Rating: 5/5
Review:
Excellent
I thought this an excellent book. In spite of recommendations, I thought there
was a strong possibility I would thoroughly dislike it because the story of a
relationship between an elderly Major who has lived in the same Sussex village
all his life and the Muslim widow who runs the village shop could be toe-curlingly
sentimental and patronising in the wrong hands.
This is anything but: it is charming in many ways, witty and
heart-warming (a phrase which normally inspires a vague dread in me) but there
is real thought and insight here, too.
It is excellently written and paced, with an unfussy,
elegant style which is very easy to read and which allows the characters to
emerge from their own words and actions rather than lavish description, much as
they do in Alan Bennett or Barbara Pym (although I wouldn’t suggest that it’s
in the same league as those two towering masters.) I found her characters entertaining, engaging
and very believable. Simonson doesn’t
resort to stereotype, and people often behave unexpectedly, making the book
much more thought-provoking than most “gentle comedies of manners”. As one of her more robustly-spoken young
characters sums it up when speaking to the Major, “You ought to be an old git,
but I like you.”
I found this book hard to put down and a joy to read. Very warmly recommended.
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