was a Fairfax boy rather than attending their rivals John Willmott like the author! And thus I also suspect the Birmingham Crematorium where she grew up is where my mother-in-law has a memorial stone), to Cambridge, to Mumbles in South Wales – which always make me enjoy a book even more.

I did really enjoy the evocative but at the same time gentle feel of the book – and was glad to have made the investment.