Holy Smoke (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I have no idea when I acquired the book ‘Holy Smoke’ by Libby Purves. She is best known as an outspoken journalist, and I have very much liked her novels, which I re-read not long ago. The title is intriguing, too, as is the subtitle: ‘religion and roots: a personal memoir’. I expect I picked it up at a church book sale, or perhaps in a thrift shop. 

This book has been on a to-read shelf for so long that I had almost forgotten it was there. But finally I picked it up to read about ten days ago. I felt that it would be good to start reading a few more biographical works, and this isn’t a long book. I thought I would easily finish it in two or three days. But it’s been a busy period… and, to be frank, I didn't find the book to be very engaging.

‘Holy smoke’ isn’t a straight biography. As the subtitle suggests, it’s mainly memoirs related to the author’s relationship with religion. This is partly (as she explains) to balance the many books written about the horrors some people suffered from a Roman Catholic childhood. Libby Purves grew up in a Catholic family (albeit with an atheist father), and attended convent schools. But for the most part the nuns were kind, hard-working and encouraging. She did not experience anything more negative than might be experienced in a secular school. 

So the early part of the book reminisces about the author’s childhood, travelling around the world for her father’s work. She attended several different educational establishments including one local school that was not affiliated to a church. But the bulk of her education was Catholic, and she appreciated it very much. She was evidently a sensitive child, aware of the numinous qualities in nature and beauty. She revelled in some of the liturgies, and the Latin words. She also appreciated Anglican and Methodist hymns, loving the words and the thoughts they expressed.

The later part of the book charts a growing dissatisfaction with the Christian life, and when it was written Libby Purves referred to herself as a lapsed Catholic, but not an unbeliever. She strongly believes in the power of Christ to change lives, and in the need for unconditional love for all. She explains that she does not harbour grudges or take offence even at detractors or negative reviewers, seeing something of God in everyone.

I found it interesting reading some of the background of this author’s life; I had not realised she was from such a strongly Christian background. And, as I expected, the writing is good, if a bit rambling in places. There’s also a lot of digression into philosophy, literature and more, which, in places went right over my head. It makes this book more appropriate for intellectuals than for ordinary readers of the author's novels, or for non-academics interested in knowing about someone with a positive Catholic childhood.  

Still, I appreciated the many references to CS Lewis and Narnia. I was interested, too, in the author's belief in and discussion of the Platonic ideals, something I knew about and thought about often in my early teens. I was struck particularly by the suggestion that art can only be ‘perfectly beautiful’ if it has three qualities: being harmonious, true to itself, and with some kind of extra radiance. This is explained in terms of fine art - drawings and paintings etc - but I think is also true of other art forms such as poetry and literature, dance, architecture; perhaps films, too. And certainly music. Many people play instruments with harmony and integrity; only a few have that extra special undefinable gift that turns good music into a form of beauty. 

Overall, I’m glad I read this. I had to skim some places where the references were beyond me, or when lengthy poetry was quoted. It was never engaging enough that I sat down and read for more than a few minutes at a time. But that was quite useful as it was a busy period when I had a lot to do. 

I’m not sure who the intended audience for this book would have been; it was first published in 1998 when Libby Purves considered herself middle-aged. Perhaps it was mainly for intellectuals and academics. Maybe they were the ones publicly criticising ‘religious’ upbringings. I don’t think this memoir ever gained the popularity that the author’s novels did, and it is now long out of print. 

But if you can find it inexpensively second-hand, and are interested in this topic, it’s a good read, on the whole. There's a bonus of some black-and-white photos in the middle, showing the author as a child and teenager. 

Review copyright 2024 Sue's Book Reviews

Shadow Child (by Libby Purves)

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I have very much enjoyed re-reading the novels by Libby Purves, and have just finished re-reading the last one she wrote, ‘Shadow Child’. I read this first in September 2011, not quite nine years ago, but had entirely forgotten the story.

It’s told in the first person by Marion, who lives in a village with her husband Tom. They’ve been happy enough together, although they were only able to have one child, Sam. And we quickly learn that Sam died in a tragic accident the night before his 21st birthday.

Marion and Tom are both trying to move on, grieving inwardly but not wanting to drag each other down. Marion relies on her close friend Sarah to be calm and incisive in giving advice or offering a shoulder. Sarah was bereaved too, many years earlier, so she is one of the few people who can truly empathise.

The story gets going almost immediately - Marion returns home from the funeral of an elderly man she knows, to find Tom in a bad temper. He’s been trying to work on accounts and getting stressed about tax inspections, but he’s particularly angry now because he had an unexpected visitor. It was, he says, a hippy who asked for their late son, and became annoyed when Tom said she couldn’t speak to him. She left before he was able to explain why.

This incident is the catalyst for Marion to try to discover who this woman is, and what she wanted from Sam. Tom has no interest in following it up, however, and is thinking that they need to emigrate somewhere as far away as possible. He and Marion have an argument, and most of the rest of the story is about Marion’s search, and what she discovers…

It’s a thoughtful, moving story, one I liked very much when I first read it, and which I appreciated probably even more this time around. It involves prejudices of many sorts - of the middle-class suburbia, of grass-roots man-hating women, of unusual gifts between friends… and itt demonstrates, above all, the importance of friendship, loyalty and love.

Marion copes tremendously well when taken a long way out of her usual situation; Tom takes longer to adjust to some ideas and philosophies that are far removed from his conventional lifestyle. But they are not the only ones who change: Libby Purves creates immensely likeable characters with reasons for their hangups and prejudices, and allows them to move beyond them when they meet exceptions to their preconceived notions.

It’s impossible to say much more without giving spoilers. It’s a very well-written book, with three-dimensional characters and a hopeful, positive outcome.

Very highly recommended to anyone who likes women’s fiction that touches on several contemporary issues, and which has a great deal of depth. 'Shadow Child' is still in print, often found second-hand, or available inexpensively in Kindle form.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Love Songs and Lies (by Libby Purves)

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I have been enjoying re-reading my Libby Purves novels, and have almost reached the end. ‘Love Songs and Lies’ is the one I’ve just finished; I first read it in 2007. Thirteen years later I had totally forgotten the people and everything about the plot. So it was like reading a new book all over again, knowing in advance that I would like it.

Sally is the main protagonist of this book, which is told by her in the first person. We meet her at first as an Oxford University student in the 1970s, living with her friends Kate and Marienka. Kate is quite sensible and solid, with a long-term boyfriend. Marienka is unpredictable, self-centred, and mostly quite charming. They decide to move into a rundown house, and Marienka’s friend Max joins them. He is a hard-working student, and Sally falls for him…

The novel is essentially about Sally’s one-sided passion and its ramifications over the decades. The book is in three broad sections, the first featuring her friendship with Max - who treats her like a sister - and giving plenty of background. Sally’s parents are quite shadowy in the book, a kind Vicar and his wife who don’t entirely understand their daughter but offer her unconditional love and acceptance.

