Starry, Starry Night (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

Marcia Willett has been one of my favourite authors for many years now. Every time she published a new novel, I put it on my wishlist as soon as it was available in paperback. That’s the case with ‘Starry, Starry Night’, published in 2021, and which I received for Christmas. I picked it up to read yesterday and finished it today. It’s not a long read - just 215 pages, unlike many of the author’s much longer novels.

I’m saddened to read that Marcia Willett died six months ago after the return of an illness. She was only 76. So this is her last full-length novel, though I understand there’s one more novella which has recently been published, not yet out in paperback.

As with so many of this author’s novels, there are some familiar characters as well as some new ones. Next time I do a complete re-read, I plan to keep a list of the people as so many recur in later books. I love picking up the threads and learning what happened to people I had started to care about, but sometimes need a reminder as I don’t generally read one author’s books one after another.

Leo is one of the most important people in this book. Separated amicably from his wife, with adult children living away from home, he lives on his own in a village in Devon where he has many friends. A nearby house is occupied by Will and Bea, an elderly pair of cousins, and the younger Giles and Tessa (familiar from earlier books by Marcia Willett). Giles is away on duty, their two children are grown up and have flown the nest, and since they recently moved from a gorgeous coastal property Tessa is feeling a little depressed. 

Into the story comes a young woman called Em, best friend of Leo’s daughter-in-law Bethany. Em is attempting to write a play, and is staying nearby; she has met the family and is rather taken with Leo even though he’s a generation older. Then Tessa bumps into an old friend, Sebastian, whom she was once engaged to. And Leo, out of the blue, hears from his cousin Alice who disappeared from his life forty years earlier, taking with her a secret that only the two of them knew about.

So the scene is set for a warm, character-based novel as is typical of Marcia Willett. Since it’s shorter than many of her other novels, there’s not much description. I’m not a fan of descriptive passages so that’s not a problem to me at all.  But the characters still shine through. I couldn’t really relate to Em or Tessa, but I liked Leo very much. I could sympathise with his general chivalry and kindness that makes him go along with other people’s plans, unwilling to say ‘no’, even if it got him into difficulties.

The writing is good, the story moves forward at a gentle pace with just the right amount of action for a relaxing, uplifting read. It’s poignant that one significant character has cancer; I didn’t know that Marcia Willett had it in the past, or earlier in the year. But most of what she writes is from personal experience, which is what makes it so authentic, so perhaps I should have realised.

I’m very glad I read this book and look forward to re-reading it in five or six years when I’ve got to the end of my next re-read of Marcia Willett’s novels.

Definitely recommended if you like this kind of gentle, sometimes poignant character-based women’s fiction.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's Book Reviews

The Garden House (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

Having re-read many of my Marcia Willett books over the past few years, I finally picked up the one I was given last Christmas, ‘The Garden House’, which I had not previously read. I was pleased to see that, as so often happens with this author, some characters from previous books appear as well as the new ones who are the primary focus.

Eleanor - El - is the main character, or at least the one I most related to in this warm, character-driven novel. She’s in her twenties, I suppose, and is slowly coming to terms with the sudden, unexpected death of her father Martin. She has decided to move into his small, quirky home, a converted farm building, and to apply for part-time work in a bookshop.

El realises she has to deal with her father’s clothes and can’t quite bring herself to do so. Her step-brother Will has offered sympathy and assistance. Although they haven’t really had much in common, he lost his mother more than a decade earlier, so he can empathise fully. El thinks he’s probably gay, which makes it easier for her to relate to him - but it quickly becomes clear that the two are beginning to experience a mutual attraction. However the timing is pretty bad…

Meanwhile El discovers her father’s mobile phone and some strange text messages in an apparent code. The reader knows that he had a secret affair for a few years but El has no idea. She and Will decide to try and crack the code, to figure out what was going on.

While the main story involves them, and to a lesser extent Martin’s former lady friend, there are other scenes involving Kate and Cass, the two close friends who featured in many of Marcia Willett’s novels, starting with her earliest one, ‘Those who Serve’. They’re much older now, somewhat bemused at the passing of time - which feels very familiar to me - and beginning to feel their age. Cass and her husband Tom are discussing whether to downsize, and Kate is staying with them. El’s lawyer Angus is a friend of theirs, and his daughter Plum has secrets of her own which she’s worried about…

As ever, Willett writes without any bad language, and with nothing explicit. There are usually people of faith, in a low-key way, or who are exploring spirituality in her books. In this one, church and Christmas services are natural places to go, and the minister is a respected friend. It’s part of who these people are, not at all preachy, and could be glossed over by people without any interest in issues of faith.

The plot is fairly minimal, which is fine - I like character-based stories, and Marcia Willett has quite a gift of characterisation. For El and Will it’s an intriguing search, but the reader already knows what they’re going to find - the only question is how long it will take, and whether the two will get together. It’s not a book for people who like fast-paced stories with a lot of action. With so many characters from previous novels, it probably wouldn’t be a good one to start with if you haven’t read any other of this author’s books. However, it stands alone and it’s not necessary to have read earlier ones.

For me, after collecting this author’s novels over a couple of decades, reading ‘The Garden House’ was  like meeting old friends again and catching up a little in their lives. I finished the book in just a couple of days; not that there was anything gripping in it, but it was still hard to put down. It’s an easy, relaxing read and I liked it very much. Recommended if you like gentle women’s fiction, particularly if you have read and liked other books by this author.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's Book Reviews

Reflections (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I have very much liked the books I’ve read by Marcia Willett over the past twenty or more years. I discovered her novels after a serendipitous find in a thrift store, introducing me to the ‘Chadwick’ family. I acquired the sequels and have regularly put her latest novels on my wishlist.

I was given ‘Reflections’ for Christmas 2020 and started reading it last year. But I quickly realised, to my delight, that it involved some of the Chadwick family. So as I had not read the earlier books for a while, I thought I would re-read them first. I like to spread out my re-reading, so I finished ‘Looking Forward’ again in September, ‘Holding On’ in November, ‘Winning Through’ in January this year, and the much later sequel ‘The Prodigal Wife’ in February. Then finally I embarked again on ‘Reflections’ a few days ago.

As I’ve come to expect with Marcia Willett, the writing is gentle, descriptive, and based around relationships, particularly those within families. This particular novel has three main characters initially: Cara, Cosmo and Amy. Cara is in her fifties, I imagine, recently widowed, and staying with her brother Max. Cosmo is probably in his early 30s, taking a break from work to look after a dog and explore his talent for photography. Amy is a young builder/decorator in her early 20s who lives with her widowed father Jack.

