The Very Pink Notebook is pleased to review
This Family of Things, a beautiful literary work by Alison Jameson.
With thanks to Rosie Margesson of Transworld Publishers for the ARC copy.
Published by : Transworld
8 June 2017
Copy : Paperback - Provided by Publisher
The Blurb
On his way back up from the yard Bird had seen something white and round – a girl who had curled herself into a ball. Lifting her was like retrieving a ball of newspaper from out of the grass or an empty crisp bag that someone had flung over the ditch. She seemed to lack the bones and meat and muscle of real people. She felt as if she was filled with feathers.
On the day Midge O’Connor comes hurtling into Bird Keegan’s life, she flings open his small, quiet world. He and his two sisters, Olive and Margaret, have lived in the same isolated community all their lives, each one more alone than the others can know.
Taking in damaged, sharp-edged Midge, Bird invites the scorn of his neighbours and siblings. And as they slowly mend each other, family binds – and the tie of the land – begin to weigh down on their tentative relationship. Can it survive the misunderstandings, contempt and violence of others?
A poignant and powerful study of the emotional lives of three siblings and the girl who breaks through their solitude.
The Very Pink Notebook Review
I must admit the first chapter of this book left me a little flat, I wasn't quite sure where it was going to go, what the hook was, or the intrigue. But I loved the fluid, poetic style of writing so I continued on with an open mind. And I am so glad I did.
This is a beautiful book. It searches deep into the human soul and takes you on an emotional journey with four people who are very ordinary and in search of nothing, but everything at the same time. Now, being more a reader of psychological thrillers I had to get over the urge to think things might take unexpected turns or twists, because this is not that sort of book. Instead you just need to read, absorb and enjoy the story about the lives of the characters. There are no hidden agenda's just the exploration of the way the mind works in one man and three women who have all kept themselves in relative isolation for one reason or another.
Although the main protagonist is Midge Connors, the story involves Bird, Margaret and Olive Keegan, three siblings, in equal measure. The story looks closely at the relationships the four manufacture between each other and the relationship they have with themselves. Midge arrives in the Keegan household after Bird discovers her in a heap on his driveway, following being ejected from the car in which she travelled with her violent father. Once the two meet, although they try to forget about each other, a bond has been forged and they are drawn to each other. But each has their own demons and life throws many obstacles in the way of a happy existence - the question is whether they are strong enough people to withstand what fate puts in their way. In the meantime the two sisters, Margaret and Olive are also assessing the option of love in their lives, something they have both held back from for various reasons, instead only choosing to trust in one another. The question they must ask is : Are they too old to change?
This is a true tale of love, hate, discovery, loss and empowerment. I enjoyed the journey of each of the characters and it was told in gentle, heartfelt and emotive fashion with beautiful use of language and imagery. I really liked the structure of the novel it helps to really define quite a long timescale and compartmentalise the stages in the characters lives.
This is a novel that will tug at your heartstrings and make you think. Sometimes it will leave you scratching your head, wishing the characters to make a different choice, but ultimately it will leave you feeling like you have read a really good book.
This Family of Things by Alison Jameson receives a Very Pink Notebook Rating of :
About the Author
Alison Jameson grew up on a farm in the Irish midlands, a secluded and beautiful place that continues to inspire her work. She is the bestselling author of This Man and Me, which was nominated for the IMPAC Literary Award, and Under My Skin. Her third novel, Little Beauty, was published by Doubleday Ireland in 2013. An English and History graduate of University College Dublin, she worked in advertising for many years before becoming an author. Home in Dublin where she lives with her husband and son.