Max’s situation is rather different. His father died and his mother, Helena, has remarried to someone called David. David is immensely generous and funds Max through his university years and beyond. Max has two siblings: Susan, who doesn’t come into it very much, and Marty. Marty is the black sheep of the family who despises David, and has got into trouble with the law many times. Marty sings in a rock band and is regularly high on cannabis, or worse. When he discovers that Sally is a writer, they form a business partnership and she produces lyrics for him - the love songs of the title.

In the second part of the book Sally gets married. We don’t learn, at first, who the groom is although it soon becomes obvious. And it’s a strange kind of marriage, but it works. I was rooting for this partnership; having entirely forgotten the story, I hoped it would work out, that they would settle into a companionable love. It would be a spoiler to comment on whether that happens. Suffice it to say that the second half of the book ends on a tragic note, with Sally’s world crumbling around her in more ways than one.

The third part of the book starts about fifteen years later. Sally seems to be settled down, with a somewhat rebellious teenage daughter, and a kind, loving son a few years younger. And in this ending section, we see the problems that arise when truth is not brought into the open. There aren’t deliberate lies, despite the title of the book, but misunderstandings, and people allowed to believe things that are not true.

It’s a character-based book, primarily. Sally grows up both chronologically and emotionally between the second and third parts of the book, but it’s only towards the end that she sees clearly just what potential damage there is from not being open from the start with everyone involved.

There aren’t the deep, sometimes shocking issues that others of Libby Purves’ books have presented, but there are many decisions to be made. We see the world and its morality - or otherwise - through Sally’s eyes, and she’s quite innocent at the start of the book. She mentions, more than once, her Vicarage upbringing. There’s no suggestion that this is old-fashioned or wrong, more that it’s counter-cultural and in many ways healthier than the rebellion of many of her peers. Church music and buildings play their part in Sally’s life, offering healing and comfort when people fail.

I liked this book very much, and found it hard to put down towards the end. Definitely recommended if you like character-based women’s fiction with some depth.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Acting Up (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I enjoyed reading Libby Purves’ novels the first time around, fifteen or more years ago, and I’ve been enjoying re-reading them in the past year or so. But ‘Acting Up’ didn’t particularly grab me when I read it in 2005, and although it’s a good story, well-written, it didn't appeal to me any more while re-reading in the past few days.

I think the problem is that neither of the two main characters really grabbed me. Callum and Susie both work in the army, which I have no interest in at all. They were due to be married, but have postponed that due to the Gulf War. Susie comes from a military family, and she’s organised, disciplined and if not exactly bossy, she does expect people to do as they’re told. She seems to struggle to feel sympathy for anyone who isn’t as strong as she is.

Callum is slightly more human, made more so when, after an attempted rescue in Iraq, he is seriously injured and sent back to the UK for rehabilitation. But I had so little in common with him that I could never really feel anything for him.

Probably the nicest person in the book is Francis, Susie’s brother. But his career, too, is so far removed from my own experience or interests that I found him very difficult to relate to as well. He’s extremely kind, and talented too in his field; but descriptions of his work are like another world, somewhere I would not dream of going.

The overall plot, I suppose, is about Callum: his injuries are severe, and he becomes quite depressed as a result. He’s angry too, and resentful, and Susie seems to be clueless - she is brusque and insensitive, trying to jolly him along rather than understanding even a faint hint of how he feels. So Callum decides, on the spur of the moment, to do something unexpected…

Libby Purves is good at characterisation, and her settings are realistic. She has travelled widely and was a journalist for many years, so her books, if not based on personal experience, are extremely well researched. So whereas all three of these young people appear to me to be caricatures of their types, I assume they must be real - that people like these, with these interests and career choices and personalities actually exist. But it’s hard to relate when I’ve never come across them; if I did, I would expect to find little in common.

Still, the writing drew me in, and there’s enough going on in the story that I kept reading. I had totally forgotten the story, and had no idea how it would end; so I was pleased that the threads are nicely tied together, and the future positive for all concerned at the end of the book. But unlike with most novels I read, I had no wish to read more about these folk, and just a day later am finding it hard to recall much of the detail of the book.

There’s a boat, too; Libby Purves is an experienced sailor, and her descriptions of travelling by sea are usually realistic, albeit with jargon that goes over my head. Perhaps the most positive part of the story is the strong bond of affection between Susie and Francis, siblings who are about as different as possible in personality, despite looking quite alike. And Susie does become a bit more sympathetic towards the end of the book.

Certainly worth reading, if only to give a little on-the-spot insight into the British army in Iraq during the Gulf War, and also some background to the exotic and unusual lifestyle that Francis has adopted.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Continental Drift (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I’m enjoying re-reading my novels by Libby Purves, although on the whole I liked her earlier ones rather better than her later ones. I’ve just finished reading ‘Continental Drift’, which I first read at the end of 2004. I had entirely forgotten both the people and the story in the intervening decade and a half.

The story is mainly about a married couple, Philip and Diana. He is in his fifties, just finishing a career in politics, as the novel starts. He’s rather bad-tempered and materialistic, but he is passionate about classical music and poetry. Diana does not share these interests; she barely tolerates opera, and in her mid-forties has just started working for a local radio station.

Philip isn’t happy about this, but at the start of the book he seems sexist and entirely lacking in empathy. He doesn’t like the fact that Diana is not always around to keep the house clean, or to cook the kind of food he wants. He’s also very stressed about the ending of his life in politics. He has somehow become involved in a financial scandal, although he’s an upright, rule-following kind of person so it all seems rather unfair.

Meanwhile, in Poland, a young woman called Eva is determined to travel through Western Europe, to see some culture, and eventually to get to England. She has letters from her penfriend of a few years ago, Manda, and hopes to visit her. Manda is Philip and Diana’s daughter, but she rather despises her parents and has moved out to a place of her own in London.

Eva arrives at Manda’s parents’ home one evening, tired and bedraggled, as they are hosting a dinner party. Their guests are three of Diana’s closest friends, and her young colleague, a DJ called Henry. The story basically revolves around these seven people. They include a friend who is terminally ill and another friend who is angry with her ex-husband.

Eva is the catalyst for many changes: into their rather staid lives she brings new Polish recipes, the ability to make the house feel clean and welcoming, and also a way of speaking of what is on her heart in rather an un-English way. She is able to offer overt sympathy, to listen to people without condemnation, and to know what to do or say in difficult circumstances.

The book is very well-written, in Libby Purves’s usual incisive style. It’s character-based, although there’s a significant subplot involving Henry’s young son and his estranged girlfriend. The story explores Eva’s gradual awakening to what is important in her life. It also sees Philip and Diana realising that much of their marriage has been a sham. There’s no physical contact, no camaraderie, no sharing of their thoughts or feelings.

