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There’s not a whole lot of plot in this book. David Herrick, who narrates, is a Christian speaker whose wife Jessica died after a short illness about six months before the story opens. He is still devastated, still longs to see and hear her, and is reluctant to talk to her. He describes walking around a lake, praying, and having an encounter with someone else; but all he wants is his wife.
Out of the blue he receives a letter from an old friend called Angela. She was Jessica’s best friend many years earlier, although they hadn’t been in touch in recent years. Angela discloses that Jessica contacted her shortly before she died, and that she gave Angela something to be passed on to David at an appropriate time. Angela says she’s thinking of getting together a few of their old friends in a kind of reunion in the mansion where she lives, and which she is trying to renovate.
Angela also explains that her husband ran off with someone else and that she’s struggling with anger and frustration as well as practical difficulties related to the maintenance and renovation of a huge building.
David decides - after much internal debate - that he will go to the reunion, and learns that five other old friends have also agreed to go. Angela was always a good organiser, and she has a loose structure for the weekend in mind. The other five people are: Peter, Mike, Andrew, Graham and Jenny.
David vaguely remembers them all. Peter was one of the most ‘religious’ of their youth group, always ready with Bible verses or somewhat pat answers to problems. Mike was a bit of a buffoon who liked being the centre of attention. Graham was a bit nervous, Andrew rather serious, and Jenny a hard-working person who always seemed to volunteer for putting out chairs or serving coffee.
It’s about twenty years since they have been together as a group, although some of them have seen each other in the meantime. And they’re all a bit nervous at first, unsure what to expect. Angela has some ice-breaker questions, including asking each of them what they fear the most.
And then most of the weekend involves gradual opening up as each person gradually becomes more vulnerable. One of them leaves early after an angry attack, but the rest start to relax in each other’s company. They enjoy meals together, and David has some private conversations with two of the group where quite a bit is revealed.
It’s not a book for everyone. It’s intended for people who know and love God, primarily, and who don’t mind novels where hearts open and guts are metaphorically spilled. Several of the group talk about loneliness and decisions that they have made; one is sure he’s a failure in family life; one is uncertain whether God even exists. And much more.
There’s a very moving incident on Saturday afternoon when David finds one of the group reading poetry, and agrees to go outside with him to climb birch trees. This scene is so significant that the book was retitled ‘Silver Birches’ at some point. It’s referred to almost in passing later on in such a way that I had to pause, and read it again, as I realised what was being said.
There are places so touching that I found tears threatening, particularly towards the end. I wish there had been a bit more to the story, but perhaps it’s right that so many threads are left open. David has developed emotionally in opening up to the group, and finds hope for the future, while still grieving for Jessica.
It’s perhaps all rather sanitised; I doubt if people in this situation would open up as much as they do, or be so honest. Perhaps one or two of the group are a bit two-dimensional. But as a thought-provoking character-based novel, I thought it worked extremely well. The writing is beautiful, and I loved re-reading this book.
Definitely recommended, if you like this kind of thing.
Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews
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