Whitethorn Woods (by Maeve Binchy)

(Amazon UK link)

In my gradual re-reading of most of Maeve Binchy’s novels, I reached ‘Whitethorn Woods’.  I last read it  in 2008, so it’s not surprising that I had forgotten the stories and the characters. I say ‘stories’ rather than ‘story’, because this is a series of loosely connected character cameos rather than a conventional novel. 

The opening section introduces Father Bryan Flynn, the curate - or assistant priest - at the Catholic church in a small Irish town called Rossmore. In his parish there’s a kind of ancient shrine, to St Ann (possibly the mother of Mary). Father Bryan is not superstitious, and he finds it annoying that so many of his parishioners, who don’t generally visit the church or go to confession, go to this shrine to pray to St Ann for all kinds of things - ailments, family problems, or the wish to find a husband. 

And he knows that there’s a new highway planned, a kind of bypass which will bring a lot more visitors, and make access easier. But the plans show it going right through St Ann’s shrine. So a lot of local people are very upset, and have been demonstrating against the new highway.

In the first chapter, Father Flynn ponders about the people he will be visiting that morning. There’s his sister-in-law Kitty, whose husband has left her. She lives in squalor and complains constantly about her life. Father Flynn regularly visits his elderly mother, and is wondering about whether she would be happier in a retirement home, particularly a local one called Ferns and Heathers.

He also plans to visit Neddy Nolan, a farmer whose property is right in the middle of the planned new highway. He wonders if Neddy - who’s not considered very bright - will accept money offered by speculators, or will wait for the compulsory purchase. 

And more. I didn’t really take in who these people were as I read. But the first chapter back-tracks a little; it’s told by Neddy Nolan looking back on his childhood, and his teenage years. It’s very cleverly done, demonstrating that while he’s not academic, and he’s quite naive, he’s a hard worker and prudent planner. He looks after his brother when they go to work abroad, and then he decides to live with his father after their mother dies. Then Neddy meets and falls in love with Clare, and is most surprised when she agrees to marry him. 

The second half of the first chapter switches to Clare’s viewpoint. She was an A-star pupil at her school, but lived in fear of an abusive uncle when she was at home. She manages to get to university, as her ambition has always been to become a teacher, and she does some bar work and pole-dancing to earn money. She nearly gets caught in the clutches of the person who employs her, so Neddy is like a breath of fresh air. And he’s not as daft as everyone thinks.

This is the format of the entire book - two people who are connected, each telling their story. They’re all individuals, but there’s inevitably some overlap as the book progresses. Father Flynn is involved in a lot of people’s lives, and comes across as a very likeable, caring person. Some mysteries are unravelled - such as what happened to a baby, left in a pram outside a shop, who vanished over twenty years earlier. 

Not all the people are likeable, however. There’s a violent criminal in jail, whom Father Flynn visits. There’s a girl who becomes so jealous of someone else that she arranges something terrible, and also ends up in jail. There’s an old-fashioned, arrogant doctor who doesn’t like a new, younger doctor living nearby and does everything he can to discredit him. And many more. 

Some of the stories are quite moving, some of them less so. It’s a very readable book, but it felt more like loosely connected short stories than a novel. When characters who narrated in one chapter were mentioned later in the book, I couldn’t always remember who they were. Many are in Rossmore, but not all of them. 

Overall it works well, giving a realistic (if slightly caricatured) picture of this diverse community. And running through out is the question of whether or not the highway will be built, and whether or not the shrine will remain. The shrine is important to all the people in the book, some more so than others. 

I’m not sure I cared all that much about the road, or the shrine. Nor did I feel close to any of the characters as their starring roles were all very brief. But I liked reading the book anyway. It was easy to read just one double-sectioned chapter at a time since each one stands alone. I thought the ending was cleverly done, bringing together several of the threads, and resolving the question of the highway in an unexpectedly satisfactory manner.

Recommended if you like this kind of gentle, rambling fiction without too much of a clear plot (but a great many subplots). 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews

Faith in the fog (by Jeff Lucas)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s nearly ten years since I first read ‘Faith in the fog’ by Jeff Lucas. So it was definitely time for a re-read. I very much appreciate this author’s books. He works in both the USA and the UK and is familiar with cultures of both. He’s a pastor of a big church in Colorado, but not a hardline right-wing fundamentalist. He writes well, with some humour at times, and a good number of relevant anecdotes.

‘Faith in the fog’ is an honest look at how we can sometimes stumble about, finding it difficult to trust God. Circumstances can become too much for us, or we can become distracted with minutiae. We might feel belittled by others who seem to be a whole lot more spiritual than we are, or worried that we’re not good enough if we find sermons boring, or don’t like singing.