I hadn’t remembered where the story was going. I think what happens is handled well, and probably realistically, although I found the resolution immensely sad. There’s plenty of hope at the end, which is a tad more abrupt than I like, but it wasn’t the conclusion I was hoping for.

Still, although the book isn’t exactly uplifting or encouraging, it was an interesting read and one I found difficult to put down at times. The byline on the front cover calls it ‘wry and beguiling’, and I think that’s a good description. The settings are believable, in part based on the author’s own experiences as a journalist and broadcaster, and the people three dimensional.

Recommended if you like women’s fiction with a bit more bite than is typical for this genre.

No longer in print in paperback form, though it can often be found second-hand. However it is also available inexpensively for the Kindle.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

More Lives than One (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

In slowly re-reading my novels by Libby Purves, I reached ‘More Lives than One’. I was given this at the end of 2003 and read it in July 2004. But whereas I had almost entirely forgotten the plots of other novels which I hadn’t read for fifteen or more years, this one was so powerful that I recalled the outline, the climax and the unexpected, traumatic revelation.

It was with a little trepidation that I started reading this again, a few days ago, not sure if I wanted that emotional trauma repeated. I had only the vaguest memory of the first part of the book. Kit, a strong, athletic guy in his late twenties, has led a lot of expeditions scuba diving or exploring. He has no time for a long-term relationship, until he meets and falls for Anna, a sweet, confident and likeable girl of nineteen.

After the introductory chapters in which the two meet and become close, the story jumps forward nine years. They are married, and both work as teachers at the same secondary school. Anna teaches modern languages, and is universally liked and respected. Kit teaches English, and has something of a reputation as a rebel: instead of following the curriculum he tries to inspire his students. He uses unorthodox methods which most of his students appreciate, but some of his colleagues do not.

The school has an unusual bequest; each year a group of students must be taken somewhere in Europe, where they must do something cultural and light candles for the donor. If they don’t do this, they lose the funding permanently. But it has been quite an effort, and has devolved into brief visits, not doing a great deal, and of little obvious benefit to the students.

Kit has other ideas. We don’t learn what most of them are until he arrives in Venice with fifteen students after persuading the school head to let him lead a much more ambitious trip than has happened in the past. Unfortunately, at the last moment he has to take one of the colleagues who most disapproves of his methods, but it’s not until the last evening that anything goes wrong…

I hadn’t remembered most of the details of the story. I had forgotten what was making Anna stressed; I had forgotten, too, how she and Kit are both portrayed as such likeable people with a strong relationship.. Nor had I remembered what an excellent teacher Kit is. It can be depressing working in a school where the children have no ambition beyond claiming welfare and (perhaps) staying out of prison. But Kit is an idealist and in some cases he succeeds in firing enthusiasm and helping the children see beyond their dreary surroundings.

The educational part of the book is interesting in itself; I hope that nowadays there are more teachers like Kit and Anna, particularly in struggling schools. The message is clear, that children can be helped and inspired by the right kind of teaching. Libby Purves was a journalist, and education - in the broadest sense - was clearly an important issue to her.

The first time I read this, I was half expecting something terrible to happen - an unexpected disaster, or betrayal, perhaps. But I was gradually lulled into the hope that it was mainly about the importance of educational methods to suit the children rather than the curriculum. That’s still an important message from the book, but I doubt if it will be read by many teachers.

On re-reading, I knew the revelation that was coming, and what provoked it being acknowledged. It was interesting to read with that benefit, to see just a few hints in the earlier chapters of what would eventually be revealed. But once again I became caught up in the storyline, which is well-written with just the right amount of description for me (minimal) and some believable characters, both major and minor.

I had not remembered what came afterwards. I thought it extremely well handled; some readers who see things in black and white would be quick to condemn. Others, like me, will find it all very thought-provoking. I thought the final chapter very encouraging. It’s more positive than I had recalled, although the future is left open. But love prevails, and is seen as the most important force for all concerned.

It’s a controversial novel, and one that shocked me deeply the first time; this time I think I enjoyed it more. Very highly recommended.

No longer in print, though it can often be found second hand; but 'More Lives than One' is available in Kindle form.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Mother Country (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I am so pleased that I decided earlier this year to re-read my novels by Libby Purves. I acquired and read most of them about fifteen or sixteen years ago, and on the whole liked them very much. After all this time, I find that I have almost entirely forgotten the plots and the characters, and am enjoying them all over again.

‘Mother Country’, which I first read in 2004, is about a young American businessman called Alex. We first meet him in the prologue, set in 1974, although his name isn’t given at the time. He’s a baby, neglected and dirty, living in a squat with his drug-addicted mother and a couple of other people. His father breaks in and rescues him in a dramatic scene, which ends quite abruptly as they leave.

The action then moves forward to the spring of 2001, and a funeral. Alex is mourning the loss of his grandmother, comforting his grandfather. He works for a trouble-shooting software company and lives on his own, although he’s always been somewhat curious about his past. His grandparents brought him up; there’s some mystery attached to the loss of his father, when he was only two, but his mother’s side of the family is completely unknown.

Alex’s grandfather gives him an old diary with some journal entries written by his father in 1974, and they pique his curiosity even more. He has always rather hankered after England, building up a romanticised view of it from literature and films, and would like, one day, to find his roots and perhaps his mother’s grave. Then he’s sent on a work assignment to the UK, and decides to take a bit of holiday, and perhaps see if he can discover anything…

Most of the story takes place in England, as Alex works to solve a company’s problems, and meets a variety of different people. He’s disappointed in the greyness, and the concrete, but manages to find a few castles and some rustic scenery. He makes friends with a farmer and his wife, in the midst of the foot-and-mouth crisis that destroyed many farms in that period; the book is firmly set in the historic context. He’s a likeable young man, if a bit naive at times, and I thought the gradual acceptance of Englishness worked well.

Some of what he does when troubleshooting doesn’t feel entirely authentic; I don’t know if that’s just because technology has changed so much in the past couple of decades, or whether the author was writing a little outside her comfort zone when explaining in some detail what Alex does to solve problems. I tried to follow, but found myself skimming that part which didn’t really add to the story anyway.

But other than that, I liked it very much indeed. It’s quite an emotive story; the revelation given to Alex is one I had guessed much earlier (or, perhaps, subconsciously remembered - I don’t know which) but I had totally forgotten what happens later in the book, just after a significant character decides to admit to some lies she had told twenty-seven years earlier.

The writing is crisp, emotive in places, and (other than the work descriptions) paced exactly right for my tastes. I had entirely forgotten how the novel ended, and although it was a little abrupt, I thought it was well done, encouraging, and leaving a positive note for the future.

Definitely recommended. 'Mother Country' is no longer in print in book form, but is available for the Kindle. It can often be found second-hand, too.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews

Regatta (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I am glad I decided to re-read my novels by Libby Purves this year. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed the ones I first read over fifteen years ago. However, over the past couple of days I re-read ‘Regatta’, which I first read back in 2004. And while I did like it, once I got into the story, I didn’t find it as moving or thought-provoking as some of Purves’ other novels.

The main character is Anansi, an eleven-year-old girl who has been in and out of council care for most of her life. Her mother has been convicted more than once of drug dealing, and her father is absent - Anansi barely remembers him. She walks with a limp, and her mother has told her that it was caused by her father kicking her.

Now her mother has a two-year-old daughter too, and Anansi feels unwanted and unloved. Her only happy memories are of her grandmother, who helped to bring her up for the first few years, but sadly she died in a road accident.

Anansi comes to stay in a seaside town in Suffolk. This is as part of a scheme to provide summer holidays for children in care, and is staying with a couple called Sheila and Simon. Simon is a writer, not a particularly successful one, and they live on the interest of a big inheritance which Sheila had a few years earlier. Their house was also an inheritance - a large one with several bedrooms, so they are able to host children for the summer, although usually they are much younger than Anansi.

Sheila and Simon have two sons, a teenager and one just a little older than Anansi. They are away at boarding school when she arrives, but when they return for the summer they really don’t want to be saddled with a girl… their passion is for sailing, and indeed much of the book is taken up with nautical discussions and expeditions, with jargon that mostly went over my head.

It’s mostly a character-based book, however. Anansi’s first friend is Harry, Sheila’s uncle, who works quietly on his boat, and is a good listener. Harry is the catalyst for a lot of what happens in the story, including teaching Anansi to sail. There are also side stories - a rather degrading affair between two people whose families are socially connected; a vicious feud between Anansi and Sheila’s younger son; the breakdown of one marriage, and the tentative healing of another.  I found many of the minor characters difficult to distinguish - there are a lot of names - but it didn't seem to matter.

There’s also an exciting climax to the book, when five children take three dinghies out, planning a race, but without any adults aware of what they are doing. Disaster inevitably ensues, but it leads to a mostly positive ending.

It’s a good story and would probably be more interesting to people who know and like sailing. The jargon is, I’m sure, fully authentic; the author is known for her interest in sailing, and it’s mentioned in more than one of her books. Perhaps the title makes it obvious: yet the junior Regatta, which is mentioned more than once, is a very small sideline to the story, and happens off stage, almost in passing.

It wasn’t until I was about half-way through that I started finding myself more drawn into the book, liking and appreciating the strength of character in Anansi, and the warmth that surrounds her. The author makes some good points about the fine line between generosity and condescension, and about the importance of seeing children in council care as unique individuals rather than treating them as poor relations.

Yet Anansi, despite having seen violence and worse, with a vocabulary of shocking bad language, is a caring, courageous and intelligent girl. She is likeable in her own right, and while she has to fight harder than most to be accepted, it doesn’t address the question about children who, through no fault of their own, have few if any redeeming features.

Still, on the whole it’s a satisfying read, even if the ending is a bit too neat for reality. Recommended, particularly for anyone with an interest in sailing.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews

A Long Walk in Wintertime (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I am very much enjoying re-reading my Libby Purves novels, interspersed with others of my favourite writers, and some new (to me) books. In the last couple of days I have re-read ‘A Long Walk in Wintertime’, a book which I have only previously read once, back in 2004. I knew I liked it very much but had totally forgotten the story and the characters.

It was perhaps a mistake to read it immediately after finishing Rosie Thomas’s ‘If my father loved me’ as there are a lot of similarities. Alice is the main protagonist in this book; she is married to Daniel who has thrown her a surprise party for her 37th birthday. Her friends are all treated to an evening at the opera, followed by a meal at Alice and Daniel’s relaxed London home. It’s a good way to introduce her closest friends, and the evening ends - as is foreshadowed almost from the start - by a dramatic confession from Daniel which changes the course of their lives.

Alice and Daniel have two children: fourteen-year-old Clemmie, and twelve-year-old Jamie. Clemmie is an organised kind of person who knows what she wants, although she cares very deeply for her family too. She has managed to win a scholarship to a prestigious new sports academy secondary school, and as we meet her she is finishing her packing, looking forward to her new life as a boarder.

Jamie, however, does not enjoy school at all. It’s not that he’s being bullied; he tends to keep away from unpleasant children, and tends to be something of a loner. He’s reasonably bright but not brilliant, and his main talent is art. Unfortunately his art teacher is very disparaging about his gift for design and patterns, and he often feels despair.

Jamie is passionate about playing ‘laserquest’ and other similar games that were so popular in the 1990s when this book was published. This becomes something of an addiction, and he gradually starts skipping school in order to play more games. He has a simple computer too and is interested in technology, but nobody can help him very much.

Daniel’s confession leads to a separation which both he and Alice hope is temporary, and while Clemmie - away at boarding school - seems to deal with it, Jamie does not. And when he’s on a train going to see his father, he decides, on the spur of the moment, to do something unexpected…

It’s not a long book but there’s a lot in it. The characterisation of the main protagonists is excellent, and the last couple of chapters extremely moving. I don’t know that I ever really identified with Alice; she’s rather a hippy in her dress sense, mostly laid-back in her attitudes, and adores opera - to the extent that she works in a low-paying job at the opera house, just so that she can be part of the scene, and hear rehearsals.

But I liked her, all the same. Rather better than I liked her husband. Her friends are a bit two-dimensional; she has one friend who is ambitious and single, and a married couple who are a bit fluffy. She also has a gay couple of friends one of whom is rather camp. Perhaps this would be seen as politically incorrect in today’s environment, but over twenty years ago when this was written, the treatment was probably seen as liberal and positive.

There’s a foray into the world of fairgrounds and the painting of roundabout horses which I gather was researched - it comes across as realistic, to me, and not too educational. I found it very interesting, along with the author’s recognition that sometimes a useful hobby can be of far more value than education in a classroom.

The book isn’t much about winter, and not particularly about walking, either, other than in the metaphorical sense. Even then, Alice and Daniel’s relationship - which is the main focus of the book - doesn’t actually take all that long to be resolved. Although I had entirely forgotten the story, I was hoping for a positive ending, and was not disappointed.

Definitely recommended if you like women’s fiction with quite a strong storyline.

While this book can often be found second-hand in charity shops or online, it's not currently in print other than in Kindle forum.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews

A Free Woman (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I’m so glad I decided to re-read my Libby Purves novels. I am thoroughly enjoying them. It’s such a long time since I first read most of them that it’s almost like having new books to read - with the advantage that I know in advance that I am going to enjoy them.

