Facing the Music (by Mary Sheepshanks)

I discovered Mary Sheepshanks (now known as Mary Nickson) nearly twenty years ago. I liked the novel I read by her and then gradually acquired all her others. I enjoyed them very much. But I’m only re-reading them for the first time now, at a rate of about one per month.

I first read ‘Facing the Music’ in June 2002, and have re-read it in the last few days. Although I had forgotten most of the storyline, I did recall a strong feeling that one main character was treated quite badly by the author (albeit in the hands of another character). I was pretty sure this was near the end of the book, when a relationship ends through no fault at all of one person.

So it was with somewhat mixed feelings that I started re-reading the book. I was soon drawn into the storyline; it primarily features a young woman called Flavia. She is a top class flautist who is being brought to the public's attention by a conductor called Antoine. She is in love with him although he’s clearly using her, and is unpopular with most of his orchestra. But he is also respected as an excellent conductor.

Disaster strikes when Flavia suddenly becomes very ill during an important concert. She pulls through, but has a long convalescence, and Antoine drops her. She’s not sure if she wants to continue as a solo musician, although her mother pushes her to practice and get back on stage. So when she’s offered a temporary part-time job teaching music at a boys’ prep school, she accepts - and finds it rewarding and enjoyable.

Much of the story takes place in the school, and we get to know several of the staff members. Gervaise, the Head, who is friendly with Flavia’s father (Head of the connected secondary school), is kind-hearted and gentle, albeit somewhat naive. I liked him enormously. One or two of the staff are caricatured, including an unpleasant and rather lecherous man, but others are believable and well-drawn. I particularly liked Meg, the matron, who is secretly keen on Gervaise…

There are other supporting characters who are also caricatured. There’s Gervaise’s eccentric sister, for one, and Flavia’s flatmate in London, Trish. And there are several of Flavia’s relatives, most of whom are warm and caring - and who haven’t really let her grow up. She’s used to being admired and looked after, and although she is not at all selfish or spoilt, and is quite independent, she does like the feeling of being protected.

Various people make mistakes, but I found myself more in sympathy with several characters this time. While the final chapter is still somewhat poignant, I knew what was coming and realised that the ending does leave someone else with hope for the future.

The writing is excellent, the conversation believable, and the conversations between adults and children (mostly boys at the school) works well. The pace is good, and I found it quite difficult to put down by the time I was around half-way through. There’s some bad language but it’s not excessive, and mostly used for effect. The romantic threads are fairly low-key, and the bedroom doors firmly closed behind the few mentioned scenes of intimacy.

Definitely recommended if you like women’s fiction with rather more plot than many.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews