From a Syrian mapmaker in Wales to an intriguing true story from the court of Charles I and an illuminating biography of Peter Sellers, Jess Morency recommends an eclectic mix of books for April
Drift by Caryl Lewis: ‘The rain fell again. Falling in heavy glassy droplets around them. Nefyn turned her head skywards and as she did, they stopped mid-air. Thousands upon thousands of droplets hung above them, defying gravity and the laws of the earth herself. Hamza looked on in wonder as they glistened gold and silver in the marine-blue sky.’
Moving between the wild Welsh coast and memories of war-torn Syria, Drift is a story about compassion and the ravages of war, with two very different characters finding an unexpected connection. Nefyn has always been an outsider, living precariously above a blustery cove, and Hamza is a Syrian map-maker, bought to her by an unexpected storm.
Very occasionally you begin reading a book and within the first few pages find yourself completely submerged. And it’s remarkable how, with such precision of language and interweaving of folklore, this beautiful novel conjures up such a vivid magical world. It also makes you consider the morals of war, how a sense of belonging is formed, and, in its ultimate pages, the importance of living your fullest life. Caryl Lewis has twice won the Wales Book of the Year prize, and this, her first novel in English, feels remarkably precious. Published by Doubleday, priced £14.99
The Gosling Girl by Jacqueline Roy: Michelle Cameron’s name is associated with the most abhorrent of crimes: she is the child who lured a younger child away from her parents and to her death. As the book opens, Michelle has done her time and been released as a young woman with a new identity to re-start her life. But what kind of a life is it for someone whose sense of self has been completely eradicated?
I read this book in a day, moving around the house still reading. I thought Michelle was an extraordinary character; and, despite her past, someone with whom I could totally empathise, whose future (and present) I really cared about. Other characters are just as skilfully drawn – from the roster of damaged parents to the lonesome policewoman. Michelle has one ‘friend’, Lucy, whose meanness spits from the page – as does the awfulness of her past; despite the fact that she and her mother exemplify white privilege. And I loved Michelle’s burgeoning relationship with the delightfully innocent Ryan. Overall, this a bleak read, but a brilliant one; and I look forward to now reading Roy’s first novel – The Fat Lady Sings - included in Bernardine Evaristo’s re-discovered books series: Black Britain: Writing Back. Published by Simon & Schuster, priced £14.99
All the Places That Were Hurt by Mish Cromer: After a decade trying to accept that London is home, a bereavement pushes 29-year-old May to return to rural Vermont - and the enigmatic man she fell in love with. As she immerses herself in rejuvenating a dilapidated house and garden she starts to find a sense of contentment and purpose. But as these feelings grow, she needs to choose between this new life and loyalty to those she left behind.
This book has great warmth, and the characters became so real I felt I could reach in and touch them. Mish Cromer’s love of nature and cooking comes through strongly and there were many beautiful phrases and images that had me pausing to appreciate them: like the stepmother’s quilts that hold so much family history, and the idea that memories aren’t something we should take for granted. There’s true passion within the pages, making me reflect on how its rawness somehow dulls with age. And if novels are an exploration of the human spirit, it’s great to read one written by a psychotherapist - for you imagine they’ll have that little bit more insight. Sometimes books leave lingering emotions, and for this one it’s a quiet sense of peace. Published by Cinnamon Press, priced £10.99
The Real Peter Sellers by Andrew Norman: In 1978, Peter Sellers made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show and, Poole-based biographer Andrew Norman believes, revealed the shell of his true self: ‘There is no “Me”. I do not exist. There used to be me, but I had it surgically removed.’
Dr Norman’s interest in the actor was first sparked aged 17, when his uncle gave him a ‘gramophone record’: Songs for Swinging Sellers. ‘I was reduced to hysterical laughter,’ he recalls, and listening to Sellers’s lampooning of politicians, English public schools, the aristocracy etc, all in a multitude of funny voices, he became intrigued about who the man was himself.
Norman, who studied medicine at Oxford and was a GP in Poole before a spinal injury curtailed his practice, has written an extraordinary 23 biographies, covering characters as diverse as Robert Mugabe, Thomas Hardy and Enid Blyton. It was fascinating reading about Sellers and I frequently found myself googling the film clips and interviews mentioned. The book rather disconcertingly provides the dictionary definition of a word every few pages – from empathy to psychiatrist – which personally I found disruptive, but it’s meticulously researched; including quotes from many of Sellers’ friends, children, colleagues, and his four ex-wives. Published by White Owl, priced £20
The Smallest Man by Frances Quinn: In 1625, 10-year-old Nat Davy was sold for 11 shillings. He was taken to London and hidden in a pie to be given as a gift to the queen of England - recently arrived from France and still a child herself. ‘They called me the queen’s dwarf, but I was more than that. I was her friend, when she had no one else, and later on, when the people turned against their king, it was me who saved her life.’
Loosely based on a true story, this book made me wish my children were still young enough to be read to. It’s completely charming, bringing to life a period of history I knew little about. So much so, I gasped when the feckless King Charles I has his head removed by an axe. Nat is a delight: determined, witty, honourable. Talking about his inspiration, Quinn says: ‘A bit of googling and up popped Jeffrey Hudson. He drew me in immediately, as someone who’d had a difficult hand in life and made the best of it, and I knew I wanted to try to tell his story.’ And, with fairgrounds and palaces, dastardly bullies and disastrous duels, what a story she tells. Published by Simon & Schuster, priced £8.99
A DORSET BOOKSELLER RECOMMENDS…
Anara Peach, manager at Westbourne Bookshop, Bournemouth
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings: ‘A magnificent epic, set against 7,000 years of the struggles of Gods, Kings and men, strange lands and events, and a prophecy that must be fulfilled.’ I first read this book when I was about 15. I then devoured the series, then the next, and all its off-shoots. It begins, as many fantasy books do, in a homely peaceful setting. We meet our protagonist, Garion, on Faldor’s Farm, where ‘Aunt Pol’ rules with a quietly commanding manner. Eddings is quick to get young Garion on the road with the ‘Old Wolf’, a vagrant friend of his aunt's. Before long, in true fantasy style, Garion is surrounded by a ragtag band of lovable, humorous fellows, off on adventure.
Sometimes I’ll pick up a volume and start reading it from one of my favourite moments, just to be around old friends. This is what really makes these books special. Each character has their own quirks and back-stories that make them feel so real. But it’s the relationships and banter that makes these books feel like home. Sometimes a customer asks for a recommendation and I’ve suggested this book, then they’ve bought the rest of the series. Which is always so satisfying as a bookseller. Published by PRH Children’s at £8.99. If you purchase the book from Westbourne Bookshop, mention Dorset Magazine and they’ll give you 10% off.
