Precious Time (by Erica James)

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I have been reading and collecting novels by Erica James for twenty-four years, and have liked them all. But my absolute favourite has always been ‘Precious Time’. I first read it in 2003 and then didn’t re-read it until 2017, when I loved it just as much as I did the first time. I’m now re-reading all Erica James’ books, roughly in chronological order, and the time had come for ‘Precious Time’ once again. 

I recalled that the story was about a young mother who had decided to take her four-year-old son out of nursery school for a few months, to travel around the UK and spend time together. I remembered, too, that they befriended an elderly and cranky gentleman. But that’s all. Sometimes it’s a benefit to have a poor memory for plots, since everything felt fresh to me once again. And, for the third time, I thought this a wonderful book. 

Clara is the young mother concerned. She’s quite a high-flying business person, who has always been secretive about who her son’s father is. Ned is a bright and friendly child who has a great relationship with Clara’s parents, who look after him when he’s not at his nursery school. But he’s not happy at the school, and his grandparents have flown abroad to spend time with Clara’s brother and his family…and Clara realises that time is slipping away. She may never have the chance again, and she has plenty of savings. So she sells her car, buys a campervan, packs up her possessions, and sets out on the road with Ned. 

After a few interesting visits to different campsites, they find themselves trespassing on the grounds of a large mansion, and are confronted by the cantankerous Gabriel Liberty. We’ve already met him - the viewpoint switches from chapter to chapter - and know that he lives in some squalor despite being quite well off. He has been married twice, and widowed twice. He has three adult children but doesn’t get on with any of them, although his youngest, Jonah, buys his groceries and attempts to keep an eye on him. 

Then there’s Archie, the owner of a second-hand shop, whose life is falling apart around him. His mother had a stroke, and is living with him, and his wife has just left him. I’m not sure that Archie had a huge role in the plot of the book, but he’s a likeable person, probably in his late fifties. Archie pops into the novel from time to time alongside the main storyline.

It’s a character-based book, with quite a large cast - but Erica James had a gift of characterisation that meant all her people feel real and three dimensional. And it was very easy to recall who was whom. The plot delves a bit into the psychology of grief; the family dynamics of the Liberty family are complex, and my only surprise is that Jonah turned out as well as he did: he’s kind, forgiving and generous, totally unlike his older twin siblings. 

As I read the book, I felt almost as if I were part of the community of people that Clara discovers, and which Ned is drawn to immediately. There are many strands to the story, including an episode involving the man who is Ned’s father, though he has not known of his existence. I liked Clara’s friends - two couples, who often hang out with her, and who are Ned’s honorary aunts and uncles - and I felt very sorry for Gabriel, who is so lonely in his huge house. 

It’s the kind of book I wanted to dip into in every spare moment; yet I didn’t want it to finish. I am already looking forward to re-reading it once again in another six or seven years. There’s gentle humour, there’s positive interactions, there are moments of great poignancy, and there’s an encouraging, positive ending. A bonus is that there's no bad language, and nothing explicit. 

Definitely recommended if you like women's fiction.

 

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