Lucas Out Loud (by Jeff Lucas)

(Amazon UK link)

I have been reading and enjoying the books by the Christian writer Jeff Lucas for over a decade now. Indeed, it’s just over ten years ago that I first came across ‘Lucas out loud’ which I borrowed from a friend. I was able to acquire my own copy recently, from AwesomeBooks (in perfect condition) and have just finished re-reading it.

It’s quite a short book, only 100 pages in all, but full of thought-provoking anecdotes and commentary. Each section is just three or four pages, and I read around three of them each day for a little over a week. Lucas starts by recounting stories or slightly surreal scenarios with wry humour, often casting himself as a likeable buffoon, or a victim of circumstances. These accounts are interesting, and they’re then followed by brief comments on church life or Scriptural passages.

The anecdotes or introductions aren’t just light humour to catch the attention; they’re relevant, in different ways, to the ideas and insights that follow. For example, there’s a chapter about hugging, with some suggestions for ensuring that hugs are innocent, and a warning about dangers of over-enthusiastic hugging… with just a couple of paragraphs at the end, pointing out gently how important the weekly contact is to some folk who live alone. Reading this in the pandemic year when ‘social isolation’ and ‘physical distancing’ have become commonly used phrases, it was all the more poignant.

Another section recounts the author’s attempts to lose some weight - whether true or fictional, I have no idea. But he makes the point that the starting point is in the mind: in order to exercise early, or go to the gym, or give up unhealthy foods, the first battles are in our minds. We make excuses, procrastinate, persuade ourselves that we really need more sleep, or a sugar fix. Likewise, as he gently points out, any kind of spiritual discipline starts in the mind.

My summaries don’t begin to touch on the thoughtful, insightful way in which Jeff Lucas writes these short sections. In just a few paragraphs he tells stories, or presents ideas, and I found them all fascinating, in different ways. It was then very easy to segue into the more serious epilogue - often just a paragraph or two - which is the point of each section.

Lucas is no fundamentalist; he calls himself a charismatic evangelical, but is well aware of the failings of every label, and every variation within church culture and practice. He is honest about his thoughts and feelings, and very sympathetic towards those who struggle to fit in with church life, and the hypocrisy that can sometimes be found there.

Intended for people who follow Jesus, this book could be read by anyone interested in the church, or who struggles to maintain any kind of spiritual life. But there’s also a great deal for any believer, whatever stage they are in. I don’t think I learned anything new, exactly, but I was certainly reminded of some important truths, and saw some issues in new lights.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Songs of the Humpback Whale (by Jodi Picoult)

(Amazon UK link)

I have collected quite a few of Jodi Picoult’s books over the years, many of them from church book sales or similar. I usually like the writing and find them gripping; they can be quite tense at times. So more often than not I look for something lighter. However I decided it was time to tackle one of the four on my to-be-read shelf. I chose ‘Songs of the humpback whale’ which was, apparently, the author’s first published novel.

The story is told in five different voices, distinct enough that I easily remembered who was whom. However, the time-line is quite confusing. Jane is really the main character; she is 35, and married to Oliver. He is a marine biologist who specialises in humpback whales, and particularly their songs which are passed down from generation to generation. He’s a nice enough guy, but rather distant, and tends to take her for granted.

Jane and Oliver are two of the voices of the story, and their daughter Rebecca is another. But Rebecca’s narrative happens in reverse order. Her short chapters are dated, to make that clear, but other characters have flashback sections to their childhood, or early adulthood, and they’re not dated, so the chronology is at times confusing.

The other two viewpoint characters are Joley, Jane’s brother, and Sam, Jane’s boss. They live in Massachussetts, on the East Coast of the United States. Sam owns an apple orchard. His other employee is called Hadley, but we learn very early in the book that disaster is going to befall Hadley, and he doesn’t have a voice in the book.

These six are the main cast, and most of the narration involves a long journey Jane and Rebecca taken when they leave Oliver (in California) and set out to stay with Joley for a while. Joley and Jane are clearly very close, and, as we gradually discover, Jane - who is older - protected him during their childhood from an abusive father.

I was a bit confused by the byline, which implied that Jane was in danger of abuse from her father, but that clearly isn’t the case. Oliver is neglectful, and somewhat emotionally abusive to his wife; but he’s mostly absent as far as his daughter is concerned. He certainly isn’t violent or abusive in any other way. But Jane sees a lot of herself in her daughter; perhaps they are too close, too caught up in each other’s lives. Rebecca turns fifteen during the book, and grows up in several ways.

