Paradise House (by Erica James)

I am very much liking my re-reading of Erica James’ novels, most of which I had not read for at least twelve years. I hadn’t read ‘Paradise House’ for over fifteen years, and almost decided not to re-read it; I glanced at my previous review and apparently wasn’t too impressed with it. But I know I sometimes change my mind about a book on re-reading. That turned out to be the case with this one.

‘Paradise House’ is about three sisters, told from the viewpoint of Genevieve, the oldest of them. She’s in her late twenties, and has returned to the family bed and breakfast business, after her mother has flitted. Her father is still there, although he’s rather vague, and her younger sisters live there too. Nattie is quite belligerent at times and has a four-year-old daughter. And Polly, who always sees the best in everyone, and is an excellent musician, is so vague that she can’t run anything.

So Genevieve, after a very stressful ending to her last employment (we learn more about that later in the book) has come back and taken on the organising and most of the cooking. She longs to cook more interesting things than eggs and bacon, but nobody else really wants the extra work of serving up other meals and then washing up afterwards.

Genevieve learns that her first boyfriend, Christian, is now an architect and will be returning to the neighbourhood to help in rebuilding an old barn. She’s quite anxious about seeing him again, and in talking to her close friend Adam (who is very keen on Nattie) there’s a lengthy flashback to her teenage years. I don’t know why I found this annoying when I first read the book. This time I found it quite moving, and essential in understanding the rest of the book.

So we learn about how Genevieve and Christian meet when their families are on holiday in the same location. We see how they both, for different reasons, never quite feel that they fit in with their contemporaries. They become close friends, and are able to be honest with each other, at least when they’re together. But when September comes and they return to their homes and schools, it’s much harder to stay in touch. Genevieve is anxious about writing, and it’s impossible to have a phone call…

We know that something happens that makes Genevieve feel betrayed, unwilling to meet Christian again. But I had entirely forgotten what it was - they seem to be so close during the flashback section of the book that it was hard to imagine anything that could cause such a rift. When it happens, it’s  shocking, and it’s not until the second part of the book that, along with Genevieve, we discover why.

Erica James has a gift for three-dimensional characterisation, and I had no problem recalling who was whom. I very much liked the outspoken and independent Gran, and I also become quite fond of little Lily-Rose, although she doesn’t have that big a part to play. I never understood why Nattie was so antagonistic, unless it was just the fact of being a middle child; I didn’t much like her, and didn’t entirely believe in her. But Polly is delightful, and I felt that I got to know Genevieve well.

There are several romantic threads in the novel, and the ongoing problem of not knowing whether or not the sisters’ mother is going to return. Genevieve doesn’t want to stay in charge of the bed and breakfast forever but doesn’t see how she can leave unless her mother comes back. She feels somewhat unappreciated and overworked, and slowly begins to understand her mother’s perspective.

It’s a character-based novel, primarily. The various subplots work well together, and there are plenty of threads to keep it interesting. There’s a dramatic climax to the book when someone vanishes, and I thought it very well done. Perhaps the ending is a tad too neat and tidy for realism, but I thought it worked well.

I am extremely pleased that I decided to revisit 'Paradise House'.  Definitely recommended if you like thoughtful women's fiction.

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