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, and 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.
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