I didn’t understand why Rebecca’s narrative was in reverse; it meant that there weren’t any surprises, as we knew what was coming right from the start. It’s cleverly done, and I liked the way that the the storylines converge when the timelines meet; but Rebecca’s narrative that’s chronologically prior to that - towards the end of the book - seems a bit pointless.

There are some issues at stake, as is usually the case with Picoult’s novels, but they’re not explored all that seriously. The novel looks at age-differences in relationships, considering whether a ten-year age gap matters, and also touching on a relationship which is quite mature - as we see from one viewpoint - but illegal, as is clear from the other viewpoints.

The story takes place in 1992, which, I realise with shock, is nearly thirty years ago; so technology is inevitably dated, although the emotions and people are entirely up-to-date. Everything would have been much more straightforward with mobile phones and the Internet.

The writing, as I expect with Jodi Picoult, is excellent. The pace is good, the conversations believable. The characters are distinct and reasonably likeable too, although I didn't really empathise with any of them, or care too much what happened to any of them. That's possibly because so much is revealed in the first chapters, so I knew the worst before I had started.

I'd recommend it in a low key way to those who like this author; it's interesting to see the author’s first book. However it’s not one I will be rushing to re-read.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Pistols for Two (by Georgette Heyer)

(Amazon UK link)

In re-reading my Georgette Heyer novels, yet again, I realised that it had been twelve years since I last read her short story collection, ‘Pistols for Two’. I didn’t recall any of the stories before I started, and while I did remember the conclusions of some of them as I read, I have thoroughly enjoyed them once again.

The opening story, which gives its title to the book, is about two frustrated and angry young men who are going to fight a duel. Although close friends for most of their lives, they have both fallen for the same young woman. Their jealousy and a misunderstanding causes events to escalate…

The second story is about a young couple who want to get married. They seem to be ideally suited, until the girl’s aunt discovers a connection that she really doesn’t like. So the story is actually about another romance, a long-standing one that - of course - is resolved.

Most of the stories are about romance, in a low-key Heyer kind of way, with entirely satisfactory resolutions. Having said that, they’re not all light-weight. One of them has an extremely bloodthirsty plot, which is quite disturbing in places, but, again, has a positive ending. One of them involves a young woman with an unkind, possibly abusive brother who gives her away after a gambling game. Two - including the first one - involve duels.

But they’re all written with Heyer’s masterly characterisation. Even in these stories, which are no more than 20 paperback pages each, she brings her people to life, making them believable and sympathetic, if not as memorable as some of the characters in her novels.

The conversations are believable, the details authentic, and there’s often some ironic or satirical humour in the interchanges between people. They’re historical fiction, of course, so there’s some archaic language, and anyone new to this style of writing might have to use a dictionary at first, although most words and phrases are fairly obvious when taken in context.

I always seem to forget just how much I like this short story collection, one I would recommend to anyone who likes Heyer’s style. It could also make a good introduction to her work, for someone not yet ready to read a full-length novel.

Definitely recommended.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Challenges of the Narrow Way (by Bridget Plass)

(Amazon UK link)

Years ago I came across Bridget Plass’s book ‘The Apple of His Eye’, a Lenten devotional study guide. I already knew and loved her husband Adrian Plass’s varied books, which combine humour with poignancy and some important messages. And I found Bridget’s book both inspiring and thought-provoking; so much so that I’ve read it at least three times.

I then discovered that she had written some other books, although they’re no longer in print. About three years ago I managed to find ‘Dear Paul… am I the only one?’ and thought that excellent too. So I was delighted when I finally managed to source a copy of ‘Challenges of the Narrow Way’, another of her works.

I hadn’t realised that this is another Lent/Easter study guide. When I started reading and realised that it was, I decided to keep reading anyway. The events of Lent and Easter are relevant all year round, even if they are more meaningful when the church is currently recognising the season. And I’m sure I’ll read this again before too long.

The format is simple: one short study for each day of Lent, with a brief passage of Scripture followed by Bridget Plass’s commentary, and a short prayer at the end. There is the bonus of a few poems by her husband too, all the more meaningful for being selected to go with the text of this book, and quotations from a few other authors too.

Once again I found the writing excellent, getting straight to the heart of each of the passages without any ‘preaching’. The author shares anecdotes from her marriage and family life, and also looks at what Jesus is saying in the Bible passages. As well as putting them into context, they are given a modern slant, suggesting where some 21st century Christians get wrong ideas, or suffer needlessly.

I read just one section - or sometimes too - over the course of more than a month, and each morning looked forward to a little more of Bridget Plass’s wisdom. I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone wanting short devotional passages to read in Lent - or any other time of the year. Apparently this was intended for group study; at the end there are some group questions, but they can be thought of alone, discussed with friends, or ignored.

All in all, I thought this excellent and hope it might be reprinted one day. It can sometimes be found second-hand online at a good price, but it's taken me a while; if you find it, it's well worth acquiring in my view.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

You, Me and Him (by Alice Peterson)

(Amazon UK link)

I have very much liked the books I’ve read by Alice Peterson, and since I started reading her novels over a decade ago, I decided it was time to re-read some of them. I first came across her through the ‘Bookbag’ site; they sent me ‘You, Me and Him’ back in 2007. I very much enjoyed it when I read and reviewed it then, and I liked it just as much on re-reading this week.

The story is about a couple called Finn and Josie, told in the first person by Josie herself. There are some forays into the past, recounting their first meeting and some of Josie’s other activities ten or more years earlier than the main narrative. There are no dates given, and I did find it a tad confusing once or twice, until I noticed that the main narrative is in the present tense, the past in - unsurprisingly - the past.

Finn and Josie have a son called George, who has been diagnosed with ADHD. The author evidently did her research well; George is not a very active ‘normal’ child; nor is he a toddler; George is six years old. Every day is a struggle, as he fights everything, forgets what he is supposed to do, and becomes constantly distracted. He is able to focus well on things that interest him, but he has to take Ritalin to get through a day at school.

George is beginning to be aware that he is a ‘difficult’ child, but he has no way of controlling his actions. He has no friends at school and is teased, sometimes bullied by boys in his class. His teacher is not very sympathetic, although the school Head is kind, understanding and helpful.

But the ‘him’ of the title isn’t George; it’s another adult, known as Clarky. He has been Josie’s best friend since they were children, and she treats him like a close and much-loved brother. Every time there’s a problem, she runs to Clarky. And when she discovers, to her dismay, that she is pregnant again she tells Clarky before she tells her husband… and Finn is not impressed.

The book is partly about George taking the first few steps towards succeeding in something, and having short periods when things go well for him. It’s partly about Josie gradually coming to terms with the thought of another child. She loves George, of course, but isn’t sure that she could deal with a second child with ADHD.

It’s also about Josie beginning to see more clearly that, while she treats Clarky as a brother, he has stronger feelings for her and would like something more. Clarky is always there for her. Finn is a doctor, and works hard so he is often late home, and has missed some important events in George’s life. Clarky is George’s godfather and takes an active part in their life. But he and Finn have never really hit it off, and there’s a lot of jealousy on both sides. Then Clarky meets someone too…

The stresses experienced by Josie felt very real to me. She has to balance her work life, with a perfectionist and demanding boss, with the necessity of having to be on call in case something goes wrong at school. She’s tired, she’s fed up of being the only person to have to deal with all the day-to-day struggles, which are exhausting and draining. And she’s worried that Finn might like one of his work colleagues rather too much.

Finn and Josie’s arguments flare over minor issues, or one of them not listening to the other. There’s a secret in Josie’s past, too, which Finn doesn’t know about, and that’s quite stressful for her. I was hoping they would sort things out, but as it’s thirteen years since I read the book, I had totally forgotten the outcome.

The writing is excellent, the conversations believable, and Josie, at least, felt all too real. I liked George very much, too. He's not a caricatured 'naughty' child, but an intelligent, loving boy whose brain doesn't function in the same way as those around him. I found Clarky more three-dimensional than Finn, who I didn’t find entirely realistic. The doctor image doesn’t quite fit, in my mind, with the Finn who is presented in his university years, studying medicine but living an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. And I neither liked nor really believed in Finn’s mother, although his Granny is delightful.

I thought it an excellent novel, in introducing an ordinary family with an extraordinary son. The author presents his problems sympathetically, without glossing over the enormous toll taken on parents in this situation. And it’s a good story, too. 

Definitely recommended if you enjoy women’s fiction with some depth. No longer in print, but inexpensively available for the Kindle. 