These three are all located in the same small village. The other main character is Sam Chadwick, the small child who arrived in the family as an orphan at the end of ‘Winning Through’, and who was barely mentioned in ‘The Prodigal Wife’. Sam has just been accepted for naval training, after a gap year teaching in China, which he loved. He’s feeling quite confused, wondering if he should give up on the navy, and train as a teacher. So he decides to spend a few days with Max, who is his godfather.

Of course nothing is straightforward. Max is married to the rather uptight Judith who - at the start of the story - is in Oxford with her son and his family, as they are expecting a new baby. Cosmo, who has a girlfriend in London, is rather attracted to Amy, and somehow omits to mention that he’s in a steady relationship. Cara needs to decide where to live, as she has sold her London house; but she’s full of all kinds of stressful memories and secrets, which don’t emerge fully until near the end of the book.

It’s not the most exciting of stories, and I suspect I would have found it less interesting if I were not already a huge fan of the Chadwick series. It was very enjoyable to see Hal and Fliss again - there are several scenes set at ‘The Keep’, and to catch up with a few others of the family, albeit in passing. Sam is an extremely likeable young man, as reserved as his father, yet more outgoing at a superficial level. He and Cara become quite friendly, discovering a kind of kinship despite the difference in their ages, and I loved reading the sections where they are chatting.

As with all Marcia Willett’s novels, this is family-friendly, with only the briefest references to bedroom scenes, and nothing at all explicit. There’s no bad language, and no violence; there aren’t really any nasty people either. There are those who are somewhat manipulative and who cheat, but even they are not deliberately unpleasant, and there’s always the possibility of redemption.

Definitely recommended if you’re a fan of Marcia Willett’s work and particularly the Chadwick trilogy. It’s not necessary to have read them first, but it adds to the enjoyment, in my opinion, to ‘know’ some of the people already, and to feel as if one is catching up with old friends. I don't think it's the best of her books, and probably not a good one to introduce people to her work. But very pleasant and relaxing reading for those who like warm, gentle character-based novels.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's Book Reviews

The Prodigal Wife (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve been enjoying re-reading my novels by Marcia Willett, but my favourites are the Chadwick Trilogy, which I re-read over the past few months. I remember being delighted when she wrote a sequel, ‘The Prodigal Wife’, set about ten years after the end of ‘Winning Through’. I first read it in 2010, and had pretty much forgotten what it was about. So it was a good time to re-read it.

There’s a useful family tree at the start of the book, showing the relationships between all the Chadwicks, and their dates. I studied it briefly before starting, and was sorry to see that a much-loved character had died in her late seventies, leaving just Prue, at 83, as the last of the oldest generation.

But the book opens with an entirely different person. Cordelia is a bit disturbed as she thinks someone is watching her - but maybe she’s wrong. We quickly learn that she has a lover called Angus, but they’re keeping their relationship a secret. It turns out that they go back a long way, but each has been married to someone else and they have only recently got back together again.

Cordelia has a daughter, Henrietta, who works as a children’s nanny. But her employer had a recent shock, and has gone away with her children and her parents, so Henrietta is looking after the parents’ cottage as well as their dogs and ponies. She meets Jolyon, son of Hal Chadwick, who comes to borrow some books. And she rather likes him…

If I hadn’t read the original Chadwick trilogy I would have found the sheer number of characters rather overwhelming, I think. As it was, it felt like getting back in touch with some much-loved friends. Most of the younger generation have grown up, and Jolyon, the only one remaining in the family mansion known as ‘The Keep’ is now running an organic garden centre. Sam, introduced as a toddler at the end of ‘Winning Through’, is away at boarding school and we only see him briefly a couple of times when he’s home for holidays.

The ‘Prodigal Wife’ of the title is Maria, Jolyon’s mother. She treated both Hal and Jolyon very badly in the earlier books, favouring her younger son Ed, and this - coupled with a man she had known and loved for years - led to the breakup of her marriage. However her second husband has just died, and Ed has gone off with his girlfriend… and she wants to reconnect with Hal and Jolyon. This is disturbing to Fliss, Hal’s second wife, and even more so to Jolyon who finds past resentment and anger building up inside him.

Maria is still quite self-centred but she did love Adam, and she is beginning to feel some regret for the way she treated her older son. But can the family forgive her wholeheartedly and rejoice, as if she were the Prodigal Son returning home… or are they going to behave like the older brother, full of resentment, unwilling to welcome her?

It’s a thoughtful novel, bringing some reconciliation as well as re-igniting some pain from the past as the characters interact. There are some scenes from the past, taken from the earlier books, which I found added nicely to the story even though I had re-read the other books recently. There’s the consciousness of the memory of Uncle Theo walking beside both Prue and Fliss, as they recall some of his advice and his wisdom. And there’s useful discussion about the nature of guilt, and what humility means.

I liked the book very much, and would highly recommend it if you like thoughtful character-based women’s fiction, particularly if you’ve read and enjoyed the three original Chadwick books: Looking Forward, Holding On, and Winning Through.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's Book Reviews

Winning Through (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I do love re-reading Marcia Willett’s novels. Of them all - and there are many - my favourites remain the Chadwick saga series. These were originally a trilogy, but she has published a couple more about the family in more recent years. ‘Winning Through’ is the third Chadwick book, which I last read in 2008. As it was written as the last of a trilogy, it ties up a lot of loose ends from the earlier books ‘Looking Forward’ and ‘Holding On’, which I re-read and enjoyed towards the end of last year.

‘Winning Through’ begins in 1986. As with the other books, several chapters follow the lives of the Chadwick family over a few months, and then the action leaps forward another four years. I found it a rather confusing system when I first read the books, but nowadays I appreciate it. It means there are some things we learn about in retrospect, as the characters look back on the immediate past; but it means that time passes without every detail, and people grow up a little or mature in the intervening periods.

The book begins with reflection; Fliss, who is now in her early forties, is wondering what to do about her marriage. Her husband Miles, who is rather older than she is, has been working in Hong Kong. She moved back to the family home, unwilling to leave her family behind or to send their twins to boarding school at a young age. That happened at the end of the previous book, and clearly nothing much has changed. Fliss is very fond of Miles, but he wasn’t her first love. And she still doesn’t want to move away from England.

Fliss is advised by her great uncle Theo, the last of the older generation, and quite frail now. He’s full of wisdom, much of it gleaned from reading, and from his life as a minister. He sometimes feels incompetent to advise as he never married; yet his gentle strength and insights guide all his relatives, and many others besides. It’s clear that Theo is becoming frail - he is approaching ninety at the start of the book - but nobody can bear to think of losing him.

Meanwhile Fliss’s cousin Hal - her first and best love - is struggling in his marriage to Maria. Their son Jolyon is sensitive and very afraid that they will split up. Their son Edward, who is his mother’s favourite, is nervous and seems to be pulling away from the rest of the family. Hal has promised Jolyon that he will do all he can to keep his marriage alive, and he’s not one to go back on his promises.

Fliss’s younger sister Susanna is happily married to the bohemian Gus and they have two small children, with a third due to arrive soon. And their brother Mole, who works for the navy in submarines, is still quiet, unwilling to talk about his private life, occasionally plagued with terrible nightmares. He worries continually about his family and doesn’t feel able to commit to any of the young women he becomes involved with.

It’s a character-based novel, reflective at times, as each of them confronts new challenges, learns to relate better to others, makes decisions for better or for worse. There are some significant events in the novel, including one which I recalled all too clearly, a shocking tragedy towards the end of the third book. The first time I read it, I couldn’t believe something so terrible would come in a book like this, with no warning. And yet it feels right, leading to the final chapters where there’s new hope for the future.

I had forgotten almost all the rest of the story; perhaps it’s not particularly memorable, but that doesn’t matter. The people are warm, believable and thoughtful. There’s more of a Christian emphasis in this one than the other two, with many quotations from Scripture and poetry - but as they mostly come from Theo, or when thinking about him, they don’t feel intrusive or in any way preachy.

I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this novel. I found parts of it extremely moving, and at times could barely put it down.

Very highly recommended, if you like thoughtful women’s fiction, but it’s definitely best to have read ‘Looking Forward’ and ‘Holding On’ before.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's Book Reviews

Holding On (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve been enjoying re-reading my books by Marcia Willett, particularly the ‘Chadwick’ series, which started with ‘Looking Forward’. I’ve just finished the second in the series, ‘Holding On’, and had forgotten how very engaging it is, with some extremely moving passages. I last read 'Holding On' in 2007, so it was more than time for a re-read.

It opens in the Summer of 1972. Fliss and Miles have been married for a couple of years, and she’s expecting her first baby. Miles, who works in the Navy, is about to be posted to Hong Kong, and while Fliss is quite excited at the idea, she’s also extremely nervous at the thought of giving birth in another country. And she knows she will miss her extended family, many of whom live at a huge rambling family mansion called ‘The Keep’.

Fliss’s grandmother, known as Freddy, is now 78. She’s still fit and active, but she’s slowing down. Fliss’s parents were killed in a coup when she was young, and Freddy brought her up, with her household help - Ellen and Fox - and a nanny, Caroline, who’s a bit younger. Fliss’s brother Mole is now a navy cadet, and her sister Susanna is soon to start at art college. But Fliss is very family-oriented, and Miles, who is rather older than she is, isn’t all that keen on the idea of becoming a father.

Fliss’s cousin Hal is married to Maria, who has always been quite possessive about him. But she’s starting to turn into a rather complaining, nagging wife who hates him being away. She’s a bit of a snob, too, and is under the impression that Hal is going to inherit The Keep one day. And she’s upset that Fliss is pregnant while she isn’t.

Then there’s Kit, Hal’s twin, who has been in a relationship with a likeable man called Jake for ten years. He’s asked her to marry him many times but she isn’t sure if she is really in love with him, and doesn’t want to be committed. She has a close friend and housemate known as Sin (Cynthia) who falls in and out of love regularly and also doesn’t necessarily want to get married.

All these people’s intertwining stories are told in the course of this book. Marcia Willett’s skill in characterisation applies to all her main characters, from small children to the elderly. And I feel almost as if I know them, so when there are poignant scenes, and inevitable losses I find my eyes filling with tears. The writing is excellent.

The action moves forward a few years after the first ten chapters or so, and we’re in 1976; Fliss and Miles returned from Hong Kong, with twins; Hal and Maria also have two sons, although she’s struggling to deal with the mess, noise and general disruption inherent in a baby and toddler. Mole qualifies and Susanna falls in love.

And then the story moves forward to 1980, and the last part is set in 1984. I recall finding these leaps a tad annoying when I first read the book, as I was caught up in the stories, and wanted to know what happened next. But Marcia Willett fills in the important gaps, with conversations and flashback daydreams, and it all works well.

I loved this book, it has everything I like in a story, including some low-key spiritual input mostly emanating from Freddy’s delightful brother-in-law Theo, who was a parson before he retired. There’s no bad language, no scenes of intimacy, no violence - just a well-told, beautifully structured family saga.

I’m already looking forward to reading the third in the series, but won’t do so immediately as I know it would be totally devastating to finish the series one after another; I love these people so much I like to spread them out a little, interspersed with other books.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys thoughtful women's fiction, but it's definitely best read after 'Looking Forward'.

Review copyright 2021 Sue's Book Reviews

Looking forward (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

‘Looking Forward’ is the first book I ever read by Marcia Willett, over twenty years ago (before I started this blog). I found it in a thrift store, at a time when we didn’t have many books, and thought it looked like my kind of novel. I was right - I was instantly involved in the storyline, and when I had finished, I put the two sequels on my wishlist.

I re-read this book back in 2007, so it was well overdue for another re-read. And while I recalled the outline of the plot, particularly the opening scenes, I had forgotten most of the detail. The book starts in the summer of 1957 when three scared and miserable children are waiting at a railway station for their grandmother. The station-master is kindly, and is trying to find out where she is.

Mrs Chadwick - or Freddy, as their grandmother is usually known - arrives feeling stressed, after a minor incident on the road, and a misunderstanding about where the children are going to meet her. And she’s grieving too - their father was her son, and he is dead. Worse, their mother and older brother are also dead, killed in a horrific incident in Kenya, by the resistance Mau-Mau. This sets it in historical context, although it’s not really historical fiction as such; all the characters are fictional.

Fliss - Felicity - is the eldest of the three surviving children, and she’s only eleven. She’s taken on a lot of responsibility since the killing happened, and is so relieved to see her grandmother at last. Her brother Mole is just five, and has become mute since the tragedy. And there’s Susanna, a cheerful child of about two, who doesn’t recall her grandmother at all. But she’s young enough that she has been least affected by what has happened.

It’s a dramatic and emotive start to the novel, without anything gratuitous to make it unpleasant reading. And the story is about the children growing up, while Freddy attempts to deal with her own grieving, and also has to give up her comfortable life in the country, as she attempts to mother and advise her young grandchildren.

The book has four different sections, each one moving forward a few years so that the last part is set in 1970. We see Fliss becoming more independent and Mole beginning to outgrow some of his terrors, in a household of people who are in their sixties at the start; in their mid-to-late seventies by the end of the book. The Chadwick family is unashamedly upper middle class, with boarding school expected for all the children, and most of the men going into the Navy.

But it’s not just about Freddy and her household; we also meet her other grandchildren Hal and Kit, who are twins a few years older than Fliss. Their mother Prue has also been widowed, but it happened during the war and they were babies, so they have grown up without knowing tragedy. Prue doesn’t always get along with Freddy, but they respect each other, and I found I liked her more than I had recalled. She doesn’t entirely ‘fit in’ with the Chadwicks, but that’s not a bad thing.

There are low-key romances, and several threads involving unrequited (or undeclared) love. There are some very poignant moments when I found tears in my eyes, and also a great deal that’s uplifting. I thoroughly enjoyed re-acquainting myself with the Chadwick family, and am already looking forward to re-reading the sequels.

Definitely recommended to all who like women's fiction.

Review copyright 2021 Sue's Book Reviews

The Sea Garden (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I am loving my re-read of Marcia Willett’s novels. They are warm, character-based stories featuring family life, mostly relaxed and gentle. Yet there are stresses and crises, and sometimes puzzles to be solved. I’ve just finished re-reading ‘The Sea Garden’ which I read in 2014. I didn’t recall it being one of my favourites, but I liked it very much this time.

Jess is the main person in this novel; or, at least, the catalyst for the story. We meet her en route to stay with Kate, whom I recalled from earlier books. Jess has just won a prestigious art award which is named for Kate’s late husband David Porteous. The award includes significant funding which means that Jess has a breathing space before deciding on a job, or whether to pursue a career in art with all its risks.

Jess is pretty much alone in the world. Her father has died some years earlier; her mother remarried and lives abroad. So she loves the warm welcome given by Kate, and quickly feels herself drawn into the lives of some of Kate’s friends. There’s an unusual coincidence in that Kate knew Jess’s grandmother Juliet some decades earlier, and the novel includes some flashbacks when Kate and her close friend Cass went to parties and met the groups of friends.

There are a lot of people in this book and I had a bit of a hard time recalling who was whom in some cases. Next time I read through Marcia Willett’s books, I think I will keep a list of people and their connections. I did remember the tragedy that befell Cass and her husband Tom many years earlier, which is referred to several times.

I also remembered their daughter Gemma, who is married to Kate’s son Guy, and that there were some tensions due in part to Guy’s rather unemotional nature, and also to some of Gemma’s actions. They have been abroad but Gemma and her sons move back, and that’s another important storyline that runs alongside Jess learning more about her grandparents and uncovering a surprising secret.

The author has an excellent way with words, painting descriptions of places that, on the whole, are not too long. Her conversations feel believable, and her characters distinct and well-rounded. It’s all set in the upper middle classes, with many naval connections, and boarding school seen as normal; sometimes I find this a bit jarring but mostly I accept it as part of the world of these novels. I love the connections with previous books, the sense of seeing another snapshot in the lives of people I had become fond of. And it was good to have Kate playing such an important part in the book; I always rather liked her.

While ‘The Sea Garden’ could stand alone, there are so many characters and references to the past that I think it’s much better to be read after some of the author’s other books; particularly ‘Those who Serve’, which is primarily about Cass and Kate as young married women.

Recommended if you like gentle, character-based women's fiction.

Review copyright 2021 Sue's Book Reviews

The Christmas Angel (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I am so enjoying re-reading my Marcia Willett novels. Her style is gentle, her characters warm and believable, and she tells a good story. They’re books to curl up with on a wet day… or indeed at any other time of year. It’s only seven years since I first read ‘The Christmas Angel’, but I remembered liking it very much. So despite it being very unseasonal, I have re-read it over the past few days.

The glittery, snowy cover is in fact a tad misleading; although the book starts and finishes with Christmas scenes, the majority of the action takes place over the course of the year in between. But it’s my only slight gripe about a wonderful book, with some characters who remained in my mind long after I read the book the first time. Rereading felt almost like reacquainting myself with old friends.

There are several important people in this book, but they’re sufficiently three-dimensional and distinct that I had no trouble recalling who was whom. Jakey is probably my favourite character: he’s four at the start of the book, bright and intelligent, and we meet him as he’s putting away the Christmas decorations with his father Clem. He doesn’t want Christmas to end and he’s feeling quite miserable about it.

Jakey doesn’t have a mother; she died when he was a baby, and Clem has given up his vocation to train as a minister in order to be available for his son. He has family nearby, in particular his mother Dossie, who was also widowed at a young age, and who runs a catering company. She lives with her parents, known to everyone as Mo and Pa, and while they’re only in their seventies, he’s had a stroke and they’re both starting to be a little frail. Dossie has a brother, Adam, but neither she nor their parents seem to be on his wavelength at all.

But Clem and Jake live next to a convent, where there are just four remaining nuns. Sister Nichola is elderly and apparently has some form of dementia, although she’s amenable and has moments of lucidity, even wisdom. She is looked after primarily by Sister Ruth, who is austere and finds it hard to show any emotion. The nun in charge is Mother Magda, who tries to please everyone all the time, and finds it hard to make decisions. And then there’s Sister Emily, a delightful lady who adores life, and beauty, and has a kind word for everyone.

And there’s Janna. She was a character introduced in the book ‘Echoes of the Dance’, as a young bohemian woman with no real family, and a tendency to want to travel. She’s been staying for a while at the convent, in a caravan, and while her relationship with Clem is just platonic, she adores Jakey.

Naturally there are various subplots revolving around these folk: there’s an unscrupulous businessman who wants to take over the nunnery, and a house renovation expert who starts a relationship with Dossie, although it’s quickly clear that he’s not unattached, as she believes. But the primary theme is character development, in particular Janna’s gradual search for both freedom and connection, and Clem’s questions about whether he might still be called to the priesthood.

There are more ‘religious’ scenes and interludes in this book than in many of Marcia Willett’s others, but they’re not out of place - the setting, after all, is a convent. There are scripture and liturgy quotations, but they’re in context of the story, and the author never preaches. Each character finds God - or not - in their own way.

While I recalled some of the people in the book, I’d entirely forgotten how Dossie’s unfortunate relationship came to an end - and that the problem with the businessman is never really resolved. Dossie’s relationship with her brother stays rather open too, with an uncertain future. But there’s a kind of sequel to this book which I read last year, ‘Homecomings’. In that book we meet some of the same people five years later, and some of the ends are tied up or at least explored further.

Definitely recommended - ‘The Christmas Angel’ is a warm, character-driven story free of bad language and anything unsuitable for the young, other than brief hints of what happens in Dossie’s relationship as it progresses.

Review copyright 2021 Sue's Book Reviews

The Summer House (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I am so enjoying re-reading Marcia Willett’s novels. They are warm, full of likeable three-dimensional characters, and with intriguing storylines. I’m trying to read them in the order in which they were published, since many of her novels reference people from previous books, if only in passing. Not that is the case for ‘The Summer House’, as far as I can tell - I last read it about nine years ago, and had entirely forgotten both the cast and the story.

At least, I thought I had forgotten the story. But I did apparently recall the solution to a slight mystery that pervades the book, and which isn’t fully uncovered until towards the end. I wasn’t sure if I was simply picking up on clues or if I subconsciously remembered it - either way, it didn’t matter at all.

It’s hard to say who is the main protagonist of this story, as there are quite a few significant people. Milo and Lottie and the older pair who are introduced first. At least, they appear a couple of pages into the book, and are skilfully explained during the course of the first chapter. Lottie is in fact Milo’s sister-in-law; he is divorced from Sara, and Lottie is rather younger. She’s never married, and is an intuitive, intelligent and empathic person who is full of wisdom, yet uncertain about her place in the world.

Milo and Sara have a son, Nick, who is married to Alice. We don’t meet Alice in the book, as they’re having some difficulties in their marriage - and I found Nick rather a difficult person to like. However it’s Nick who is the catalyst for Milo thinking about selling part of his property - the ‘Summer House’ of the title. However it’s not just a posh garden shed, but an entire house which has, until the story starts, been rented out.

In a somewhat complicated set of relationships, Lottie and Milo have stood almost in the place of parents, for many years, to the siblings Matt and Imogen. Imogen is married to Julian and lives not far away, with a baby. Julian is a vet, and they’re looking for a house to buy, ideally located close to his practice. Matt and Im’s father Tom - who worked closely with Lottie as a young man - died in Afghanistan when Matt was small, and their mother Helen died more recently, after many years of increasingly serious depressive illness.

Matt has written a very successful novel which has been turned into a film, and has made him both famous and financially secure. But he’s plagued with nightmares and insecurities, and seems unable to form romantic relationships. There’s a rather dislikeable young woman, Annabel, who wants more from him than friendship, but he’s unwilling to do so. Oh, and there’s the rather frail Venetia, formerly Milo’s mistress, who is a fascinating mix of superficial and vulnerable.

So many people, so many past stories… and yet, their characters are so well-developed by the author that I feel as if I almost knew them all. There was a sense of loss as I closed the book; I didn’t want to say goodbye to them. I don’t remember any of these people appearing in the author’s later books, although it’s possible they recurred as minor characters.

The novel is set in Devon - or possibly Somerset - as so many of Marcia Willett’s books are. Her knowledge and love of the area shine through. Descriptions are beautifully written, with just enough detail to set the scenes without being overdone. I admit to skimming occasionally when someone admires the view and it’s described in full, but it was only ever a paragraphs or two.

It’s a gentle novel, a story of temptations, of friendships and different kinds of love. The contrasts and varied relationships between the characters make this almost compulsive reading, even though there’s not, in fact, a huge amount of plot. The conversations feel entirely real, and I appreciate the very gentle, low-key Christian themes that pop up now and again, in context, without any hint of preaching.

Highly recommended if you like character-based contemporary women’s fiction.

Review copyright 2021 Sue's Book Reviews

The Way We Were (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I have very much enjoyed Marcia Willett’s novels over the past twenty or so years since I first discovered her writing. I’ve gradually acquired her books over the years, and am currently re-reading those which I haven’t read for a while. It’s almost ten years since I read ‘The Way we Were’, and I had entirely forgotten what it was about, so it was definitely time to re-read.

It’s a dual time-line story, as many of the author’s novels are. It opens in February 1976, A young woman known as Tiggy is setting out to stay with her best friend Julia. She says goodbye to her beloved grandmother, who hands her, at the last moment, a bronze model of Merlin as a child. It seems an odd gift, but her grandmother insists; it belonged to her grandfather, and she wants Tiggy to have it. This ornament - quite a bit one - recurs throughout the book, though we don’t learn its significance until the final chapters.

Tiggy considers herself an orphan; her mother died when she was young, and her father treated her so badly that they have cut all contact. So her friendship with Julia, which dates from their schooldays, is very important to her. They are more like sisters than friends, and Tiggy is godmother to Julia’s toddler Charlie. Julia also has twins, Liv and Andy, who are four at the start of the book.

The given reason for Tiggy’s long visit to Julia is that her fiancé Tom recently died in an accident, and she’s taking time away from her teaching job as compassionate leave. We soon learn that there’s another reason, something Tiggy doesn’t want her grandmother to know about…

The action moves forward to 2004, when Julia’s daughter Liv is the focus of the storyline. Liv is something of a free spirit, who doesn’t like to be tied down. She has been working with some old friends, helping them start up a hospitality business, and she’s clearly very successful as an organiser, planner and general visionary for this kind of thing. There’s a slight problem in that she and the husband Chris used to be an ‘item’, and his wife Val tends to be jealous and suspicious that they might be attracted to each other again. And Liv is aware of the temptation to become involved again, though she fights it.

There are quite a few characters in this book, but it wasn’t too hard to remember who was whom. I particularly liked Aunt Em; she’s Julia’s aunt (so Liv’s great-aunt) and is in her 70s in 2004, recently widowed, but still very lively. Aunt Em provides a listening ear and a great deal of empathy and wise advice to her relatives. Unable to have any children herself, missing her husband, she still manages to comfort and support both Liv and Julia in different ways.

There’s a kind of villain in the story - two, in fact, a mother and daughter called Angela and Cat. Angela is an old flame of Julia’s husband Pete, and determined to meddle in his marriage; not because she really wants him back, but because she likes to stir dissent. And Cat is simply nasty, despite being very young when we first meet her in the 1970s part of the story. I’m not sure I entirely believed in either of them; they feel caricatured, without any apparent redeeming features. They’re important for the storyline, but not realistic - at least, I hope not.

The writing is good, the dual time-line device working well. As with her other novels, Marcia Willett uses the present tense for the past, and the past tense for the present, which is a tad confusing, but it distinguishes the two time periods, even though they’re clearly marked with the years in question. There are secrets from the past; it’s clear early on in the 2004 part of the story that Tiggy is no longer around - we find out what happened relatively soon, so it’s not a shock when the story gradually unfolds in the 1976 section of the book, but still somewhat disturbing.

I didn’t like this quite as much as some of Marcia Willett’s other books, but it’s still a good story, one I was eager to finish. The last few chapters are quite tense, as characters discuss whether to reveal or hold onto secrets and connections from the past; whether or not to follow the wishes of someone no longer there. The final chapter is quite dramatic, and the ending very poignant.

Recommended if you like this kind of thoughtful women’s fiction, and particularly if you like this author, but it’s not (in my opinion) one of Willett’s best.

Review copyright 2021 Sue's Book Reviews

Memories of the Storm (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I’m re-reading some of Marcia Willett’s novels, and came to ‘Memories of the Storm’, which I was given and read over ten years ago. I had no memory of the plot or the people when I started. Gradually one or two incidents came back to me as I read, but on the whole it was as if I were reading it for the first time - and I enjoyed it very much.

There are several important characters in this book, but it wasn’t too hard to remember who was whom. There’s Hester, for instance, who must be in her mid 70s, but she’s very active and looks after a large house where she welcomes family and friends to stay whenever possible. She’s the last remaining person of her generation, other than her cousin Blaise; I was a tad confused about him because at one point he states that he’s twelve years older than she is, but he’s only just thinking about retiring, though he has to be not far off ninety.

Clio is Hester’s goddaughter, who is staying with her as the novel opens. Hester had a hip replacement and needed some care, and Clio wanted a bit of a break from her demanding job - and from the affair she’s been having with her married boss. Clio isn’t entirely happy in her work, but she loves organising Hester and making sure she has all she needs, and she’s also advising a local friend in her business.

A young man called Jonah is working with Clio and her friend, and asks if he can meet Hester. It turns out that his mother, Lucy, spent some time living with Hester and her family during the war. She wasn’t a typical evacuee, because her father Michael was a close friend of the family; her mother had died shortly before. The novel takes us back to the war years in some chapters, and in one longer section towards the end of the book, cleverly weaving the past and present together, unfolding a poignant story.

This story centres around memories of a particular storm - one when Hester’s brother Edward, suffering post-traumatic symptoms after being imprisoned in the war, gets into a fight with Lucy’s father Michael. Nobody knew that Lucy, just four years old, was awake and hiding behind a sofa when this happened. So her memories are inevitably seen through a childhood lens, and are also tinged by the fears of a sensitive, bereaved child who is convinced that everything bad that happens is her fault…

So we gradually hear Hester’s memories - some of them told in flashback form - and also begin to see why Lucy is carrying a terrible burden of guilt, even though events happened over fifty years earlier. Lucy is going through a trauma now; her beloved husband is suffering from a very unpleasant progressive illness, and she’s having to take on the role of carer. And as she thinks about the future, memories of the past come back to haunt her.

There’s a bit of a mystical element to the book; Jonah, like his mother, is very sensitive and aware of ghosts and vibrations of the past. But more important is the spiritual side: Blaise is a priest, and also loves poetry. I admit to skimming over some of the poetry quoted, and some of the more lyrical descriptions, but I did appreciate the discussions about faith, and sensing God at certain times. It’s not at all preachy; instead it feels entirely appropriate, and is helpful to some of the people struggling with a variety of issues.

All in all, I liked the book very much. Definitely recommended to those who like thoughtful women’s fiction that delves into the past.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Echoes of the Dance (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

Sometimes, when I first read a book I think it’s well-written, or quite pleasant, but nothing special. Then, on re-reading a decade or more later, I absolutely love it. That’s been the case with at least one of Marcia Willett’s character-based novels - and again on her book ‘Echoes of the Dance’, which I have just finished reading.  I first read it in 2008, and while I liked it reasonably well, it didn’t really grab me. This time, however, I found it engrossing and could hardly put it down.

Not that there’s any great excitement, or, really, any significant plot. But there are many subplots: threads woven together involving people who are so believable that several of them got right under my skin. There’s Roly, for instance, a retired photographer, who has moved to Cornwall to the home where he spent many childhood holidays. He had quite an acrimonious divorce from a rather narcissistic woman called Monika a decade or so back, and thinks he’s in love with a friend called Kate… but she doesn’t reciprocate. 

Roly and Monika had one son, Nat, who is now an adult and works as a horticultural specialist. Roly is happy that Nat has found fulfilling, enjoyable work. Monika wants him to work in an office. She also doesn’t like Janna, the rather bohemian and somewhat messed-up young woman who shares Nat’s home - when she’s not away working at markets with her friend Teresa. 

Roly’s friend Kate is someone who has appeared in many of Marcia Willett’s previous books, right back to ‘Those who Serve’. In that book, Kate is a young married woman struggling with twin sons, and in a difficult, stressful marriage. In this book she’s a couple of decades older, with grandchildren living not too far away, whom she adores. She has to make some difficult decisions, including whether to sell her house, after losing her second husband.

It’s not at all necessary to have read any of the earlier books by this author, as they all stand alone. But I like the feeling of meeting old friends again, and of seeing what has happened to them. Often people recur as minor characters, but in this one Kate is quite an important cast member. 

The ‘Dance’ reference in the book’s title refers to Daisy, a young woman who was training to be a ballet dancer but has had a nasty back injury. She is a former pupil of Roy’s sister Mim, and goes to stay in his guest flat on Mim’s advice, to recuperate somewhat. Much of her story takes place there, but there are also scenes in Bath where she lives with two other dancers, and where she meets a personable man called Paul in the downstairs flat. 

The story follows Daisy’s struggles to come to terms with her injury and its repercussions, and the way her friendship with Paul develops. She’s a likeable young woman, and I found her entirely believable. Indeed, other than Monika, most of the people in this book are kind and caring, yet quite distinct. Roly is a peacemaker, his sister Mim much more outspoken. Kate is indecisive, and hasn’t given herself the chance to grieve for her loss. 

As for Nat, he is a kind young man whose ‘secret’ I guessed early on - or possibly remembered at a subconscious level. Janna is quite original, with a very difficult past which she mostly overcome, making her long for security and a family. She is full of integrity. I was delighted to remember that Janna re-appears in the later book ‘The Christmas Angel’, although when I first read that I don’t think I had made the connection.  

Then there are Kate’s sons Giles and Guy, married respectively to Tessa and Gemma. An important incident referred to in this book was one I read about in, I think, ‘The Birdcage’. A lot happens in Guy and Gemma’s marriage, and I like reading more snippets of it, seeing how their lives pan out. 

The writing is good, the pace exactly right for my tastes right now, even if I thought it was a bit slow-moving when I was in my forties. There’s a low-key spiritual element too, which I appreciated, but the author doesn’t preach at all, and these could easily be glossed over. 

 I would recommend this highly to anyone who enjoys gentle, slow-moving but insightful character-based women’s fiction.

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 Birdcage (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I am so enjoying re-reading my novels by Marcia Willett. I don’t know why I didn’t start doing so years ago. She creates the most delightful, three dimensional people and her novels are full of interesting storylines.  I’ve just finished re-reading ‘The Birdcage’, which I haven’t read since shortly after I was given it in 2006. I loved it, and this time around I could hardly put it down once I had started.

The advantage of not having read a book for fourteen years, of course, is that I had entirely forgotten the plot and the people concerned. The main protagonist of this novel is Lizzie, who is in her late forties for the main part of the story. She is sorting through some boxes in her house, thinking about the past, and she comes across an old postcard. It’s of a village, with a cryptic message from her mother, and as she racks her brains to remember names and events, she starts wondering what happened to a large birdcage that used to hang over the piano.

It’s a dual time-zone story, set mainly in 1998, but with significant flashbacks and scenes from the past, mostly in 1956 when Lizzie was a child. Lizzie’s mother, known to everyone as Angel, was an actress and a single mother. They lived with a friend known to everyone as Pidge, but by 1998 they have both died.

Lizzie, who lives in Bristol, wishes she had asked them more questions about the past when she had the opportunity. So she makes the decision to go and stay in the village of Dunster, in Devon, where she can recall going on holiday with her mother, and where the postcard was sent from. She hopes she can find Felxi, the man who was her mother’s lover for some years, although she realises that he must be quite old and may also have died…

We actually meet Felix in the prologue of the book, set in the 1950s. He lives a double life, as is clear from the start, although Lizzie, at eight, doesn’t really understand. Felix’s wife is rather cold and possessive, while Angel is warm and welcoming. Felix only sees her once a month when he is on a business trip to Bristol, but it’s inevitable that something is going to break…

There are quite a few characters in this novel, which I found confusing at first. Felix, in 1956, has a young son called Piers who is about Lizzie’s age, and a father-in-law called David whom he likes very much. By 1998 Felix is elderly, Piers’s wife has left him, and he has a daughter-in-law called Tilda and a grandson called Jake. Piers’s son David, Tilda’s husband, died about a year before the 1998 part of the story starts, although we gradually learn more about him through the course of the book.

Piers’s childhood was fraught with tension, caught often between his jealous mother and his more relaxed father, unsure which of them really cared for him, and hating the arguments. I found the scenes involving his childhood very emotional, and felt so sorry for him, unsurprised that, in the 1998 section of the story, he and his father have quite a stressful relationship.

It’s a character-based book, and Marcia Willett creates believable, mostly likeable characters, memorable enough (on the whole) to be distinguishable. I did get a bit confused by some of the names of friends and relatives, and couldn’t always keep track of who was whom, but it didn’t much matter. I liked Lizzie enormously, and Tilda even more so.

Willett often uses characters from previous novels in scenes or incidents in later books, and this is no exception. A couple called Guy and Gemma come to visit, and I recalled them immediately from several of the earlier books by this author. I wondered at first why they were included, as their story seems at first to bear little relation to that of Lizzie and Piers and their families, other than Gemma’s brother being in love with Tilda. But it becomes clear, later in the book, when secrets from the past are brought to the fore.

If I have a slight gripe with this book, it’s that the tenses seem back to front, to me. The 1998 part of the book is written in the past tense, but the 1956 part - and other flashback scenes - are all in the present tense. It helps to distinguish which time period is which, but some of the present tense grammar feels a bit forced, and I’d have preferred it the other way around, with the past written in the past tense. However, it’s a small complaint, and one that I got used to by the time I was about a third of the way through.

Other than that, and the confusion with the rather large cast, I thought it an excellent novel, and liked it more and more as it progressed. There’s nothing particularly deep about this story; it’s set in the circles the author knows best, with army life and boarding school and sailing all being part of everyday life for many of the characters. But they’re warm, and believable, and their misunderstandings and struggles feel very real.

The ending - with one or two surprises which I wasn’t expecting - works well, tying up several ends, and leaving a great deal open for the future. I can’t now remember whether Lizzie and Piers (and Tilda) appear in any of Marcia Willett’s later books, but I hope very much to meet them again at some point.

Very highly recommended to anyone who enjoys character-based women’s fiction.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Homecomings (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I do so like Marcia Willett’s novels. She writes gentle character-based women’s fiction in exactly the genre I appreciate most. She has quite a gift of characterisation, and is a prolific writer. I put all her books in my wishlist as soon as they’re available in paperback, and was delighted to be given ‘Homecomings’ last Christmas. It’s taken me six months to pick it up to read, but once I’d started I could hardly bear to put it down.

There are several important characters in this book. We first meet Ned, a man who is, I suppose, in his mid-eighties. He’s a little frail, but likes to be independent and he’s basically in good health. Ned’s nephew Hugo, who used to work at the BBC, has retired to look after Ned and the two get along very well.

We quickly learn that Ned had two cousins: Jamie, who is more like a brother to him, who has been working in the RAF, and Jack, who died in his twenties. Jack was Ned’s son, and he still grieves for him, but he’s very fond of his two nephews. He and Hugo live in Cornwall, and although they haven’t been there very long they’re starting to make a lot of local friends.

One of these friends is Dossie, and I was delighted when I realised that she was a significant character in the book ‘The Christmas Angel’, which I read four-and-a-half years ago. The people in that book evidently made quite an impression on me, because I also recalled Dossie’s son Clem, who is a minister, and Clem’s son Jakey, who is now ten. Her parents have died and she now owns their former home, and runs a successful catering business.

Dossie has never been close to her brother Adam; he didn’t get along very well with his parents, either. Part of this book is an unpacking of his past, and we learn some of the reasons why he has felt so angry and bitter. He and Dossie start to get to know each other, and it’s a positive, encouraging storyline.

Janna, who was one of the main characters in ‘The Christmas Angel’ is still settled where we left her at the end of the other book, and mostly contented. We don’t see much of the nuns, but although they were the viewpoint characters of the earlier book, I didn’t really remember any of them. But I was glad to catch up with Janna.

There are many subplots nicely intertwined in this novel: Jamie comes to stay with Ned and Hugo, and we learn about their past rivalries and friendship. Hugo is a gentle, caring person and Jamie more outgoing. Hugo meets a young woman who reminds him of someone he used to know in the past… and that triggers another important storyline.

It’s nicely paced; there’s not a great deal of action, but plenty of interaction between the different people, and the story unfolds well. I found parts of it quite moving, parts of it thought-provoking. We see adults with insecurities and other problems because of childhood traumas or neglect. Family life is seen as of supreme importance, parenting a tremendous responsibility.

As with many of Willett’s books, there’s almost no bad language, no explicit scenes, and an underlying but non-threatening spiritual theme that pops up here and there. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am already looking forward to re-reading it in another ten years or so. Highly recommended to anyone who likes gentle women’s fiction with a bit of depth. It stands alone, but is all the better from having previously read ‘The Christmas Angel’.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Seven Days in Summer (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I have loved Marcia Willett’s writing for a long time now, ever since I first picked up one of her novels at a charity shop over twenty years ago. I keep an eye out for her new publications and put them on my wishlist as soon as they’re available in paperback. I was given ‘Seven Days in Summer’ for Christmas 2018 and for some reason it stayed on my to-be-read shelf all this time. Until a few days ago.

This novel - which takes place over the course of just a week - is set primarily in Devon with a few forays into Cornwall. These are areas of the country I don’t know at all, but the author clearly knows them well. The descriptions of countryside and beaches are realistic, helpful in painting a picture of the locations of the novel, but without being overdone or too poetic.

As with most of Marcia Willett’s novels, this is character-based, and it has quite a large cast of people. Baz is the central one - a man in his 60s who suffered a tragic bereavement many years earlier. He owns a large holiday home in Devon, and we meet him en route there for a holiday, travelling with his daughter-in-law Liv and her almost-five-year-old twins Freddie and Flora. Liv’s husband Matt, Baz’s son, has to work in their bistro as the manager has had an accident to his foot, but he hopes to join them for their second week.

Baz has a circle of friends near his holiday home, and they get together each year for barbecues, lunch parties and other social events. Janet and Dave are warm, caring people, and their goddaughter Sofia is staying with them after the break-up of a relationship. Miles and Annabel are a prickly kind of couple - or Annabel is; she is rather keen on Baz, and Miles treats her tolerantly, although they’re growing apart. Miles would love to be more friendly with someone else… but nothing is likely to happen.

Meanwhile a contemporary of Liv’s called Cat has appeared in Matt’s bistro. Liv cannot bear her, and Cat is clearly manipulative and selfish. She has always been envious of Liv’s laid-back and mostly contented family and this has turned into a spiteful jealousy that makes Cat determined to destroy them, if only she can find a way.

So there are several subplots alongside each other. Baz finds himself falling in love, and becomes rather disturbed by some mysterious text message he keeps receiving. Matt has been finding family life a bit stressful and Cat can be beguiling and attractive when she chooses. And there are many more interactions, including some delightful exchanges including the young twins.

There are many viewpoint changes: each chapter, and some sections within chapters move to a different person. Some authors create rather a muddle by doing this, but Marcia Willett manages it perfectly, without any jarring. The week slowly moves forward, outwardly calm with a happy family holiday, but with emotions rising high for many. The people are three-dimensional and easy to distinguish, and I found myself getting under their skins - particularly Liv’s.

It’s a gentle story, no fast action and not too much stress. I was so interested in the people and circumstances that I picked the book up every moment I could. Nothing that would make this unsuitable for teenagers - I don’t recall any bad language, and there are no intimate details. This is part of what lifts Marcia Willett’s novels above that of many authors who write in a similar genre.

Definitely recommended if you like warm, character-based women’s fiction.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

The songbird (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

I have enjoyed all the novels I’ve read by Marcia Willett over the years since I first discovered one of her books at a local thrift store. I’ve gradually acquired each new book she’s written, mostly via gifts from relatives. I was given ‘The Songbird’ last Christmas, after placing it on my wish list, and have just finished reading it.

Marcia Willett writes character-based novels, where relationships are more important than a strong story-line. I found this one a bit confusing at first as there seemed to be such a large cast, and it was tricky keeping everyone in my mind. First we meet Mattie, a young woman who works in London, who has recommended that her colleague Tim spend his sabbatical in a family house in Devon.

We quickly learn that Mattie’s sister Charlotte lives in the same row of cottages, with her infant son Oliver; her husband Andy is in the navy, and mostly away. Andy’s father William lives next door with his cousin Kat, and the whole is owned by the elderly Francis, who has some relationship with William but that’s rather hazy until later in the book. Gradually each one became more real in my mind as I read; each is quite distinct, although it was hard to keep track in the earlier chapters.

I liked Mattie very much; she’s enthusiastic, and as we rapidly discover (and it’s mentioned in the blurb on the back) she’s been in love with Tim for some time, although she’s never said anything. Tim has a secret which he doesn’t want anyone to know, although that, too, is fairly quickly revealed to the reader. The elderly Francis is perceptive and is a devout Catholic; he, too, has his secrets which come out during the course of the book.

I never entirely believed in Kat, who’s a former ballet dancer with a string of affairs in her past; she likes to seduce men and is rather too cold-hearted and self-centred for my tastes. But I became quite fond of William, who is estranged from his wife Fiona. There are other characters too… mostly of lesser importance, other than the dog Wooster who plays an important part in everyone’s lives.

As for the story… there really isn’t all that much. The novel takes place over a few months, while Tim ponders his future. He and Mattie become closer, Kat meets the likeable Jerry and starts a new romance. Charlotte worries a lot about her son, and how she’ll relate to her husband when he comes home from leave, and everyone wonders what will happen when Francis is no longer around.

The writing is good, with some realistic conversations and some poignant moments. I was surprised how quickly I felt caught up in the lives of these diverse people; as Tim becomes more involved in their community, feeling like part of the family, I found myself feeling fond of them all, to varying degrees.

There’s a tad more of a Christian focus than there is in the author’s other books, although it’s done very well, in my view, without being pushy. There’s no bad language and no details of intimate scenes, although as with so many modern fiction books, characters seem to leap into bed with each other all too easily.

I’d recommend this to anyone who likes the gentle, character-based fiction of this nature. The ending is positive without being overdone, and the people will probably stay in my mind for some time.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's Book Reviews