I have just finished ‘A Free Woman’, which I read in 2003. I did not recall anything about any of the characters or the storyline when I started. It’s about two adult sisters, Sarah and Maggie, who are in their thirties. Sarah is a contented, domesticated mother of three. She works part time at the local vets, but is happiest at home, cooking and looking after the house and children.

Sarah is happily married to Leo, and they have three children. Samantha is fifteen, and has been rather moody recently. But Sarah is broad-minded and encouraging, and tries to keep communication lines open. She doesn’t approve at all of Samantha’s boyfriend Duane, but is trying to make the best of things and has even invited him to meals a couple of times. Jamie is her middle child; he’s twelve, and going through an awkward stage. We don’t actually get to know Jamie very well, but he’s a nice enough child. Teddy, the youngest, is still affectionate and tends to speak out whatever is on his mind.

Into this happy domestication arrives Maggie, after travelling around the world, and spending some time working as an assistant cook on a yacht. She loves the sea, and hates the thought of putting down roots. But every so often she reappears for a short period; she’s very fond of her relatives, and they like her stories and sense of adventure, despite finding her a bit bizarre at times. Maggie is planning a trip to China, and discovers that she can take an intensive course in Chinese language at a local college. So her visit extends.

Then she discovers something that has the potential to change her life forever. And there are hints that she has dark secrets from her past, which are forcing themselves into her conscious mind. By the time she reveals what exactly happened, in a shocking shouting match at the end of a chapter, it had become obvious what had happened in the past. I assume the author intended the readers to pick up on this before Maggie lets it out; it’s cleverly done.

The latter part of the book then sees the family divided, fragmented by various events. We see the potential for disaster as communication grows more difficult, and Sarah becomes intransigent. Maggie is convinced that she should throw off the shackles of family life; she makes plans for her future, determined to remain free….

It’s an excellent book. The writing is fast-paced, the characters are three-dimensional and all so believable. The worries of teenage life are as important to Samantha as more ‘adult’ concerns in her mother and aunt; family life is well portrayed, with its often precarious balance of different people trying to live together. Some significant controversial issues are discussed, but since opinions are clearly those of the characters, it would be possible to read the book while disagreeing with what the characters believe and do.

I did not see the eventual resolution of the book coming; that, too, is cleverly done, throwing more confusion into Sarah’s life, yet somehow helping her to see more clearly. It ends a tad too abruptly for my taste; the conclusion is hopeful and positive, but I’d have liked to see one or two ends tied up a little more satisfactorily. But perhaps that would have dragged. Ending where it does leaves the direction clear, but the details up to the reader.

By the time I was half-way through this book I could hardly put it down. I would recommend ‘A Free Woman’ highly to anyone who likes women’s fiction with some important issues raised.

I hope it won’t be as long as sixteen years before I next re-read this book.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews

Home Leave (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I collected and read all of Libby Purves’ novels over a decade ago, and have only recently started re-reading them. It’s sixteen years since I first read ‘Home Leave’, and I had entirely forgotten what it was about.

It opens with a prologue introducing Robert Grafton, at a New Year’s Eve ball in Vienna, in 1950. There he met and fell in love with the beautiful Diana. Robert was a diplomat, and she made an excellent diplomatic wife, happy to pack up and move every few years as they travelled around the world. However she didn’t find motherhood particularly rewarding. Her role in the book is as the mother of the children, but by 1996, when most of the action takes place, Diana has died.

The first chapter introduces her four very different children, and most of the story focuses on them. But the main protagonist, at least in my mind, is the oldest: Catherine, or Cat, as they call her. She’s just past forty, married to the altruistic Gervase, who is a farmer. He farms by old-fashioned methods, cruelty-free as far as possible. And he runs a scheme using ex-convicts to work in the open air and absorb some of his values. He doesn’t take on any dangerous criminals, and on the whole, it has been a success.

Cat has two teenage children from a previous marriage, and she works as a freelance writer for a large corporation. She likes to organise family gatherings, and keeps a motherly eye on her younger siblings. She’s a classic oldest child who had a temporary aberration as a young adult but has appreciated being rescued, first by her former mother-in-law Noreen, and then by the handsome Gervase. I liked Cat very much.

Toby is the second oldest; he was quite wild as a child, and is still somewhat unpredictable even in his late thirties. He’s been travelling around the world, writing shocking lyrics for songs, living a bohemian lifestyle. His brother Mark is a few years younger, and entirely different. He was a stolid child, his mother’s least favourite. He works for a large corporation, and is fairly recently married to Lindy whom he adores.

Then there’s Caroline. We get to know her early in the book when Cat finds a hotel reservation has fallen through, and she goes to spend the night at her sister’s house. Caroline was her mother’s favourite; she’s the typical ‘spoilt princess’ youngest child, perhaps a tad caricatured and not particularly likeable. But I felt sorry for her too; her husband Alan is clearly a very unpleasant (and unfaithful) person. Caroline is expecting her first baby.

There isn’t really a great deal of plot as such. The book features several family gatherings, hosted by Cat, at which we get to know her siblings and their partners, and various other relatives. We also get to know some of Gervase’s current helpers: Duanne is not particularly bright, but is very willing to work. Gary is angry, and doesn’t really care what happens to him. There’s Martin, too, a young American man taking a gap year before doing his PhD in the United States. He is very interested in Gervas’s methods, and is extremely helpful. And then there’s Winston, who doesn’t really feature much until Caroline and her baby come to stay for a while, and he proves to be an expert at child-care.

Some of the characters are caricatures - Gervase’s mother, in particular - but that’s okay. They were all easily distinguishable, and indeed memorable; I didn’t have to check any of the names despite having finished the book 24 hours before writing this. Not that I recalled any of the plot at all from my prior reading. There are some unexpected turnings in the story, and some shocks which I did not see coming. The blurb on the back mentions one particular facet of the story which proves a catalyst for the siblings to venture out of their comfort zones. This moves the story onwards, bringing some healing to Caroline, who is quite depressed after her baby’s birth, and some unexpected freedom to Cat.

Overall I found it a very enjoyable story, set as it was in several different locations, featuring different people and attitudes. There is a sense of family unity that pervade even the arguments and jealousies that arise from time to time, and a great deal of genuine niceness. I was not expecting the final surprise of the book, even though it was something I would expect to have remembered, and I absolutely loved the final paragraph.

Definitely recommended.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews

Passing Go (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s over sixteen years since I was given and read ‘Passing Go’ by Libby Purves. I had entirely forgotten what it was about when I picked it up to re-read a few days ago. The title did not trigger my memory at all.

However, I did recall the basic circumstances of the story once I had started reading. It’s about the Keaney family, whom we gradually get to know over the course of the book. Roy, the father, is the first one to make his appearance. He works as a book publisher, and quite likes what he does, on the whole. His company was taken over by a huge enterprise a few months earlier, and he doesn’t particularly like that, but so far they have left him alone to do his job.

Then he discovers that his rather obnoxious high-flying twenty-four-year-old son Marcus is also working for the company. And Marcus knows his dad has to go. Roy is offered a very generous redundancy package - even Marcus doesn’t want his parents to starve. But it all happens quickly and unexpectedly, on Roy’s 50th birthday, and something flips in his mind. He decides to stage a protest… so instead of going home, he sits down in the doorway of the office building, and starts protesting loudly.

His wife Helen, meanwhile, has been a stay-at-home mother for the past eleven years since their unplanned fourth child, Zack, was born. She likes to spend the money that Roy makes, and has become something of an expert at home decor, but she does sometimes wonder what it’s all about. She’s quite conventional, on the whole, but not particularly maternal.

And there’s a family secret, one that Zack is determined to discover. He has twin siblings, Danny and Shona, who are twelve years older than he is. He used to be quite fond of Shona, but she is an artist, and has been creating and displaying some grotesque artwork, using, among other things, bodily fluids and excretions. Her face is covered in piercings, and she rarely comes home. When she does, he finds her somewhat disturbing.

But nobody will talk about Danny. Danny left home at sixteen, and Roy and Helen refuse to answer any questions, or refer to him in any way. It didn’t take me long to remember what it was that Danny had done which upset their parents so much, and I realised, re-reading, that there are one or two hints in the text, although nothing too obvious. I seem to recall the eventual revelation as quite shocking when I first read the book. This time, knowing what was coming (at least in outline) I found it quite moving, and I thought it was very sensitively handled.

Indeed, the issues explored are surprisingly current, more so - at least, more widely discussed - than back in 2000 when this book was published, and when the story is set. Some of the terminology has changed; but I hope nobody would find it offensive for that reason. Indeed, I think this book goes a long way towards normalising something which many people find strange and upsetting, even now. But Libby Purves’ novels tend to do that; her writing can be hard-hitting, her knowledge and research based in part on her years as a journalist.

There are some caricatures, of course. And some unlikely parts of the story - Marcus’s falling in love with the most unlikely person, for one thing, and his subsequent actions. I hope Shona’s lifestyle and artistic creations were meant to be a caricature too. It manages to be light-hearted, despite the heaviness of some of the topics, and I appreciated the ongoing themes of board games: Helen, mostly rather remote from her family and from the story, loves playing board games with elderly folk at a nearby care home.

Indeed, the title of the book, I assume, is from ‘Monopoly’. The family, when we first meet them, are divided: Roy and Helen are attempting to live a suburban and respectful life with Zack while trying to forget about their three eldest, controversial offspring. It takes Roy’s redundancy and Zack’s curiosity to trigger a series of events which lead to considerable healing, and new directions for everyone concerned.

I would have liked a tad more that was conclusive at the end. It’s mostly quite positive, but some threads were left open. It’s a minor gripe, though. All in all, I thought this book was extremely well-written, very thought-provoking, and overall encouraging.

Definitely recommended.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews

Casting Off (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

When I enjoy a book, I like to re-read it every ten years or so; this seems to be a good gap, giving me sufficient time to forget most of the details, even if I recall the overall theme and the basic plot. It’s been twelve years since I last read Libby Purves’ debut novel, ‘Casting Off’, so it was more than time for a re-read.

The story opens in dramatic fashion, as Ray Brewster, who works at a small marina on the South coast of England, watches a woman start her yacht, and is startled that she throws a bunch of car keys at him. It quickly transpires that she intended to throw them to her husband, Keith, who is wearing a similar pullover. Keith and Joanna have just spent a weekend out sailing with their teenage daughter Susan, and were about to return home when Joanna apparently had a hissy fit and decided to go out to sea by herself for a few hours.

The story is told from alternating viewpoints, and the style works very well. Joanna is a competent sailor although she has never taken the yacht out on her own. Nor was she aware that a storm was brewing. So instead of going out for a short sail and then returning home, she has to anchor for the night.

Keith, meanwhile, is rather bewildered. He’s a gentle, likeable guy who works as a solicitor. His life is well-ordered, and although he and Joanna have been arguing, he had not realise it was such a big deal to her. And when he hears the weather report, he becomes worried; then, unable to think straight, he reports Joanna’s defection to the police rather than to the marine authorities.

Unfortunately, one of the police officers gossips and the story is taken up, and exaggerated, by the media. So when Joanna turns on her radio in the morning, intending to phone home and let Keith know her plans, she hears a dramatic news story about herself. She loses her temper, and decides to sail further away…

Although it sounds quite serious, it’s a light-hearted book, with some caricatured people whom Joanna meets along the way. Her two children are rather stereotyped too: Lance, the hippy, laid-back brilliant scholar, and Susan, the angst-driven angry sixteen-year-old who is determined to defy her parents. Her best friend Mandy is even more caricatured; I didn’t like her at all, and never understood why Joanna was so fond of her.

But there are deeper issues going on too. Joanna has been working in a local cafe which she and Mandy own, but has had enough. She wants to sell up; Keith feels it’s a useful security for them. Keith is worried about his work, as his partner is moving on and they’ve worked together well for a long time. And Joanna has a painful secret in her past, one she has only hinted at even to Keith. Clearly something awful happened to a close friend of hers, but we don’t learn exactly what it is until much later in the book.

Libby Purves manages to keep the story moving at a good pace. Although I did remember the outcome as far as Joanna was concerned, I had entirely forgotten the various other people whom she came across in her voyage. Some of the situations are rather sleazy, but there are no gratuitous details, and the tone is light enough that it didn’t feel unpleasant.

My only slight problem with the book is the immense amount of sailing jargon. The author was writing from her own experience; she is known as an expert sailor. But although I’m married to someone who sails, much of the sailing language went over my head. I don’t suppose it mattered. Perhaps I missed out on the sense of urgency when Joanna has difficulties with the weather, and with one of the sails; but I don’t suppose it matters.

Rather different from general women’s fiction; likely to be of particular interest to those who enjoy being out on boats, but it’s a good story with an entirely satisfactory conclusion.

Recommended.

'Casting Off' is not currently in print, but can often be found second-hand. It is also available in Kindle form.

Review by Sue F copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews

Shadow Child (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I've very much enjoyed several novels by Libby Purves, over the past years. She is an incisive, hard-hitting writer who can nevertheless create believable characters that I care about and draw me right into her stories.

I was not entirely sure how I would feel about 'Shadow Child', having read the blurb and some reviews at Amazon. I knew it was about someone suffering from a tragedy which Purves herself had suffered, and which I felt might trigger nightmares. Still, I added it to my wishlist, and was unexpectedly given it recently.

I read it last week, and found it very moving. Marion, a fifty-something woman narrates this story, which begins several months after she and her husband Tom suffered a devastating tragedy which is still affecting them in many ways. Marion has a supportive friend called Sarah, and seems to be coming to terms with her loss gradually.

Out of the blue, Tom comes into contact with the militant man-hating Djoolia in a disturbing encounter. That starts an amazing train of events that lead Marion into seeing lifestyles and living conditions she had never dreamed of, while Tom reacts in very different ways. It seems for a while as if the two are drifting further and further apart.

It's hard to say more without giving anything away; suffice it to say that this is a powerful and moving book, which delves into several controversial issues, revealing different attitudes and reactions in a realistic way. Most of all, though, it shows how there can be lovable, genuine people in unexpected places.

The main plot-line is perhaps too much of an ideal way forward and might even be considered as giving false hope to others in Marion's situation; a few unlikely coincidences happen too, and yet they are not impossible ones. In the context of this moving story, I didn't have a problem with them.

'Shadow Child' has a great writing style, with excellent pace, and I found it difficult to put down at times.

Definitely recommended to anyone who is able to be open-minded - there was a lot to make me ponder in this book. Oddly enough, it is currently out of print in the USA, despite only having been published a year ago. It is available for the Kindle, although links above are to inexpensive second-hand paperback editions.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 26th September 2011

Casting Off (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I've read and enjoyed most of Libby Purves' novels, the first of which was 'Casting Off'. I found it second-hand, and read it in 2002 - prompting me to start collecting the rest of her books, as I enjoyed it so much.

I decided it was time to read it again. The front cover says: 'Joanna Trollope meets Tom Sharpe - great fun!' - and although I haven't read any Tom Sharpe, I think that byline is pretty close to correct. It's a light-hearted novel with more serious themes underlying it, and very well-written.

The story features Jo, a middle-aged mother of two, who decides on the spur of the moment to take the family yacht for a sail after an argument with her husband. She only intends to go out for a short time, but is caught up in rather bad weather conditions. Meanwhile her husband, Keith, reports her as missing to the police; a bad move, he realises when he starts to think clearly after his first initial shock, since he knows exactly where she is and she hasn't been gone long.

Unfortunately, one of the police officers leaks the story to a journalist, who makes far more of it than the truth.. and then some other papers get hold of it too.

Meanwhile Keith and Jo's delightful son Lance is travelling the world in his gap year, and their not-so-delightful daughter Susan is determined not to go to sixth-form college to take A-levels. Susan is aided and abetted by her friend Analiese, daughter of Jo's friend Mandy and Keith's colleague Alex....

Yes, there are a lot of people in this book, but I've remembered them all without checking. Some of them were a bit caricatured, but that's not a bad thing with minor characters. They were mostly believable, too, even though the story got slightly more bizarre as it went on, a comedy of errors and mistakes, combined with a haunting secret from Jo's past that is eventually revealed and laid to rest.

The writing is crisp, the people real enough for me to care about them, the situations realistic (albeit unlikely). I did have a mild problem with so many nautical terms being used through the story, since I didn't understand them all, but they added to the realism. Sailing people do use all kinds of jargon words. Libby Purves is a sailor herself, so they were undoubtedly accurate - and towards the end she does poke fun, slightly, at sailing jargon when one of the characters doesn't understand it (and thinks it rather silly).

The ending is a predictable, but that's all to the good in a story like this when it could have gone anywhere. Not currently in print, but widely available second-hand.

Recommended.

Love Songs and Lies (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I've read all of Libby Purves' novels and enjoyed them to varying degrees. Her earlier work was fairly punchy, sometimes addressing current issues in unexpected ways, leaving me sometimes with my preconceived ideas altered, pondering for days. Her more recent books have been gentler, and I'd read reviews suggesting that 'Love Songs and Lies' was a return to her earlier style.

It was certainly written in an interesting way, narrated in the first person by Sally and adopting almost the style of a biography, with a few author asides here and there; not annoying ones, as in Victorian novels, but almost making the book feel more real. Sally, at the start of the story, is a student about to start living in a run-down house with two friends - Marienka and Kate - and the rather gorgeous and highly intelligent Max.

Sally falls head over heels in love with Max - or at least with his image - but tells the story from the vantage point of thirty years in the future, so it's clear that she realises it was silly, that Max wasn't all he seemed, that any relationship was doomed. However at the time it was real to her; she lived for every hint of affection. And Max is a nice enough guy, but rather manipulative, as everyone else quickly realises.

The novel then moves forward a bit to Sally's marriage, her life as a song-writer and as a mother, and her struggles to find out what really matters to her. She goes through good times and bad, tragedies and shocks, and there's a kind of honesty about her, so we see her faults and mistakes quite clearly, yet they make sense from her perspective at the time.

So it's cleverly written, and I found it fairly gripping - I read it in just two days, and it's not a short book (nearly 400 pages). However, I didn't really relate fully to any of the characters. Marienka is a caricature of a wild fun-loving (but very loyal and caring) person, Kate is rather a shadowy solid, down-to-earth motherly type. Max himself is by turns adorable and shallow... which is probably how we're meant to see him, alternately through Sally's eyes as a student, and her more mature understanding eyes as a middle-aged adult.

But the very mixed narrative - the narrator seeing her young self from a distance - makes Sally seem a distant kind of person too, and despite hoping her life would turn out all right, I never quite got inside her head. Nor were there any really thought-provoking issues raised. The book touches on the problems of single mothers in the seventies, of poverty and pride, of family loyalties and the ties of friendship.

There was also the theme of lies - or at least of concealed truths, one of which has a thread running through the book. But although there are one or two sudden and slightly shocking events, there was nothing to make me think about it further once I'd finished.

Recommended, on the whole. 

Acting Up (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

I've enjoyed most of Libby Purves' novels. She's best known as a journalist and reporter, but in the last ten years or so has produced an interesting set of novels. Each stands alone. Alongside very low-key romance and mostly people-driven plots, she tends to address some controversial issues through the eyes of her characters.

The book 'Acting Up' is about two soldiers, Callum and Susie. They postpone their wedding to go and join the British Forces in Iraq. Callum is injured in a traumatic way and finds it very hard to deal with life as he convalesces.

Military stories don't generally interest me at all, so I did find myself skimming some of the army talk. Nonetheless I felt I had a better understanding of what would make people go to war in this kind of way. Libby Purves doesn't take any clear point of view for or against the war, which I felt was helpful. She simply portrays it the way various types of people see it.

Most of the story takes place after Callum's injury, when Susie is home on leave and trying to look after him. The plot is enlivened too by Susie's brother Francis, who is making a name for himself as a controversial singer and dancer. I found Francis to be perhaps the most sympathetic character in the book, despite his lifestyle being far removed from mine!

There were no great shocks in the book, and no unexpected developments of the sort I often find with this author. But it was eminently readable in her typical terse but well-written style. I would not count this as my favourite Libby Purves novel, but still one that I will doubtless read again in a few years.

Recommended, in a low-key way.

Continental Drift (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

Having discovered a new author whom I enjoy, I'm inclined to read my way through all their books and collect most of them. So as I recently discovered Libby Purves, as a novelist (she is better known as a journalist) I'm gradually acquiring her books.

'Continental Drift' features Philip, a middle-aged ex-MP, who is rather staid and unadventurous. His wife, Diana, works for the local radio station. She becomes friendly with the Rastafarian presenter, Henry, who is a single father.

Meanwhile in Poland (yes, this bit confused me slightly too!) twenty-two-year-old Eva embarks on a backpacking trek across Europe. She hopes to visit Manda, who is Philip and Diana's daughter.

This novel takes a while to get started, since each set of characters is introduced in context. It's not as hard-hitting (or shocking) as some of Libby Purves' other novels - but I enjoyed it once I felt I knew what was going on. Certainly it was well-written and very readable.

Recommended.

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.

Regatta (by Libby Purves)

(Amazon UK link)

'Regatta', by Libby Purves, is the story of Anansi, an eleven-year-old girl, but it's not a story for children. Anansi has come from London, where she lives with her neglectful drug-using mother and small half-sister. Her father was of African origin, but she hasn't seen anything of him since she was tiny. She has a lame foot, which she knows was caused by an angry man when she was little, and has recently been excluded from school after getting into a fight.

Social services have got involved, and Anansi is sent on a holiday to a seaside town to give her mother a break. She's sent to live with Sheila, who's caring and highly organised, and who generally takes younger children from social services as guests during the summer months.

Sheila's husband Simon is a rather dour writer, who happens to have a somewhat shocking secret. They have two teenage sons who spend their terms at boarding school, and don't much like having other children in the house. The younger son Douai, who is only a year older than Anansi, particularly resents having a girl thrust on the household, and being expected to look after her.

Anansi is very intelligent, and street-wise beyond her years. She finds it hard to comprehend the upper-middle class activities like tennis and sailing, which she's expected to take part in. She's used to verbal abuse from people she meets - both for her race and because of her limp - and is confused by people smiling at her, and being generally nice. She better understands the aggression of Sheila's sons; she rather resented her half-sister, and sees herself as a cuckoo in the nest. However after some particularly unpleasant teasing by Douai, she responds in anger by revealing something she knows - something which throws the whole community into an uproar, and causes a lot of people to take serious looks at themselves and their attitudes.

Libby Purves is an experienced sailor, and this is clear from the background to this book. All the children in the town learn to sail at a young age, and take part in regattas. Anansi is initially terrified of the river estuary where everyone sails, and her first experience - being taken out in a boat by a resentful Douai - is a disaster. But she's a tough child, and when a later opportunity arises to learn from a gentler teacher, she takes it up willingly.

As with all this author's books, there are many issues touched upon in passing, making it not just an enjoyable story, but a thought-provoking read. Questions about class divide are gently explored, including the naïveté of the upper middle classes, who make up the majority of the town where Anansi is sent. Some of them see Sheila as a bossy do-gooder, and rather despise the children she looks after, despite being friendly on the surface.

There's also the issue of bullying, both physical and emotional. But it's not shown as something clear-cut; the disadvantages of responding in anger are also demonstrated. Anansi drops her metaphorical bombshell, without realising what the consequences might be for those around her. Later on she chats to a gentle elderly man who tells her about the horrors of war, and of the damaged that can be done by real bombs.

The problem of children with neglectful parents is inevitably at the heart of this book, with social workers quite in the dark about what's best for them. Contrasting viewpoints are given: from Sheila, who simply wants to mother children and help them have fun, to a social worker who thinks it makes life more difficult when an impoverished inner-city child is shown a completely different world for a few weeks. The drug issue is barely touched upon, however; it's enough to see the damage caused to Anansi by her mother's habit, and which leads to a bigger crisis part-way through the book.

I found the character of Anansi quite delightful. She has a lot of courage, and her own set of strong principles. I found myself wondering about the unanswerable question: is personality inborn, or developed in childhood? I see in Anansi a reflection of a few people I know from all walks of life - stubborn determination which makes her fight, despite everything, to overcome all odds. She also has a deep longing for love, mostly repressed, but coming to the fore in a heroic deed which forms the climax of the book.

I found Sheila tiring but realistic. She's a little larger than life, but perhaps not atypical of a cheerful, outgoing woman who has so much love to give that she takes in other children whose parents cannot care for them properly. There's a very moving section part-way through the book where Sheila has to consider whether it would be better for her son Douai if Anansi were sent away; as a mother myself I could feel her pain at trying to meet the needs of the two hurting children.

Other main characters are sympathetically drawn, with the more minor ones being a bit caricatured - not a bad thing as it helped me to remember who was who. I did find the number of families a little confusing and sometimes forgot which children belonged to each - but this may have been deliberate. There is an overriding sense of a community, of people dropping in on each other, eating meals at different homes every night, with parents not entirely sure which children would be eating supper with them each evening. This 'large family' feeling makes Anansi's revelation all the more disastrous when it happens, potentially rocking the entire foundation of everyone's lives, not just the few who are directly involved in what she reveals. This in itself provides quite a contrast to her previous lifestyle.

I very much enjoyed reading this book, although I found it rather overwhelming in places with so many people, and the fast-paced action. While I was eager to know what was going to happen, I found I had to put it down every couple of chapters to take a break, and for my mind to catch up with what I'd been reading!

I do admit to skimming a few paragraphs of sailing technicalities here and there. I'm sure they were realistic, but I know almost nothing about sailing and was more interested in the people. However there wasn't so much that it bored me. Towards the end of the book I was almost on the edge of my seat with the excitement of a dramatic rescue involving various boats, and my lack of nautical knowledge was no handicap in understanding.

The ending of the book is moving and gives hope for the future, although perhaps it could be considered a little unrealistic. While it was encouraging, it did leave me feeling a bit as if the author had skated neatly round the difficult problem of unwanted children. Once I'd finished, I found myself feeling exhilarated, and - surprisingly - quite tired, as if I'd taken part in the rescue myself. It's a satisfying book, not over-long (it's only just over 300 pages) but with a depth of emotion, and with thought-provoking issues that often require a much longer novel for full exploration.

None of the above really does justice to the book, which is an extremely well-written novel bringing together unlikely characters in believable ways. The 'issues' are there in the background, but they don't become intrusive; I found myself thinking about them as a result of reading the book rather than being drawn into them too strongly at the time. Libby Purves' style is brisk, decisive, mildly humorous at times.

It's not my favourite of her books, but all in all, I'd recommend it to anyone wanting a light read with a little more meat than the average short novel.