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Big Money (by PG Wodehouse)

(Amazon UK link)

I started reading the ‘Jeeves and Wooster’ books by PG Wodehouse when I was about twelve or thirteen, and very much liked them. Over the years I have collected several of these, as well as Wodehouse novels about Blandings Castle, and - when I come across them - his other works too. I had no idea, until recently, just what a prolific writer he was.

So when I saw ‘Big Money’ on a church bookstall a few months ago, it was an easy decision to fork out my fifty cents. After abandoning quite an unpleasant book by a different author, I decided that this would make a good, light alternative. And so it proved to be.

The cast is quite extensive in this little novel, which is only 240 pages in paperback. But the main character is a young man known to his friends as Berry. He’s good-looking, strong, honest and kind-hearted. He’s also extremely impoverished, and so has taken a job as secretary to a millionaire called Mr Frisby.

We first meet Berry having lunch with his school friend Lord Biskerton, who is generally known as Biscuit. Lord Biskerton also lacks finances, but it doesn’t worry him; he owes several tradesmen, and keeps hoping that his luck will change.

Mr Frisby’s sister rings him from somewhere near New York to say that her niece Ann is going to visit, and needs a chaperone… and when Frisby asks Berry to sort it out, he recommends Biscuit’s Aunt Vera, who is also generally in need of money…

There are many other people in this story: Katherine, who met Ann on the ship coming to England, who lives next door to Berry; Berry’s old nurse, who wants him to wear vests and woollen socks; Biscuit’s father… and a few others, whom I’ve forgotten, including a few of dubious principle from the criminal classes. There are some swans, too, who frequently observe proceedings with supreme arrogance.

As for the story: Ann is persuaded to get engaged to Biscuit, but Berry falls for her and pretends to work for the Secret Service. Biscuit dons a disguise to try to fool his creditors, moves into an empty house adjoining Berry’s, and strikes up a friendship with Katherine….

It’s all written in the delightful Wodehouse style. He throws in quotations from classical and Scriptural passages, often out of context, to support a point; he also delves, from time to time, into an authorial viewpoint to explain something that might otherwise be even more confusing. He does it flawlessly, making for a very enjoyable light-hearted romp.

There’s another subplot too, involving mines and shares, with everyone - or so it seems - trying to trick everyone else. And there’s a kind of stick-up at the end, which becomes as much of a farce as the rest of the book so it’s amusing rather than stressful.

I won’t remember any of the characters in a day or two; they’re all exaggerated, not three-dimensional or even particularly warm. But I enjoyed the book while I was reading it, and am pleased to own another gem for my Wodehouse shelf.

Recommended if you want something light-hearted and like the somewhat satirical, sometimes ridiculous and decidedly class-conscious Wodehouse style of humour. I didn't laugh out loud, but I did smile more than once. It’s not Jeeves or even Blandings, and I wouldn't pay 'big money' for it... but it’s still an enjoyable light read.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

The House where Nobody Lived (by Sue Jones)

(Amazon UK link)

Sue Jones, a member of my local writing group, was so pleased with the ease of publication via KDP that she asked for our help with publishing her second novel, ‘The House where Nobody Lived’. I had very much enjoyed her first novel, ‘The Legacy’, and felt privileged to read this one in advance of publication, to do the formatting prior to my husband laying it out and uploading it.

This book is very different in style from Sue Jones’ first book. The main character is a man called Jack, recently divorced and extremely likeable. He moves into a house and hears a voice in the next-door back garden. It’s a small child, who says she is called ‘Nobody’. And it’s clear, by the end of the chapter, that this little girl is treated very badly by the adults who she lives with.

Jack slowly tries to unpack boxes and meets some of his neighbours, but when he mentions this unfortunate small child, he is warned off. The occupants of that house are vengeful, he is told, and if he reports them he might find himself in huge trouble. So he’s unsure what to do, his conscience pricked by the pitiful voice, but also not wanting to be the target of attack.

Chapter Two then switches to an entirely different storyline. We meet Esther, a young woman who has been arrested at an airport, caught by sniffer dogs. It’s clear that her passport is fake, and that she’s doing something for a criminal, against her better judgement. We don’t know why until a bit later in the book, but she’s very concerned that she’ll be in serious danger if she tells the truth.

It’s an exciting book, albeit not at all the kind of novel I would usually read. The characterisation of the significant people is good, although some of the ‘bad’ guys were so awful I couldn’t entirely believe in them. There are some scenes of violence sufficiently unpleasant that I wouldn’t suggest a teenager read the book, and some quite shocking events that I wasn’t expecting. A lot of issues are covered, and I found myself a tad confused about details a few times - but that didn’t matter.

As with the author’s first book, the writing is excellent, and the pace such that it was quite difficult to stop reading, in places. Maybe some of the conversation is a tad too extended for my tastes, not really adding to the story or the characterisation. But I’ve noticed that this style is becoming increasingly common in modern novels.

All in all, I would recommend this if you like this genre of book: it would perhaps fall into the ‘romantic thriller’ genre. Available inexpensively in Kindle form as well as paperback.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

The Golden Cup (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I do like re-reading my Marcia Willett novels. They are character-based, warm and moving, yet, at times, with such interesting storylines that they’re difficult to put down. I hadn’t read ‘The Golden Cup’ for fourteen years, which turns out to be a good thing as I had forgotten not just the people and the story, but even the huge surprise that is revealed about half-way through the book, in a series of letters.

The novel features a multi-generational extended family, living at or near a large house known as ‘Paradise’ near the coast in Devon. Mutt is the matriarch, and she’s evidently been quite a strong person but she’s had a fall and developed complications; she’s around eighty, and is quite frail. It’s clear from the start that she doesn’t have long to live.

Mutt’s granddaughter Joss is living with her as a companion, and also helping with massages and osteopathy. Joss works part-time locally, so an older relative called Mousie, who is a nurse, comes in during the daytime. Mousie’s brother Rafe lives next-door to her with his wife, who is blind, and in another location is Bruno, a writer and yet another relative.

But the story starts with an unknown young American man arriving at the house and asking for Mutt. He has written in advance, enclosing an old photograph, and wants to know if Mutt might know anything about what happened to his great-aunt, more than fifty years earlier. But when Mousie broaches the topic with Mutt, she becomes very disturbed, and insists that she won’t see him. Clearly there is some deep secret in her past, and she doesn’t want anyone to find out…

However, she also tells Joss that there are some old letters hidden in her desk. She wants Joss to find them; and, inevitably, Joss starts reading. The story told in these letters - one I had entirely forgotten - reveals a poignant story from Mutt’s youth, changing many perceptions and throwing the family - who learn about this, in various ways, over the next week or so - into confusion and (initially, at least) anger.

I did remember what happened immediately after Joss finished reading, but not the concluding chapters, where there’s a sense of healing, and a growing maturity.

While I liked all the people in the book (other than Joss’s rather caricatured materialistic father) I found that I related best to Mousie, an intuitive, gentle person who cares deeply for everyone around her. I liked Joss too but found her quite determined and outgoing; realistic, and believable, but not someone I could fully relate to.

The writing is excellent, as I’ve come to expect with this author, and the story is cleverly told. I found the cast of characters a bit overwhelming at first; there are quite a few people to keep in mind, and I had to turn back, a few times, to remind myself who was whom. But it wasn’t a problem, and once I’d reached the letters I could barely put the book down.

Marcia Willett often refers to characters in her novels in later books, but as far as I recall there’s no further mention of any of the people in ‘The Golden Cup’. Possibly that’s because most of the ends are quite nicely tied up at the end (though we never learn how Joss’s father reacts to the letters).

Definitely recommended, though it takes a few chapters to get going.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

The silent patient (by Alex Michaelides)

(Amazon UK link)

I hadn’t heard of Alex Michaelides, even though he comes from Cyprus, where I live. Nor had I heard of his debut novel ‘The Silent Patient’, despite its apparent popularity. It’s not a genre I would normally read, but it was chosen by the book group I belong to for the September discussion.

I was a little apprehensive as I started to read the book a couple of days ago. Billed as a psychological thriller, it didn’t sound like my kind of book at all. But the narration is clear, well-paced and it’s not a difficult read at all. It’s certainly tense, and there are one or two quite unpleasant moments. I found it very difficult to put down, and finished it much more rapidly than I had expected to.

The story is told primarily in the first person by a psychotherapist called Theo. But it’s about a young woman called Alicia, who, we’re told in the first sentence, killed her husband when she was thirty-three. This happened six years earlier than the main narration. At least, it’s the first sentence of ‘part one’ of the book. There’s a brief prologue which shows us the first entry in Alicia’s journal, written six years earlier in the weeks prior to her husband’s death.

She says that she’s writing because her husband Gabriel wants her to, as she’s been quite disturbed by something. And it immediately brings a question into the narration, for Alicia clearly loves Gabriel very much. She’s an artist and he’s always been very supportive of her work. They seem to have a good relationship, so I was instantly hooked: why would she have shot him? Or was he, in fact, shot by someone else....?

There are further brief journal entries in the book interspersed with the main narration by Theo. The journal dates gradually move towards the one on which Alicia’s husband Gabriel was killed. It’s a clever device, gradually introducing new information, revealing something of Alicia’s mindset at the time, and what she was afraid of.

The main story involves Theo starting work at the institution where Alicia was sent, after a trial which determined that she was mentally unstable. He’s clearly somewhat fixated with her, and convinced that he will be able to help, even after all this time. Alicia has not said a word to anyone since the shooting - she is the ‘silent patient’ of the title. There’s a mysterious allusion to a classical tragedy by Euripides, ‘Alcestis’, although the reasons behind this are not clear until near the end.

As an occasional reader of light crime fiction, I was on the lookout for clues. If Alicia shot her husband, what was her motivation? If she didn’t, who did, and why was she shielding them? Why was she not talking to anyone? Who could be trusted…? I had some suspicions fairly early in the book, which turned out to be correct although I had not put the entire story or the timeline together in my mind. It’s really a very clever plot, which all comes together very nicely at the end.

There are some interesting asides, too about the minds of criminals, and about the way that childhood experiences can lead to repressed anger or worse. There's mention too of how those who commit the worst crimes were probably abused in some way, physically or psychologically, as children. The author isn't qualified as a therapist or psychiatrist, as far as I know, but these comments and the whole setup seem to be authentic.

The writing reminded me more than once of Susan Howatch, with a crisp style and hints of things to come; the characterisation, however, is not as masterly as Howatch’s. Many of the people in this book seem caricatured, none of them empathic or three-dimensional. As Theo starts his investigations, some of them done without the approval of his boss, there are a fair number of contradictions in people’s stories; I had no sense that anyone was trustworthy, other than, perhaps, the elderly Ruth; and she only has one brief scene.

Still, it’s a powerful, thought-provoking novel and one which I look forward to discussing. Definitely recommended if you like light crime fiction and are looking for something a little different.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

The Chalet School and Jo (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

(Amazon UK link)

In my slow re-reading of the lengthy ‘Chalet School’ series by Elinor M Brent-Dyer, I reached the seventh volume, ‘The Chalet School and Jo’. This is one that I have in the Armada paperback edition, as - according to the official site - it hasn’t been abridged, unlike many of the others. I didn’t remember it with any particular fondness, but it’s been over ten years since I last read it.

Jo is sixteen in this book, and has been appointed Head Girl. I didn’t quite understand why she takes up this post in the summer term, but it’s discussed at the beginning. She’s not keen: she doesn’t like the thought of the responsibility, but she accepts that she’s the only person capable of the role.

It’s not a long book, but rather a lot happens, and there are some important subplots which are relevant for later in the series. The Robin, Joey’s ten-year-old adopted sister, has not been well. The doctors begin to worry whether she may have inherited her mother’s tendency to the ‘dreaded disease’, tuberculosis. Meanwhile Stacie - Eustacia, of the sixth book in the series - is slowly recovering from an awful back injury.

Biddy O’Ryan is introduced in this book too, as a strongly Irish orphan who has run away from a children’s home. She is adopted by some of the Middles, who have been getting into all kinds of mischief - some of it quite amusing, in earlier chapters. Their hearts are in the right place as far as Biddy goes, but they haven’t begun to think of the implications.

For Joey’s sister Madge’s birthday, the school goes to Oberammergau for the famous Passion Play. When I first read this book, as a child, I didn’t realise that it was an actual event, nor that some real people were referred to. Anton Lang was someone who did indeed play Christ in this long and moving play three times, and presented the prologue in 1930. That means that this book is firmly established to be in that year. The chapter about the school’s visit to Oberammagau is quite moving.

This is also the book where the girls of St Scholastika’s - the ‘Rivals’ of the fifth book - take on the Chalet School in a Regatta. There’s a continuity error (known as an ‘EBD-ism’) in that earlier in the book Miss Browne, Head of St Scholastika’s, refuses to allow her girls a boat as she’s afraid of water. But by the time they come to the race, the girls are experts, as their school has apparently always taken part in water sports.

So there’s a lot going on in ‘The Chalet School and Jo’, and there’s still time for a romantic entanglement gone wrong. The only bits I didn’t like are references to some of the author’s rather strict principles of raising (‘training’ as she puts it) babies and young children. I never liked her emphasis on leaving them to cry in cots or prams, having a daily routine, and expecting instant obedience at all times. But this was written in1931, and in many respects she was ahead of her time.

What matters most, of course, is the characters, and the author had quite a gift for creating memorable people, both girls and staff. Miss Annersley starts to feel three dimensional in this book; she will eventually become co-head of the school, and we can see why. Joey grows up a bit, partly in her concern for Robin, partly in realising that she has matured beyond the level of the Middles and their pranks. (It's not clear why the image on the book cover makes Jo look about twelve, and Robin no more than six...)

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. Definitely recommended to anyone who likes the series, although it wouldn't be a good one to start with, as there are a lot of references to earlier books. An added bonus is that, although I didn't realise it until recently, there’s no need to look for a hardback or ‘Girls Gone By’ edition, as the Armada (often found inexpensively second-hand) has the full text.

Originally intended for older children and teenagers, these books are probably read more nowadays by adults like me who remember them with nostalgia from their own teenage years.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

High Tide (by Veronica Henry)

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I so enjoyed the first book I read by Veronica Henry last year that I put a few more of her novels on my wishlist, and was delighted to receive ‘High Tide’ for Christmas last year. Once again, a book by this author sat on my to-be-read shelf for quite a long time, but I finally started reading it a couple of days ago.

I finished this morning, and am already looking forward to reading a couple more books by this author which are still waiting on my shelf. It’s a lovely read, a character-based story revolving around four main likeable people who are all connected to a small town on the Cornish coast called Pennfleet. The town is fictional, but apparently loosely based on another real town in the area.

I did find it a tad confusing at first trying to remember who was whom. Kate is the person we meet first, a high-powered and very talented event organiser who lives in New York. She has flown to the UK for her mother’s funeral; Joy wasn’t particularly old, or ill, but had a nasty fall which was fatal. Joy and Kate were close emotionally, and Joy - whom we gradually get to know through other people’s comments and memories - was a lovely, selfless and hard-working woman who is missed by everyone she knew.

Sam is the next person we meet; he’s a widowed father of two teenagers, who gave up a career in medicine to bring his grieving children to a small town where they could make a new start. He loves to cook and runs a thriving shop that sells quite exotic food. Kate goes there to eat, and we learn a bit about them both as they introduce themselves. I liked Sam very much.

Then there’s Vanessa, whose husband Spencer has just died; his funeral is on the same day as Joy’s. Spencer was very wealthy, rather older than his wife, and although they liked each other well enough they had mostly drifted apart. Spencer’s ex-wife and friends have never really taken to Vanessa, so instead of going to the house to socialise with these people, she persuades one of the funeral drivers, Nathan, to take her to a bar and have a drink with her…

I never really came to terms with Vanessa, nor with Nathan who is hard-working and honest but didn’t seem entirely real. However I did very much like Mary, who has worked as housekeeper and general factotum for Spencer, and has become good friends with Vanessa. We learn a lot about Mary’s story too, struggling to keep her family after her husband lost his job.

That’s more about different people than a review would usually warrant, but I’ve mentioned so many because they got under my skin in different ways. There are other characters too, but I didn’t have much trouble distinguishing them; some are a tad caricatured, but that doesn’t matter in this kind of book.

The writing is good, the conversations believable, and the pace exactly right for reading either at odd moments or in longer periods. Kate has to come to terms with her past, as she starts to pack up her mother’s house and sort through her possessions; Vanessa and Nathan have to decide what to do in the present, and Sam is looking more towards the future, as he sees his teenagers growing up all too fast, and wonders what will happen when his nest empties.

My only slight gripe is that there's a little more bad language than I'm comfortable with, and one brief but shocking scene that Kate recalls from her past, with a very unpleasant usage of a 'strong' word.

Perhaps the ending is a tad too tidy, many things falling neatly into place for most of the people in the story, but I don't mind that at all. And in some respects the future is still somewhat open - I'd love to know what Kate is going to do, for instance. I gather the author has written other novels based in the same town, so maybe they will give a glimpse of what has become of these different people and their relationships.

Overall, I very much enjoyed reading 'High Tide', and have already put some more of this author’s books on my wishlist.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews