Set in 1957, the south-east suburbs of London, Jean Swinney is a feature writer on a local newspaper. Disappointed in love and on the brink of forty she is living with her truculent, overbearing mother, a drab existence from which there is no likelihood of escape.
When a young Swiss woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, Jean is assigned to write a feature about Gretchen, to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. But the more Jean investigates, the more her life becomes strangely (and not unpleasantly) intertwined with that of the Tilburys: Gretchen is now a friend, and her quirky and charming daughter Margaret a sort of surrogate child. And Jean doesn't mean to fall in love with Gretchen's husband, Howard, but Howard surprises her with his dry wit, his intelligence and his kindness — and when she does fall, she falls hard.
This is such a tender, beautiful novel. I loved the characters and enjoyed reading about their lives. I particularly enjoyed the 50’s setting with descriptions of work life, home life, fashion and leisure, all portrayed so well. And it's delightful how Jean's fluffier news pieces about domestic matters are interspersed throughout the novel. I remember people talking about “The first cigarette of the day” being a small pleasure! Different times.
I love the dress on the cover.
BUT… the end. A lot of reviews I have read agree - was it really necessary to end like it did? and, if you don't like the ending of a novel after really enjoying the story, is it still a successful reading experience? Well yes it was for me.
BUT… the end. A lot of reviews I have read agree - was it really necessary to end like it did? and, if you don't like the ending of a novel after really enjoying the story, is it still a successful reading experience? Well yes it was for me.
∼ Happy Reading∼
Polly x
It's the author's right to end the novel as they please.
ReplyDeleteI know but sometimes I think they should consider their readers!! :-)
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