This book looks at Peter’s encounter with Jesus after the Resurrection, as described in detail in the 21st chapter of John’s gospel. Jeff Lucas says it’s one of his favourite passages. It’s often quoted, demonstrating how Peter moved on from his denials of Jesus before the Crucifixion. But in this book, we get right inside Peter’s head. Somewhat speculatively, of course; but it feels authentic, or at least possible. 

The book opens with a prologue. Jeff Lucas is in Israel, visiting some of the holiest locations. He hopes to reignite a sense of God, to feel some emotion as he walks in places where Jesus and the first disciples lived. Instead, he finds himself feeling quite remote and disconnected. Part of that is because of the commercial activity that has developed around the sites. Part of it is because other tourists seemed to worship the places or relics, rather than looking to God. And part of it was realising just how much in-fighting took place as different groups tried to claim the places for themselves.

Then the main section of the book looks at short sections of the story in John 21. Peter and the other disciples go fishing, but catch nothing. They must have been very disappointed. So it’s a bit surprising that, when a stranger on the shore told them to cast their nets again, they did as they were told. And then they realised it was Jesus…

The story is familiar, but I liked the way that Jeff Lucas teases out little details. He also delves into his past, in ways that he made a lot of mistakes. He often felt as if he were not good enough to be a Christian, let alone a pastor. And there were times when he knew he was pretending: smiling and implying that everything was great, when he was falling apart on the inside. 

By focusing on Jesus in the story, and in his own life, this gospel account becomes more vivid and realistic, and relevant today. We know about forgiveness and grace in theory; Peter received them in a practical way. We know, too, that tired, hungry people need feeding and rest. In this account, Jesus helps his friends by preparing a fire and starting to cook breakfast.

And there’s so much more in this thought-provoking, well-written book. I read a chapter at a time over a couple of weeks - not every day, but most of them. There’s much to ponder, and while I don’t recall many details after finishing, I found it encouraging. Each time I read a book, I hope that its essence will stay in my subconscious mind. I don’t think I learned anything new while reading this one. But it's always good to be reminded about how Jesus related to his friends, and how he deals with each person as a unique individual. 

Definitely recommended. 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews

Apple Bough (by Noel Streatfeild)

(Amazon UK link)

After reading quite a tense - and lengthy - novel, it was a relief to settle down to one of my favourite children’s books by Noel Streatfeild. I have loved her writing since I was about nine or ten, and reread my collection of her books regularly. She’s best known for ‘Ballet shoes’, now considered a classic, but there are two or three of her other books which I like even more. 

I last read ‘Apple Bough’ in the summer of 2016, but had forgotten the bulk of the story. I knew it was about a family who travelled, who missed their home (Apple Bough) in Essex. I recalled a talented musician, too. But I did not remember any of the details, or even the people. 

The Forum family are travelling when we first meet them, and it’s clear that three of the children are getting rather jaded. But their parents are convinced that they all love being world travellers, and none of the children feel able to contradict them. It’s not that the parents are controlling or harsh - quite the opposite. They’re a close, loving family, and their parents believe they should all be together, wherever they are. 

The reason for their travelling around the globe is Sebastian, the second child. Then there’s a longish flashback, when we see the family living happily in their large, rambling home with an overgrown garden. Their father is a pianist who travels around the country accompanying soloists, but he’s rarely away for more than a day at a time. Their mother is a somewhat disorganised, bohemian artist. 

All the children are somewhat musical, and learn to play the piano at quite a young age. Sebastian seems to be the most musical, and when he’s four it’s clear that he longs to play the violin. He starts to learn, and progresses rapidly until he’s having to do several hours of practice every day. 

Myra, the oldest child - who is only six at this stage - is very responsible, and has been trying to look after her younger siblings. So it’s a great relief when Miss Popple is engaged as a governess. Miss Popple is not just a teacher; she’s a good cook, and a great organiser. And she gradually takes over the management of the family. And everything is going well until one day Sebastian, now eight years old, is heard playing at a local concert, and then invited to do a tour in the United States. Since the parents refuse to break up the family, they close the house and they all set off for what should have been six months, but ends up as four years abroad. 

So the story really begins when Myra is thirteen and Sebastian twelve. The next brother, Wolfie, is ten, and the youngest, Ettie, is nine. They have been travelling around for so long that they have become bored, and more determinedly English than anything else. Sebastian is a likeable boy - he’s not an arrogant prodigy but a small, rather quiet child who almost turns into a different personality when he’s on stage. He’s quite famous, and his siblings expect to keep travelling with him, but would love to stop.

Then they go on a month’s holiday to stay with their grandparents in Devon, and their grandfather, who is a minister, talks to them about the parable of the talents. He points out that they all have gifts, and they should all use them, even if Sebastian is the one with far more talent than any of the rest of them. Myra longs to have a home, and most of all to see her dog, who had to go and stay with Miss Popple’s brother. 

Inevitably there are some unlikely coincidences, and - typically for Streatfeild - Ettie is becoming a promising ballet dancer. But the story is beautifully told, and all the children are believable and three-dimensional. Perhaps Wolfie is a bit too confident and arrogant, but then that’s a good thing from the point of view of an opportunity he is offered. And Ettie, while also sure of her ability, doesn’t think there’s any chance that she could settle down with just one ballet teacher, because all she really remembers is travelling.

There were two or three places where I had tears in my eyes as I read; not many authors can do that for me, but I find Streatfeild’s writing often very moving. She gets right into the minds and hearts of children, and I could empathise strongly with Myra. There is also some low-key humour, and a great deal of warmth. 

As with many of this author’s books, the ending is a tad more abrupt than I wanted - but it does tie up lots of threads very nicely. It also makes the point that change happens, that people grow up, and that sometimes even the closest of families may have to spend time apart.

Very highly recommended. Intended for children aged around eight to twelve, but it could make a nice read-aloud for a younger child. And of course Noel Streatfeild’s books are also read regularly by adults like me who recall them fondly from our own childhood and teenage years. 

Very highly recommended if you like gentle character-based children’s fiction. 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews

Keeping Faith (by Jodi Picoult)

(Amazon UK link)

I know that a book by Jodi Picoult is likely to be quite a tense read, difficult to put down. But I was still a bit surprised to learn that it’s been over six years since I picked up ‘Keeping Faith’ at the local church book sale. That’s a long time to be on my to-read shelf…

It’s a long book, too, over 450 pages. But I have finished reading it in just three days. The writing is excellent, the story gripping, and I had no idea where the plot was going, or how it would end. 

Mariah is the main protagonist, and the prologue - dated August 10th 1999 - is told by her, in the first person. She comes across as a very well-organised person, who has set aside different days for the various things she has to do. This isn’t because she’s rigid, however. She does it so that she gets everything done, without forgetting. She gives the impression of being happy in her marriage, and mostly content in her life. 

When we first meet her, she’s had quite a frustrating day with several of her plans changed. She’s with her seven-year-old daughter Faith, and they go on a brief visit to Mariah’s mother Millie. Millie is clearly very close to Faith, and looks after her when Mariah is working. She lives just a couple of miles away. After their visit, Mariah is due to take Faith to her ballet class, only to realise that her daughter has forgotten her leotard. So they take a detour back to their house… and disturb Mariah’s husband Colin in a very compromising situation. 

Sometimes prologues are set a long time before the main story; sometimes they relate to something later on in the book. But this one is chronologically just before the rest of the book; I’m not sure why it was a prologue rather than the first chapter. The rest of the book is divided in two parts, labelled ‘Old Testament’ and ‘New Testament’, which rather puzzled me; I still don’t know quite why, although it does instantly demonstrate that there’s going to be a religious element to the book.

Mariah continues to narrate at first, describing some events in her past, and also talking about what has just happened. Faith is so disturbed by her father leaving that she doesn’t speak for four days. Millie suggests a circus trip, but although that seems to be a good idea, it ends in near disaster. And it’s clear that Mariah berates herself regularly for not paying enough attention to her daughter. She mentions that, seven years earlier, she was sent to a secure psychiatric hospital due to serious depression, although she doesn’t like to talk about it. 

As the book progresses, there are many different viewpoints, including (sometimes) Mariah in the third person rather than the first. It could have been confusing or annoying, but I thought it worked very well. And the story is intriguing. Faith starts talking to what seems to be an imaginary friend, someone whom she calls her ‘guard’ at first. She sees a child psychiatrist, to try to help her understand this, and together the adults realise that she’s seeing God, not (as I had thought) a guardian angel.

And yet, Faith has been brought up in an entirely non-religious way. Nobody had ever talked to her about God. Her father is a lapsed Episcopalian, and Mariah a non-practising Jew. So when she starts quoting Scripture, and mentioning incidents in the past which she could not have known about, Mariah becomes quite worried.

At the same time, an atheist TV presenter called Ian is travelling around the country debunking what he sees as Christian hoaxes - statues crying, visions, and so on. And when it appears that Faith is not just seeing visions but performing miracles of healing, he is determined to oust her...

There are a lot of minor characters: rabbis, priests, and many medical professionals who spend time with Faith and try to determine what is going on. It could have been tedious, and I did have a hard time telling some of them apart. But in Jodi Picoult’s hands the story becomes more and more intriguing, with quite a bit of low-key tension. And when Faith starts showing the ‘stigmata’ (best known in St Francis of Assisi) her father and others become concerned that she is being abused, possibly by her mother. 

Much of the story takes place as both Colin and Mariah prepare for a court case to determine custody of Faith, each believing that they can provide a better home for her. So there are legal professionals involved too. Everything feels very authentic; the author did her research very well, and presents the different scenarios authentically, but without me feeling that I was being deliberately educated.

As the book progressed I became uncertain who I could trust, as I'm sure I was intended to. Was Mariah an ‘unreliable’ narrator? Was Faith being manipulated in some way? Was Colin’s new home going to be better for Faith? Was she really having visions of God and doing miracles? And whose side was Ian on…? I found it quite stressful in places, imagining all kinds of different possibilities, but never so much that I had to put the book down. 

The climax of the story - the court case and the judge's eventual decision - was, I thought, very well done. I thought the judge a well-drawn and likeable character, and I thought the ending entirely satisfying, even though not all threads were tied up. But then there was an extra short section which opened up new questions. I assume this was deliberate, to leave some options open for the readers to make their own decisions. The point is made that people see things in different ways, and that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. But I would have liked a bit more closure. 

Still, if you like this kind of character-based psychological thriller that isn’t too tense, I would definitely recommend this. 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews

Regina (by Clare Darcy)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s been interesting re-reading my small collection of Regency romance novels by Clare Darcy. She’s the closest writer I’ve come across to Georgette Heyer’s brilliance, but it’s been a long time since I read any of her books.  I’ve just finished ‘Regina’, which I last read towards the end of 1999. 

Unsurprisingly, in the intervening twenty-five years I had entirely forgotten the plot and the characters. So it was as if I were reading a new (to me) book. The main character is a young woman - in her mid-twenties - called Regina. We quickly learn that she was widowed a year earlier, but she’s not grieving. She had been infatuated with an older man when she was in her late teens, but soon discovered that her late husband cared nothing for her.  The book is set in the early 1800s. 

Reggie has been called to the family home, where her uncle is feeling very stressed. His daughter Bella - who is 17 - wants to marry Lord Wrexham, a rather older man. So her father thinks she should have a London ‘season’, chaperoned by her cousin. He’s willing to pay for not just Bella’s new wardrobe, but Reggie’s too, and will open up his London home for them. It’s an offer she can’t refuse, even when she learns that she must also look after Bella’s three younger siblings. They will have plenty of staff, including an excellent ‘Nannie’. 

Lord Wrexham has something of a reputation with women and is rather older than Bella, so Reggie hopes to find someone more suitable for her cousin. She’s worried that she’s going to find herself in the same situation, with a mostly absent husband who has a string of affairs. But Bella is not yet old enough to accept a proposal without her father’s consent, and it’s agreed that the potential engagement should not be made public. 

The whole feels quite authentic, as the cavalcade travel to London. Reggie and Bella start acquiring new gowns and other essentials, and quickly become part of the local social circles. Bella meets plenty of eligible young men, but continues to show a strong partiality for Lord Wrexham. Reggie finds herself at odds with him almost every time they meet, but it’s clear, too, that she finds him oddly attractive as well as irritating. 

There’s an extra side story involving an elderly count and his nephew who recently arrived from France, and are looking for a diamond necklace. The older man says he gave it into Reggie’s husband’s keeping, but she knows nothing about it. So part of the story involves quite exciting searches in an empty house. Bella’s 16-year-old brother Colin is enthusiastic, caught between childhood and adulthood, and I thought he was very well-portrayed. I liked their two younger siblings as well, who seem to run riot whenever they can escape from their protectors. 

Lord Wrexham, too, is a surprisingly likeable character, and Bella is outspoken, attractive, and rather different from many young women of the era. I liked Reggie as well. I had guessed how it would end - part of it, anyway - but wasn’t sure if I was correct until the final chapters. There are a few surprises before an entirely satisfactory conclusion.

It’s not Heyer, but it’s a good story with a nice pace, and believable conversations and language. I enjoyed reading ‘Regina’, and hope I don’t wait another twenty-five years before reading it again.

Long out of print, but sometimes available second-hand. 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews