I very much liked Alexandra Raife’s novels the first time I read them, in the first few years of the century. She wrote twelve in all, and I acquired some of them soon after they were available in paperback. I have been re-reading them over the past couple of years, and have reached the final one again, ‘Promises to Keep’. I last read it in 2005 and had totally forgotten what it was about.
The story is mainly about a young woman called Miranda. We see her first in a prologue at the airport, awaiting Ian, who is evidently her former husband. Some crisis has struck their daughter… but we don’t learn what has happened until much later in the book.
The first proper chapter takes us back to the time when Ian and Miranda, still students, got married. They had been best friends for most of their lives, so this wasn’t a sudden decision: but, as Miranda acknowledges later, they hadn’t really thought through what the commitment of marriage meant. And then she becomes pregnant, unintentionally, and things start to go downhill in her relationship with Ian.
It’s a character-based book, sometimes dipping into the past, where we see Ian and Miranda, both comfortably off and popular, very keen on skiing and other sports. Ian’s childhood home was not as happy or comfortable as Miranda’s; his father was grumpy, his mother died when he was young, and he has two rather strange aunts.
But most of the book follows, in a gentle and somewhat rambling way, Miranda’s life over the next twenty years. We see her pregnancy and then the difficult first months with a demanding, colicky and very angry baby. The author piles on as many problems as possible: baby Alexy is difficult to feed, doesn’t grow very fast, and cries so much that Miranda is permanently exhausted. A far cry from the happy, chuckling baby her parents had hoped for.
And it doesn’t get easier. Other than a few gummy smiles, Alexy is a most unrewarding child. Even her grandmother finds her hard to like, as she fights her way through the toddler years, offering no affection, and no appreciation of anything. She is clearly very bright, but makes no friends, and clings tight to her mother despite apparently despising her.
Miranda inwardly blames herself for the way her daughter has turned out, but outwardly blames Ian for leaving when he did. On his rare visits, she fights with him and Alexy rejects him. Alexy is really the most dislikeable child. I felt sorry for her at times, but she is so unfailingly obnoxious that I soon lost all sympathy. I’m not convinced anybody could be quite so unpleasant, no matter how bad the parenting was - and Miranda and Ian did their best, despite difficult circumstances.
There are many other sub-plots, as Miranda gradually gets to know some of Ian’s relatives and other folk are introduced. I liked the gentle, academic Will who moves into her life for a while, and his sons Adam and Tim who are the direct opposite of Alexy in almost every way: pleasant, friendly, likeable lads, although their mother was considerably worse than Miranda in many respects.
The ending, which happens a tad too abruptly for my tastes, is entirely satisfactory in one respect. However it never resolves the problem of Alexy, or what is going to happen to her in future. Miranda is encouraged to let go, to see her as an adult, and to accept that she will make her own decisions; but I found the whole relationship with Alexy (and Alexy herself) to be quite disturbing. But then it’s a mark of skilled writing to elicit such a strong response from a reader about any character.
There are odd mentions of people from the author’s previous novels, enabling readers to catch up on what has happened to them in passing; but it’s certainly not necessary to have read any of her other books before this one. Overall I enjoyed it, and found it quite difficult to put down once I was about half-way through.
Recommended if you like character-based women’s fiction. Not currently in print, but it's the kind of book that is fairly often found second-hand online or in charity shops.
Review by Sue F copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews
I have re-read several of Alexandra Raife’s novels in the past year. I first came across her, at the recommendation of a relative, about eighteen years ago, and gradually acquired and read all her novels - twelve in all. They are all relationship-based, set in Scotland.
I last read ‘A Question of Trust’ in 2006, and it was probably my least favourite of Raife’s novels although I felt it was still a good story. The author writes fluently, with sufficient description to make her places feel familiar, and her people are three-dimensional, including the minor characters. Conversations flow well, and I like the way that many of the novels include people who have been introduced in earlier books; not that it’s necessary to have read them before, as they all stand alone.
Philippa is the main character in this story. She’s a very likeable person, mostly calm and kind, from a distinctly upper-middle class background but with no pretensions. It’s clear, when we meet her in the first chapter, that she’s been hurt in the past; but she’s building a life for herself in a cottage near the West coast of Scotland. She has plenty of friends, some of whom would love to see her married to one of their inner circle, but she keeps herself slightly aloof, working as many hours as she can at odd jobs: administration, babysitting, catering, and more.
Jon is the person who, inevitably, falls for Philippa despite her being very different from any of the women he has previously had relationships with. Jon is a rough, ex-army type, with something of a chip on his shoulder and a lot of hidden anger. He’s in hiding - or at least in a rest period - after an enterprise which we learn more about later in the book. He’s tired, drained, and quite nervous and when we first meet him he’s spending a lot of time drinking. He’s rented a small place for a year, not far from where Philippa lives, but knows he could be called back to dangerous work at any time.
The plot itself is perhaps clichéd: Jon and Philippa meet, are attracted to each other, clash, clear up misunderstandings, get closer, clash again… but although I often felt frustrated with them both, the writing is good, and there’s a fair amount of emotion involved, as well as plenty of interaction with other characters. There’s a tad too much introspection for my tastes, and by the final chapters I was wanting to bang their heads together: each of them is caught up in pride and fear of being hurt. But feeling anything for characters is a mark that they have got under my skin.
I also found it hard to like Jon. He is so angry, so driven by bias and jealousies that it’s hard to see how anyone, least of all gentle Philippa, could be happy with him long-term. Perhaps someone like her, who can turn insults to teasing, and accept him exactly as he is, is the only kind of person who could possibly help him become more balanced as a person. But in many cases it felt as if he were riding roughshod over her, and I didn’t like it.
My main frustration with the book is that the viewpoint switches far too frequently, sometimes to someone other than the two main characters. Even when it’s restricted to Jon and Philippa, it often alters from one to the other within a single scene: so rather than seeing everything from one point of view, we leap from one to the other, reading their thoughts alternately, and I found this quite confusing. It also made it harder to see either point of view in scenes of this.
Still, once I had got into the story, I found it difficult to put down. Events move at quite a pace, and while there are many misunderstandings and reunions, each is written in a different way, with a variety of circumstances. I’m glad I re-read it, and will probably read it again in another ten years or so.
'A Question of Trust' is not currently in print, although it's available (at least in the UK) in Kindle form. Paperback versions can often be found in second-hand or charity shops.
Review by Sue F copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews
I’ve been enjoying re-reading Alexandra Raife’s novels, interspersed with others. I just wish I hadn’t left such a long gap in the middle. I re-read the first of her books, ‘Drumveyn’, in 2007. But it’s taken me until now to reach the tenth of her books - seventh in the ‘Perthshire Cycle’ - ‘Return to Drumveyn’. It includes most of the people who were introduced in the first book, albeit rather older, but my memory of them was a little hazy.
Not that it particularly mattered. This book is about Cristi, who is 23 when this novel opens. She lives with Archie and his rather younger wife Pauly in Scotland. But she has a Brazilian mother who abandoned her when she was nine. There has been no contact at all with her biological family until, out of the blue, she receives a shocking letter from a lawyer.
Cristi, who has just finished a degree in fine arts, flies to Brazil to find out more about her family and a ranch which she has inherited. She leaves behind not just her foster parents, but her adopted brother and sisters, and - most importantly - Dougal, one of the workers on the Drumveyn estate. He has begun to feel that there’s too big a gulf between himself and Cristi to continue their childhood friendship, and she doesn’t understand his pride and the envy of her circumstances and education.
Much of the book happens in Brazil, where Cristi is at first overwhelmed with colour and sunshine, and the apparent welcome from her cousins and other relatives. She feels as if she belongs - no longer does she look ‘different’, and she fits effortlessly into their luxurious, materialistic lifestyle. At first, anyway. But she becomes uncomfortable with the delay in sorting out her affairs, and starts to push for resolution. Her handsome cousin Luis is very attentive and she finds herself drawn to him in a way she doesn’t fully understand.
We also see cameos of her loved ones back in Scotland, receiving news via letters, and worrying, increasingly, that she might never return. Or, if she does, only as a visitor. And, indeed, it seems for a time as if Cristi may be drawn into her new environment; she is delighted with the ranch, rather to her cousin’s surprise, and even starts to learn some important skills, such as roping cattle.
The pace is gentle, the story character-based primarily, contrasting the openness of the Scottish family, and the prevarication of the Brazilian one. Cristi sees a great deal of her country - poverty as well as wealth, and matures in many ways before making a decision about where her future is to be.
There’s plenty of cultural ‘educational’ value to this book, both in Brazil and in Scotland. It’s presented through Cristi’s eyes, in such a way as to be interesting. It makes a nice background, a good contrast to the primarily character-based nature of the novel. Every so often the viewpoint changes, sometimes mid-scene, but somehow Alexandra Raife manages this without it feeling awkward or annoying.
It’s the kind of book that’s easy to put down at first; it’s not a book to hurry through. I wanted to savour the atmosphere, and take it slowly, reading the descriptive passages, seeing the people in my mind’s eye. But once I was over half-way through, I found myself rooting for various characters, hoping Cristi would follow a particular path, but really not remembering how the book ended.
Overall I thought it a lovely book, an excellent ending to the ‘Perthshire’ series, but one that stands alone: it certainly isn’t necessary to have read any of the earlier books in the series, although having read ‘Drumveyn’ before, albeit over ten years ago, gave me the feeling of returning to people I had known and liked in the past.
Definitely recommended. Not currently in print, and rather pricey second-hand; but it can be found in Kindle form at reasonable cost.
Review copyright 2018 Sue's Book Reviews
In re-reading the novels by Alexandra Raife, I reached ‘The way home’, which is listed as sixth in her ‘Perthshire cycle’. However it’s not necessary to have read any of the earlier books in this cycle; each one is complete in itself.
The story is about three sisters in their thirties, mainly focused on Jamie, the middle sister. We meet them as they arrive at their grandmother’s old house, after the funeral of their stepmother, whom none of them ever liked. They haven’t seen the house in years, but have just learned that they have jointly inherited it. Indeed, they should have had it some years previously when their father died.
Vanessa is the oldest sister, a classic - perhaps caricatured - home-maker. She worries about the little things: meals cooked in time, shirts that need ironing, defrosting the freezer. She runs an immaculate home which she shares with her rather too charming husband and their moody, grumpy teenage son. Vanessa is responsible, and caring, and has a secret which she is careful to hide….
Jamie has just flown in from the US, where she was working as a highly successful businesswoman. She’s always been the odd one out, a rebel in her childhood, and is considered the adventurous sister. She’s the only one who could possibly afford to buy out her sisters and own their home… or so her sisters assume. But Jamie also has a secret, something she’s reluctant to talk about to anyone, at least in her first few days back in the UK.
Phil is the youngest sister, and although she’s 34 they still see her as emotional, unable to deal with the realities of life. She works in a demanding job in a care home, and is overweight, scruffy, and cares little about appearances. She’s gentle, and intuitive, but Vanessa and Jamie rarely think to consult her, and want to protect her from what they see as the painful realities of life. Phil has a secret too, which isn’t revealed until near the end of the book.
While the viewpoint switches fairly often, we see most of the story from Jamie’s point of view as she discovers what her stepmother did to the house - removing much that made it beautiful, installing modern appliances and garish hangings. Jamies does a great deal of heart-searching, as we learn more about what happened in the US and why she’s not returning there, at least for a while.
The other important person in the book is Patrick, an old friend of the family, ten years older than Vanessa, and Jamie’s best friend. They both have to adjust to a more adult friendship, and each is aware that they feel more than friendship - but don’t want to destroy what they have by mentioning it.
The book has many intertwined subplots, as we learn more about each of the sisters, and as they learn more about each other. It took me a few chapters to get into it, as there are quite a few characters introduced early in the book. There’s perhaps a tad more introspection than I like later on, some of it a bit repetitive. But those are my only issues with the book. Once I was half-way through I could barely put it down. I have only read it once before, in 2003. While I’d vaguely remembered some of the storyline, in particular the essence of Phil’s secret, I had forgotten all the details.
The ending is perhaps a tad abrupt but mostly satisfactory. It leaves some questions open, but makes the point that each of these very different young women makes her own choices and decisions. These are based partly on circumstances, but also very much according to their own personalities and preferences.
Definitely recommended to anyone who likes thoughtful women’s fiction. Not currently in print, though it can often be found second-hand, but it's available in Kindle form.
Review copyright 2018 Sue's Book Reviews
I’m very much enjoying re-reading Alexandra Raife’s novels, which I first read fifteen or more years ago. The one I have just finished is ‘Among Friends’. It’s about a woman called Louise, who is in her early thirties and trying to move forward after a devastating bereavement, two years earlier.
Louise decides that as her main experience in life involves caring for families, and (recently) for an elderly lady, she will join an agency that places short-term staff in service jobs. However, due to her personal background, she does not want to look after children, or even have any children in households where she’s placed.
This novel is the fifth in the author’s ‘Perthshire’ cycle, and, as with so many of her books, picks up on characters who featured in earlier novels. Cass, who was the main protagonist in ‘The Wedding Gift’, is the head and driving force of the employment agency whom Louise joins. Cass finds herself quite drawn to Louise, realising she’s a strong and very able person, but it takes awhile for her to learn exactly what happened in her past.
We follow Louise through her first four assignments: working for two decidedly cantankerous people, interspersed with much pleasanter environments. I’m not entirely sure what the purpose is for her stay with Aidan, a former actor who is very gregarous and touchy-feely, and whose sister Erica lives the life of a traveller, in a caravan.
However, her other more enjoyable assignment, at a house called Fallan, is the focus of much of the story as it progresses. Here she meets the disorganised (and promiscuous) Abby, the hard-working and often grumpy owner Hugh, and revolutionises the unhygienically dirty and disorganised kitchen area which has seen a series of unsatisfactory cooks. Hugh travels widely for his work, but brings parties back to Fallan either for business or for shooting game on his property. When he entertains, he needs extensive and high quality food, and Louise’s main role is to provide both day-to-day meals and provisions for the freezer.
It’s a journey of discovery for Louise, as she works through her limitations, and leaves her mark on almost everyone she meets. She’s a talented, loyal and honest person who seems to have few faults; she is, however, held back by the deep grief of her bereavements. In the course of the book she gradually faces some of her fears, ventures into new territory and takes on roles and challenges which she would not have thought possible.
Unusually for Raife’s books, there isn’t a romance as such; there are hints that there might be, but the ending leaves everything open. Louise begins to find some healing, and ways to move forwards, and I found it all very encouraging. In places it’s quite moving, and although it’s perhaps a tad slow to get going, I had entirely forgotten the plot and found it difficult to put down by the time I was half-way through.
‘Among Friends’ stands alone, but is all the more enjoyable for having read earlier books by this author. Other than Cass and her husband, few earlier characters are mentioned by name, and none have any significant part to play. But I like the feeling of returning to a familiar environment, and knowing that everyone I cared about in earlier novels is continuing their lives in satisfactory ways.
Definitely recommended. Not currently in print, but available in Kindle form and sometimes found second-hand in paperback.
Review copyright 2018 Sue's Book Reviews
Interspersed with new books, I’m re-reading several of my favourite authors, one of whom is Alexandra Raife. She wrote twelve character-based novels, all based in Scotland. I enjoyed them all very much, one at a time. After being given the first few, I acquired most of the rest shortly after they were published. Re-reading them ten or more years later., I’ve entirely forgotten the storylines, and am liking them all over again.
‘Moving on’ features two main characters. Helen is approaching sixty, and lives with her extremely demanding husband. She’s close friends with her near neighbour Catriona, a young and naive woman who is about to leave the village of Luig to start a business course. Catriona’s departure is the catalyst for Helen to decide that she cannot bear to stay married a moment longer…
The first part of the novel follows each of them as they embark on new lives. Catriona finds her course fairly easy, but student life in general a huge strain. Helen spends some time living with her son and his rather annoying wife but quickly realises that it’s not going to work out. And then, perhaps a year after the opening section of the book, both Helen and Catriona move back to Luig.
So the main part of the book sees the two of them re-connecting, and gradually settling into a more relaxed, fulfilling way of life. Most of the story involves different relationships; it’s a character-based book, seeing the two main characters become close once more, and also introducing a potential romantic interest - but until the final chapters, it’s not clear what’s going to happen.
There’s perhaps a bit too much introspection for my tastes. The viewpoint switches regularly, not just between Helen and Catriona, but sometimes seeing things through the eyes of other characters. It wasn’t really a problem, although it meant I didn’t feel particularly close to either of the women. I’m similar age to Helen, and found her a sympathetic character on the whole, but found it a bit annoying when she kept going over the same ground in her mind.
However, I enjoy this kind of book in general, and felt the setting and most of the people were quite believable. I’m not sure I quite swallowed Helen’s daughter-in-law’s appalling taste and total lack of empathy, but even she isn’t a deliberately bad person.
I liked Catriona, who had appeared in some of the author’s earlier books set in the same place. It’s a coming-of-age kind of story from her point of view, and also somewhat for Helen as she gradually settles into her niche and accepts who she is.
While this book stands alone, I like the way Alexandra Raife's stories often build on situations and people she has introduced in other novels. So for the sake of continuity, it's best read after - possibly -'The Larach' and perhaps more importantly, 'Belonging', the first two novels counted as part of the author's 'West coast trilogy'.
Definitely recommended if you like gentle women’s fiction of this kind. I shall probably re-read it again in another ten years or so.
Review copyright 2018 Sue's Book Reviews
I am enjoying re-reading the novels written by Alexandra Raife. They are gentle, character-based stories, mostly set in Scotland. Since her characters often appear in minor roles in subsequent novels I’m trying not to leave it too long between each one, although I like to read a variety of fiction, interspersing new books with old favourites.
‘The Wedding Gift’ is the sixth novel by this author. I last read it in 2003, and had entirely forgotten the storyline. The main protagonist is a young professional woman called Cass. We meet her when she’s just got married to Guy, whom she’s been living with for a few years. It’s clear from the start that their marriage was primarily for practical and financial reasons, and that they don’t expect it to make any difference to their relationship.
As a wedding gift to each other, they have bought a weekend cottage in the highlands of Scotland. Cass has a Scottish background, and loves the location, although Guy seems less enamoured with it and she wonders for a while what made him agree to it. Gradually she realises that their expectations are very different. She wants a hideaway, a place to walk, and relax, and be part of a new community. Guy wants somewhere that he can invite business contacts. Cass wants to keep most of the original features, Guy insists on modern technology and order.
The story doesn’t have a great deal of plot; it focuses on Cass, as she gets to know the neighbours and forms some deep friendships. Some of these neighbours are the main characters from ‘Sun on Snow’ which I re-read a few months ago, so I was pleased to catch up, so to speak, with their lives. It’s not necessary to have read any of the earlier books: each one stands alone. But without knowing something about some of the families mentioned, the number of minor characters could seem a bit overwhelming, and some of the minor subplots a little irrelevant.
Both Cass and Guy are insecure people and the inevitable deterioration of their relationship is poignant in places, although I found myself wondering several times what she ever saw in him. I grew quite irritated with a couple of the women Cass gets to know, but that’s the mark of great characterisation when fictional people get under my skin, even if in a somewhat negative way.
There are some surprises, but nothing too dramatic. There’s very little action, and most of it is relaxed and gentle. It’s a book to read over a wet weekend, or (as I did) over a week or so before going to sleep at night. It’s interesting enough to want to keep reading, but not so gripping that I couldn’t put it down. There was much to think about too, about the expectations people have of marriage, and the potential problems that arise when a couple have entirely different aims and pleasures in life.
The writing is good, the story well planned and the conversations believable. Descriptions of places and insights into different workplaces and jobs all feel realistic, as if described from experience rather than research.
Recommended to anyone who likes warm-hearted and - in the end - uplifting women’s fiction.
Note that 'The Wedding Gift' is not currently in print although there is a Kindle edition. However this book, along with others by Alexandra Raife, can often be found second-hand.
Review copyright 2018 Sue's Book Reviews
I've enjoyed all the books I've read by Alexandra Raife, who was recommended to me many years ago by a relative. After twelve novels, the last one in 2004, she apparently stopped writing so I'm now gradually re-reading them, interspersed with other favourite authors. The one I've just finished is 'Sun on Snow.
Allt Farr in Scotland is the location of the novel, with most of the action taking place in or around a large, dilapidated and decidedly chilly mansion belonging to the Munro family. The matriarch, known to all her family as ‘Grannie’ is slowing down, suffering aches and pains; yet decidedly acerbic and opinionated. She can’t be more than about sixty-five, and she works hard around the house and farm; yet at times she seems decidedly older.
Grannie has three adult offspring. Harriet, in her early forties, is single, hard-working, always trying to do the best for everybody, and driving them to distraction in the process. Joanna, a few years younger, is a widow with a daughter, Laura, who is about eleven. And their younger brother Max is grumpy and outspoken, yet very loyal, extremely hard-working, and determined to shoulder full responsibility for everyone and everything.
Into their lives comes Kate: the cast-off girlfriend of Jeremy, a close family friend. Kate is fragile, gentle, and newly pregnant. She has been thrown out by her parents and has nowhere else to go. The Munro family are not expecting her to be educated and intelligent; nor is it easy for them to accept someone who is willing to do anything, but has little strength. Kate arrives in the middle of a snowstorm, and everything seems like an utter nightmare…
The novel (which is called ‘Until the Spring’ in the US) is, essentially, about what happens as Kate’s gentleness gradually infiltrates the lives and hearts of the family, and many of those around them. The bohemian and very busy life she discovers in Allt Farr is a stark contrast to her former life, warm and cosy with plenty to eat, but no honest discussion, no way of making mistakes without being berated, and no emotional support. Nobody expects to like her much, nor for her to stay beyond a few weeks; but, gradually, she becomes the catalyst for a great many changes.
Alexandra Raife has drawn some realistic characters, with a light touch here and there to soften the picture she draws of a hard life for the whole family, all pooling time and resources to keep the farm and guesthouses going. There are social events regularly, surprising Kate with their spontaneity and warmth; there is a welcome from all the neighbours and friends, a few of whom were main characters in earlier novels by this author. It’s a character-drawn novel, covering the space of less than a year; yet a lot happens in that time.
I’m not sure why I liked it so much; the romantic outcome was fairly obvious from the start, but it’s very low-key and there are many other storylines interwoven, with unexpected turns here and there. I first read this book nearly fourteen years ago, and had forgotten everything except that I had enjoyed it.
There’s a dramatic climax, believable in that it’s rather obvious foreshadowed and predicted, but since it forces everyone to re-think their priorities and re-examine their desires, I’m not sure anything else would have worked. The author doesn’t make the mistake of tidying up every single loose end in the final chapters; some plans are left open. But she doesn’t stop too suddenly, either; important storylines are resolved, and it’s a hopeful, encouraging ending.
The cast is quite large, although I mostly remembered who was whom. There are some poignant, even shocking moments here and there, and discussion of some difficult issues. But it’s all very well done, and I would recommend this novel highly to anyone who enjoys character-driven women’s fiction that isn’t just a simple romance.
Review copyright 2017 Sue's Book Reviews
A relative recommended Alexandra Raife’s novels to me many years ago, and over the years I gradually collected them. She hasn’t published anything since 2004, however, so in recent years I’ve started re-reading them.
A few weeks ago I decided to start ‘Belonging’, which I last read in 2002. With family commitments I’ve only read a chapter - sometimes less! - each evening, and it’s been an ideal novel in that sense. It’s character-driven, warm and mostly gentle, but also absorbing, enabling me to wind down after a busy day.
Rebecca is the main viewpoint character, a young and determined woman who, as the story starts, is leaving her high powered job, her flat and her nearby mother. She has recently had an encounter which has disturbed her so greatly that she needs to move away; we don’t discover what happened until much later in the book, but it leaves a trail of mystery that hooked my interest immediately.
Rebecca has decided to visit her cousin Tony’s large family hotel on the other side of Scotland. She doesn’t particularly like him, but she’s fond of his wife Una and looks forward to a break. When she arrives she discovers Una in distress, about to cancel all the bookings for the summer… and Rebecca finds herself drawn into hotel management and troubleshooting and generally making things happen.
There are many side storylines, and in part it’s a story of growth and development for Una, as well as something to take Rebecca’s mind away from her recent shock. There are many insights into the world of running a hotel and ‘survival’ courses alongside it, which feel realistic and interesting rather than over-detailed or ‘researched’.
There are brief appearances from people and places that featured in earlier novels by this author, although I don’t remember exactly who, nor was it necessary to have read any of the earlier books. But I like the sense of continuity, of feeling myself returning to a familiar place.
All in all, I liked this novel very much. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes thoughtful women’s fiction with realistic, warm characters and interesting locations.
Review copyright 2017 Sue's Book Reviews
I started re-reading my Alexandra Raife books a few years ago, but for some reason had not continued until just recently, when I picked up this one again. I had almost forgotten the way she writes, giving descriptions without being over-wordy, creating fallible but believable people.
‘Grianan’, which I last read read early in 2002, is about a young woman called Sally. She’s getting over a broken relationship, and escapes to Grianan, a large stately home in Scotland run as a bed-and-breakfast by her aunt Janey. Before going there she stays in another family home on her own for a while, and gets to know some of the local people.
Sally doesn’t know what she’s going to do in the future, but she’s happy to put that on hold for a while as she helps her aunt and her staff with the busy summer holiday season. She has to confront some of her own insecurities and figure out what she wants from life, and the author handles the transition well. I found the latter half of the book immensely moving.
If I have a criticism, it’s the way in which people in this book - as in so many other modern novels - seem quite happy to jump into bed with relative strangers, based on a mutual attraction or sense of need, without any expectation of a long-lasting relationship. Perhaps this is common in some circles, although not something I’ve come across, but I find it quite disturbing that so many writers treat it as normal. Worse is that, in this book, an apparently casual affair involves someone who’s married to someone else… and the otherwise likeable characters really don’t care.
The ‘redemption’ in the latter half of the book, and the laudable decision made in the end almost make up for the first part, and made me very glad I continued reading rather than giving up - as I was tempted to do - after a hundred or so pages. It’s a good story, gently paced on the whole, with the right amount of characters so that I didn’t lose track of who was whom.
As with others of this author’s novels, there are minor characters who featured in earlier books; it didn’t matter that I’d forgotten about most of them, as their backstories aren’t important, and this book stands entirely alone. But I’m deliberately reading them in order, and hope to read others of her books in the next few months - interspersed, as ever, with others - so as to keep in touch with this likeable cast of people.
Unashamedly women’s fiction, this would probably appeal to people who enjoy books such as those by Rosamunde Pilcher or Maeve Binchy. Not currently in print in paperback, but now available for the Kindle as well as being fairly easy to find second-hand.
Review copyright 2016 Sue's Book Reviews
I like Alexandra Raife's books. They're mostly set in Scotland, amongst gentle, friendly people. I only discovered this author about ten years ago, and am now, gradually, re-reading her books for the second time.
I first read 'The Larach' in 2001 - it was the first Alexandra Raife book I had tried, and I thought it charming. However I couldn't remember anything about it when I picked it up again last week.
It's the story of Clare, who wakes up one morning determined that her promiscuous, alcohol-driven lifestyle has got to stop. The only way she can think of calling a halt to her excesses is to buy a remote cottage in Scotland... so that's what she does. To the consternation of the estate agent (and Clare's current employer and friend) she finds a very run-down old place, with no phone, electricity or even driveway, which is full of mildew and damp... and buys it.
The locals are not convinced that Clare will stay more than a few days; indeed, when she first experiences the extreme cold and lack of facilities, Clare isn't too sure herself. But the neighbours are very friendly, even when she's a bit condescending towards them, and she finds herself particularly drawn to Donald, a sheep-farmer, whose wife is very ill...
It's a slow-moving kind of story, in which Clare slowly comes to terms with her past - not just her immediate promiscuous past, but the events that led up to it, including the death of her husband. She gradually settles into a slower-paced life, makes friends locally, and is even offered some part-time employment before she gets too bored.
There's a rather shocking climax to the book which I didn't like, but it paves the way for the inevitable satisfactory ending.
Pleasant reading, though nothing special.
(This book is known as 'Wild Highland Home' in the USA)
I started reading the novels by Alexandra Raife about six years ago, including 'Drumveyn', her first novel. I found it very enjoyable at the time, though slightly to my surprise I had forgotten almost everything in it when I decided to re-read it a few days ago.
The novel features a woman called Madeleine. She is a forty-something upper-class widow in Scotland who has never really known any freedom or self-expression. She grew up with ambitious parents, went to an exclusive school, and married at nineteen to an older man who owned a mansion. Although basically fairly kind, he didn't begin to understand his young wife. So when he died, she tries to continue the pattern of life she has always known, domineered by the unpleasant butler Platt and his wife.
Madeleine has two grown-up children who are not very close to her - both married, but neither of them entirely happy. And she has one really good friend Joss, who is totally different from her and who is the catalyst for some rather dramatic changes in Madeleine's life. She realises that she can control her own future - that she does not need to be tied to the past, and her tentative steps towards emancipation are sympathetically written.
There are rather a large number of other characters, and several subplots which intertwine well, although I found the sheer quantity somewhat confusing at times. There was rather a rapid viewpoint switch at times, too, sometimes even within one scene, which were puzzling and made me feel somewhat remote from the characters concerned. But the characterisation was good enough to keep me reading, and interested.
Recommended.
In general I like Alexandra Raife's novels. They are generally set in small villages in Scotland, amongst mostly wealthy, highly educated landowners. 'A Question of Trust' is no exception.
Although the two main characters are quite well-drawn, and the settings as lovely as ever, I found the plot rather predictable and implausible. Philippa, a lovely girl with a rather painful past, has settled back amongst her friends to build a new life. Jon, a handsome but bad-tempered hunk with an army background, has arrived in the area to recuperate after something stressful.
Naturally they meet, they're mutually attracted, and conflict ensues. It felt at times like a classic Mills-and-Boon storyline, and unfortunately it didn't really deviate from that formula. There's a gradual discovery of the painful past as it affected both of them, and a few pleasant interludes with minor characters. But by-and-large the entire book is taken up with misunderstandings and yet more conflict. While some of it is believable, other incidents seem very contrived, and the inevitable resolution at the end relies mostly on luck.
I did also find the huge cast of minor characters a bit overwhelming and confusing. Some of them came into other books by this author - as is her general tendency - but as I hadn't read most of them for some years, I barely remembered them.
Having said all that, this is not a bad book. I kept reading, and there were some moving moments as the story progressed. But I don't think this is one of the author's best.
This is the twelfth novel by Alexandra Raife, who has become one of my favourite modern authors of family sagas. She bases her books primarily or partly in a small town in Scotland, meaning that while each is complete in itself, characters tend to recur in minor roles. I quite like this although I tend to forget who most of them are in between reading her books... one day I'll start again with the first and keep notes of who is who!
This novel is about Miranda and Ian, best friends in childhood and sweethearts in their teens, who get married on impulse and then find themselves, still at college, expecting a baby. Miranda was an only child and has been quite spoilt all her life, and although she's generous and good-hearted, she's totally unprepared for motherhood.
Instead, Miranda wants to enjoy life as Ian does. So when the baby turns out to be unappealing, grumpy and impossible to please, Miranda becomes tired, irritable and frequently angry. Ian - who is barely more mature than she - tries to help. But before long he is driven away by Miranda's constant (and often unfair) accusations.
The book then charts Miranda's life as a single mother with her daughter Alexy, who becomes more and more unlikeable as she grows up. Miranda finds a job, makes friends, meets another man, suffers various stresses and strains, and never really succeeds in communicating with her daughter. Ian is always at the back of her mind. But whenever they meet, arguments erupt and they end up hurting each other. Neither is willing to take any blame for their problems, past and present, and eventually Ian gives up visiting.
I enjoyed the book very much. Alexandra Raife has a great writing style that - as they critics say - is reminiscent at times of Rosamunde Pilcher. Her main characters are very believable and sympathetic, and most of the minor ones fill their roles to admiration, even though I was sometimes a little bewildered at references to people from other books. I'm sure that when I re-read them and have them more firmly placed in my mind I shall be glad to hear what happens to them later on. But for somebody like me who reads many other books in between, or for someone picking this up without having read Raife's previous novels, these references can seem rather pointless and irritating.
That's a very minor quibble. My more serious one is that the author seems to believe strongly in strict discipline, private education, and preferably boarding school for children whenever possible. Some of Alexy's problems are put down to having an all-encompassing relationship with Miranda as a small child. While this might possibly lead to clinginess and a child reluctant to become independent, it seems unlikely that this could lead to the coldness and arrogance that this unfortunate child develops.
I felt Alexy was by far the weakest character of the book. She has no redeeming features at all. She's amoral, supercilious, manipulative, and totally selfish. Possibly Miranda's youth and initial dislike of her daughter could have affected her negatively, but not, I feel, to such a dramatic extent. Nor could Ian's leaving when she was a toddler, and certainly not Miranda's admittedly over-protective love. Ian's father and one of his aunts are also grumpy, bad-tempered people but they are far more believable than Alexy, with some underlying humour (albeit well-hidden), an ability to relate to other people, and a strong family loyalty.
I suppose it's a mark of a cleverly-written book that I found Alexy's character so annoying; I wanted to find the author and explain to her that mass education and boarding schools are really not the answer to making children pleasant and co-operative. A childhood without abuse or neglect, and with a mother's constant love and attention cannot lead to such an appalling person as Alexy becomes. Possibly Alexandra Raife has never had children of her own, or sent them off to school at eight. She would be better sticking to her excellent adult characters and not attempting to create children.
Still, this book had me gripped and I spent most of this morning finishing it. It was character-driven, with an underlying romance, and had the bonus of giving plenty to think about with the unforgiveness and bitterness that haunted Amanda for so many years.
Recommended.
I have been enjoying Alexandra Raife's novels, and am gradually acquiring them all. Each is complete in itself, although 'Return to Drumveyn' includes some characters from previous books.
This one features Cristi, a young woman who was abandoned by her Brazilian mother when she was nine years old, when she was taken to live in Scotland with relatives of her mother's husband's first wife. She has been brought up as a beloved daughter in a farm community called Drumveyn, and has just finished an arts degree course in Edinburgh when she receives some startling news about her Brazilian family.
Until that point Cristi was completely estranged from her birth family, since her grandfather threw her mother out when Cristi was a small girl. She decides, in light of her news, to fly out to Brazil to meet her aunts and uncles. She hopes she might make contact with her mother, or possibly with the maid who looked after her until she was taken to Scotland.
The scene moves to Brazil, where Cristi discovers a completely different lifestyle as part of a wealthy landowning family. In one sense she's spoilt - able to buy anything she likes, with servants and chauffeurs to do her every bidding - but in another sense she feels trapped, missing the freedom she was used to, not able to wander around alone, nor expected to do any kind of work at all. She finds it disturbing too that she can't read the faces of her relatives, although she finds herself very attracted to her charming cousin Luis, who looks after her well.
So Cristi has to decide what to do. Should she stay in Brazil, living at the ranch as part of her genetic family, or should she return to Scotland to the people who brought her up?
Culture shock happens to her at two levels. Firstly there's a big contrast between the culture of a Scottish glen and that of a Brazilian city; secondly there's an even greater difference between a simple life on a farm, albeit with reasonable comforts, and the luxurious lifestyle of the rich. Her values become increasingly important to her as she has to weigh up the love of her adopted family against the strong pull of her nationality and the deep attraction she feels towards her cousin.
'Return to Drumveyn' is perhaps a bit over-crowded with characters and family relationships, particularly in Scotland where the author bases many of her books. Each novel she writes seems to pick up on a minor character from a previous one, and makes mention of people who were featured as main protagonists in earlier books. So there are quite a few to catch up on, as this is her ninth novel.
I've read all the others, although not recently, so I had a vague memory of who was who, and I still found the sheer number of people a bit overwhelming at times. I think this aspect could be really quite confusing for someone who hasn't read Alexandra Raife before. What's more, some of the returning characters seemed to me to be extraneous to the plot.
Still, it was a very enjoyable read. Cristi is a sound and likeable young woman with a good balance of strengths and weaknesses, and I could quite see why she falls for Luis the gorgeous cousin. He contrasts neatly with Dougal, the young farmer in Drumveyn who was Cristi's best friend all through her childhood. I could understand too how she is so struck with her Brazilian ranch, and how torn she feels between her genetic roots and her adoptive family.
Inevitably in a book of this length (it's about 500 pages) there are many subplots running alongside each other, and some controversial issues lightly explored. For instance, Cristi makes contact with an elderly woman who works amongst Brazilian orphan children, and learns a lot about the huge gap between rich and poor in that country. There's also an interesting thread back in Scotland where her adopted brother Nicholas decides he wants to meet his birth mother.
All in all, it's a book about integrity and family values, and although there are a lot of complex marriages and re-marriages referred to, and even a relationship triangle or two, I found it quite heartwarming. The blurb on the back says that it would appeal to fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, and I think that's probably true. Alexandra Raife doesn't write with the brilliance and astuteness of Pilcher, nor does she get in the skins of both the elderly and the very young. But her families are charming, her situations interesting, and the book is a pleasant read for a holiday or a peaceful weekend.
Recommended.
I really like Alexandra Raife's books. They're mostly set in Scotland, they're character-based, and they're gentle and often moving.
'Sun on Snow' features Kate, newly pregnant and rejected by her family. She goes to stay at a huge and rather ramshackle house in Scotland called Allt Farr where she slowly gets to know the somewhat unusual family who are living there. While the novel is overtly about Kate's maturity as she learns to deal with many new situations, she herself is a catalyst for changes in the lives of almost everyone she meets.
The book is mainly told from Kate's perspective, and I found her quite easy to relate to. She's a gentle person, with no idea how to cope the enormity of Allt Farr, or the cold of Scotland in winter. She is thrown abruptly from a fairly comfortable, structured lifestyle with adoptive parents who have done all they can to give her a good education, into a more disorganised yet relaxed and caring home.
Her pregnancy seems to be less of a problem to Kate than her parents' reaction to it, since it leads them to reject her completely. Her ongoing battle to come to terms with her past, and this painful repudiation by her parents, makes one of the successful sub-plots to the book. Kate makes several blunders as she gradually learns her way around Allt Farr, and is surprised that her mistakes are accepted with amusement and only the mildest of frustration, rather than the anger or ridicule she would have expected from her parents.
As with most saga novels, there is no single plot-line in this book, although it's overtly a coming-of-age story about Kate herself. The way she reacts to her new situations, to difficulties she suffers, and to the people she meets, all contribute to the believable way in which she's written. Inevitably there's a love story, and it's not too difficult to guess who is going to be the right man for Kate - however it's kept fairly low-key, and isn't really resolved until almost the end of the book.
There is a dramatic climax near the end, cleverly written in a way that made me guess what was going to happen at the start of the relevant chapter (so it wasn't an unpleasant shock), but not the extent to which it would affect everyone's lives. What could have been a tragedy turns out to be the biggest catalyst of all to help each person move forward, rather than remaining stuck in an uncomfortable rut. All the intertwining subplots are neatly sorted out by the end.
At nearly 350 pages, this is a medium-length novel which I finished in three days. It wasn't as deeply moving or gripping as some of Rosamunde Pilcher's, but I certainly found myself caring about all the characters. Parts of the conclusion weren't difficult to guess, but I had no idea how it would be reached.
Definitely recommended to anyone who likes a relaxing and mostly positive character-based novel.
It's not all that long ago that I first discovered Alexandra Raife. Her novels are mostly set in Scotland, combining warm characters with gentle plots. So I'm slowly collecting the set of her books, and finding them very enjoyable, at least so far.
'The way home' is the latest one which I read, and I thought it a wonderful book. It features three very different sisters who jointly inherit their family home, after the death of their stepmother.
Elizabeth, the eldest, is a motherly and warm. She's a good cook, an excellent organiser, and likes to keep things tidy. She's responsible and anxious - almost a caricature of an oldest sister, yet I found her very believable. Jamie, the middle sister, has worked as an entrepreneur in America for some years. She's outgoing and easily bored, with a streak of bossiness about her.
Then there's Philida, the youngest. She's overweight and a bit clumsy, and not at all academic. She's the dreamer - the procrastinator, yet she has a wisdom deep inside her which her older sisters simply don't appreciate.
Each of the three sisters harbours a secret, and these are all gradually revealed. Problems are slowly solved alongside the revelations.
I found all the characters easy to believe in. The various subplots intertwined effortlessly, and the overall effect of the book was warm and very interesting. It was difficult to put down at times.
The ending was a bit predictable, but I found it pleasant and satisfying nonetheless.
Highly recommended.
I like Alexandra Raife's writing. She bases most of her novels in Scotland, and the themes are to do with growth, usually on the part of the heroine. Raife doesn't have the amazing gift of - say - Rosamunde Pilcher - to make me care deeply about her characters, but she always tells a good story, often bringing in characters from previous novels as minor players.
I very much enjoyed reading 'Among Friends'.
After tragically losing her family, Louise has been caring for an elderly relative, who eventually dies. She applies to a job agency - run by Cass from the novel 'Wedding Gift'. Although Louise is very unsure of herself at first, and unwilling to work with children, she soon proves to be a reliable and valuable worker.
Despite herself, she becomes drawn to the dour Hugh and his rebellious daughter Emily. I thought the book was very well written, and believable. The conclusion was more open than I like, but still encouraging.
Definitely recommended - and it's not vital to have read any of the previous books, as this does stand alone.
(You can also read my rather longer review of 'Among Friends' which I wrote after re-reading fifteen years later)
I like Alexandra Raife's novels. They're character-driven, mostly set in Scotland, with likeable, warm people and fairly complex subplots that intertwine nicely. They're almost reminiscent, at times, of Maeve Binchy's writing. So, gradually, I'm collecting all her books.
'The Wedding Gift' features Cass and Guy who get married after several years of living together. They decided to buy 'The Corries', which is a holiday cottage in Scotland. Cass loves it, Guy sees it as useful.
As she spends time there, Cass gets to know her neighbours and loves the place all the more. However Guy prefers to stay in London most of the time. Not surprisingly, their relationship starts to grow more distant as their priorities change, and as this happens Cass realises that she relates much better to her new friends and surroundings than to Guy.
I found the book believable, and despite the rather depressing subject matter, it was a good read with a hopeful ending.
Recommended.
(You can also read my rather longer review of 'The Wedding Gift', written fifteen years later after re-reading it.)
I do like Alexandra Raife's books, and am sorry to see that they seem to go out of print within a year or two of publication. They're nostalgic, character-driven sagas that I think would be enjoyed by a lot of people in times to come. I'm just glad that I manage to collect them fairly soon after they are published - although they are usually available second-hand.
'Moving on' is a sort of sequel to some of Alexandra Raife's previous books, although it's not necessary to have read any of them before this.
Catriona's dog has died, and Helen decides to leave her husband Walter. Helen moves in with her son and his family, and Catriona goes to college.
Eventually, Helen buys an old, run-down cottage, which she rents to Catriona.
It doesn't sound all that exciting, but the characters are delightful and realistic, in a gently-moving pot that is nonetheless interesting, even compulsive reading at times, as Catriona eventually finds that it may be possible to be loved.
I liked this book. It feels as if the author is becoming more confident, and I was glad to see that it was less explicit than some of her previous novels.
Enjoyable. Highly recommended.
