More Lives than One (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I'm enjoying reading novels by Libby Purves, who is probably better known as an outspoken journalist. Her style is hard-hitting and concise, her stories always different, revolving somewhat around contemporary issues, and her plots are cleverly done.

'More Lives than One' is an amazing book, one which drew me in almost imperceptibly as an interesting light novel. Then it stunned me, again and again, with such a superb understanding of ordinary people that I found some of my preconceived ideas undergoing a radical re-think. One of the pieces of 'blurb' at the front of this book describes it as: 'The kind of book that you race to finish and then think about for a long time afterwards'. What a very apt description that turned out to be!

Anna is nineteen at the start of this book, on her own after leaving her boyfriend and realising she never loved him anyway. Just to complicate things slightly, they are in Egypt at the time. I'm not entirely sure why this is the setting for the first couple of chapters of the book; it's seems almost incongruous. Or perhaps it's meant to set the scene for an impulsive, friendly and intensely honest girl who copes well with almost any circumstances. She travels to a rather basic hotel where she meets a group of Oxford undergraduates who have come for scuba diving with their instructor, Kit Milcourt. Kit and Anna have an instant rapport, and inevitably become more than close friends within a few days.

The third chapter leaps forward to nine years later, back in the UK. Kit and Anna are happily married, with just one slight problem: Anna isn't getting pregnant. They have both been subjected to tests to try and discover what - if anything - might be wrong. They are also both qualified as teachers: Anna in modern languages, Kit in English. They teach at a struggling comprehensive school, where Kit has made a name for himself as an idealist determined to educate and inspire his students rather than merely enabling them to pass exams. As such he is loved by most of the children, but in constant battles with some of the staff who see their roles quite differently.

The writing style is straightforward, without too much description. Yet I built up a good picture of both Kit and Anna from their conversations and the ways they interacted with other people. Anna is lovable and secure, the product of rather caricatured parents who have given her everything she could need and who have always let her know they love her. Kit, by contrast, has fought his way through boarding school where his cold father was headmaster; he has emerged strong, active and deeply idealistic. He stands out as the kind of teacher who ought to be far more common in every school, and yet is likely to be beaten down by bureaucracy and the need for conforming to government guidelines.

Libby Purves usually manages to cover some hard-hitting contemporary issues within her novels, but to start with there did not seem to be any. For the first part of the book I was lulled into thinking that it was mainly about education for children with social problems. It also covered some of the difficulties experienced by teachers who work too hard and struggle to inspire such students, while forced to keep within the National Curriculum. As I find these topics interesting I wasn't disappointed, but a little surprised. These issues are undoubtedly important, but seemed rather tame compared to other novels I have read by this author.

I found both Kit and Anna attractive characters. They work hard in their different ways at school, they complement each other at home. When the fiery Kit manages to annoy another member of staff, the peaceable Anna generally manages to smooth things down again. Although Anna is sometimes puzzled by Kit, she's secure enough to find explanations for nearly everything that might cause irritation in another woman.

In the second part of the book, the mood changes. The focus is on truth and integrity in the midst of trauma and accusation. It wouldn't be fair to say what issues are raised since they're so unexpected; suffice it to say I found myself re-thinking some views I had held, and as promised by the 'blurb', pondered the book for several days after I had finished it. The subjects covered were all even more controversial than I had expected. I shall definitely read this book again in a few years; it won't shock me the second time, but I don't think that will matter.

I would recommend it to anybody who has anything to do with education, social services or the police. Indeed I'd recommend this book to almost anyone, male or female. Having said that, it's probably not one for children or younger teenagers. Not that it's a difficult book, but some of the issues raised could potentially be seriously disturbing for those who are themselves still in school.

Just make sure you have several hours free when you start this book. Once you get half-way through, it becomes almost impossible to stop reading for any but the most urgent circumstances!

All in all, a very thought-provoking book.