This Beating Heart by Laura Barnett

At forty-three, Christina finds herself living alone, her marriage and dreams of raising a family broken down after years of unsuccessful IVF and two miscarriages. Her ex-husband has started a new life in San Francisco, while Christina remains in their old London flat, haunted by 'what might have been', and hoping that Ed will consent to her using their remaining frozen embryo for one last-ditch attempt at motherhood. 

It's time really for her to move on, and, with a little push here, and a new acquaintance there, maybe Christina can find a new future.

The author herself underwent IVF treatment, and despite, or because of, it being success it led her to think the unthinkable - what if it all goes wrong?  How do you pull yourself up and start again after such a blow? 

I've loved this author's previous novels - Versions of Us and Greatest Hits - so was very enthusiastic to read this, but somehow it just didn't hit the spot in the same way. The first half or so, while Christina struggles with the past, was immensely sad, but Barnett really got inside her character, brought her alive on the page as someone to empathise with. Yet even while things are going so badly, it's easy to predict how her future will pan out. It's not the way Christina is hoping for, but the signs are there, and when she's ready to let go of the past, things fall into place just a little too conveniently. As a light rom-com read, it's great but it wasn't what I'd expected.

Although Christina's distressing rounds of  IVF are apparent from the blurb, I feel there maybe should be a trigger warning with this book. I found it unbearably sad at times, and I can't help but wonder how it would be for anyone undergoing treatment, or, worse still, for someone whose treatment failed.
 

Greatest Hits by Laura Barnett

One day. Sixteen songs. The soundtrack of a lifetime...

review by Maryom

Once a famous singer/songwriter, a British rival to Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell, Cass Wheeler has been living a lonely, reclusive life following a personal tragedy and time spent in re-hab. Now she's ready to make a come back. A new album is recorded, a launch party planned, but first Cass wants to spend a day in the studio listening to her old records and picking out the ones that she considers to be her 'greatest hits' - not the ones that sold best but those that are more personal and private, representing key moments in her life. Over the course of the day, listening to her old songs, Cass revisits her fractured childhood, headstrong teenage years, meteoric rise to fame, and the troubles that seemed to follow fast on its heels.


Now, I loved Laura Barnett's debut novel, The Versions of Us, and the minute I heard there was another on the way, I was eager to read it, but at the same time a little cautious as I often am with second novels, plus I thought the theme of ex-rock-star-making-a comeback was maybe a little predictable. How wrong could I have been? I absolutely love Greatest Hits!

For me, this is a story that comes with a huge slice of nostalgia -  Cass is the sort of singer I'd have listened to as a young teen, followed in the music magazines of the day, maybe even dreaming of living a life such as hers - but Greatest Hits isn't just a story of music and fame.

I think without the various time-lines of The Versions of Us, there's more opportunity this time to appreciate the author's writing style, and skill at story-telling. Starting in the present day, Cass's life story unfolds in a series of flashbacks; one thread follows her life from childhood to present day; another the more recent events of the past few months. Moving between the two, like adding the layers and depths to a painting, Barnett builds an intimate portrait of a woman and the events that have shaped her.

From a childhood that feels deprived of love, Cass moves through teenage rebellion, an over-confident belief in her own decision making, and rejection of the people who care most for her, to the heady heights of stardom, with its jealousies and betrayals, till she ends up feeling she may have failed at everything - as daughter, wife, mother, musician. Although there are hints at the tragedy that changed her life, there's still enough mystery shrouding it, and the hope that Cass may find happiness at last, to lure the reader on.

Something that really intrigues me is the way that, not only does each chapter start with the lyrics to one of those 'greatest hits', but Laura Barnett has worked with singer/songwriter Kathryn Williams to have them brought to 'musical' life. An album is to be released shortly after the book's publication but for now you can hear the first song "Common Ground" by following the links on Kathryn Williams web site.


Although the story takes Cass on a journey through loss and grief, the overwhelming mood is upbeat. If you haven't discovered Laura Barnett yet, do read it. It's definitely one for fans of Maggie O'Farrell, but with a musical setting reminiscent of Tiffany Murray's Diamond Star Halo, and deserves to be a huge hit itself!

Maryom's review - 5 stars 
Publisher - Orion (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) 
Genre - adult, 

The Kindness of Enemies by Leila Aboulela

review by Maryom

 Natasha Wilson has a confused heritage - part Russian, part Sudanese, brought up in Khartoum then moving to Scotland when her mother divorced and re-married, choosing to take her step-father's name rather than keep the politically sensitive 'Hussein'. At every step, she's chosen to move away her Muslim roots, to become more westernised but still something lures her back. Now a lecturer at a Scottish university, her specialist interest is the mid-nineteenth century conflict between Russia and the Muslim hill tribes of the Caucasus region, and particularly the charismatic freedom fighter, Shamil.
By an odd quirk of circumstances, one of her star students is a descendant of Shamil. Oz (a more 'acceptable' shortened version of his given name, Osama) has grown up venerating his ancestor, seeing him as a champion of Muslim ideals against imperial expansion, but this hero-worship is leading Oz towards modern-day Islamic extremists and the notice of Special Branch, and when one person is suspected of terrorism, all their friends and associates are too.....
 Things are no easier back in 1850s Russia - Shamil's eldest son, Jamaleldin, was taken as a hostage by the Russians and, for fifteen years, brought up in the Imperial Court. Jamaleldin has grown up exactly like any other young nobleman - dancing, drinking, playing cards, falling in love -  but now his father has a plan to bring him back to the high mountain fortresses of Dagestan. Will this be a joyous home-coming, or a shock? How will a rich man-about-town fit back in with tribal hills-people? The plan depends on yet another character who finds themselves caught between two cultures - Anna, Princess of Georgia, was never entirely happy with the way her countrymen made peace with the Russians, now, abducted and held hostage by Shamil, she begins to question which side of the conflict is in the right, and where exactly her loyalties lie..

The Kindness of Enemies is an amazing thought-provoking read, a mix of present day and historical fiction, about the dilemma of being torn between conflicting cultures but never quite belonging totally to either, and how sometimes accepting defeat is braver than fighting on.

 A bit of a slow-burner, it took me a while to become involved and begin to care for the characters - but as this amazingly varied cast came to life their stories had me hooked; from fiercely proud war-lord to modern university lecturer, sheltered princess to eager enquiring student, the troubles and choices they face are similar at heart.  Is it right to have a favourite? Well, regardless, mine was Shamil - strong in his Muslim faith and attachment to his homeland, he's torn more between aspects of his personality; being a charismatic, brave leader doesn't always fit comfortably with being a caring, even sentimental, father.

From an historical perspective, the story sheds light on a war that seems forgotten and over-shadowed, in my long-ago history lessons at least, by the Crimean War. In one of those many instances of 'my enemy's enemy is my friend', the British government are eager to help Shamil as he stands in the way of Russian expansion towards India, but when their attention is diverted to the Crimea, Shamil is left without support - it feels like all too familiar a story with many echoes in today's conflicts.



Winning this, shortlisted for that, longlisted for something else, I can't really think what my excuse is for not having discovered Leila Aboulela before; I need to do some catching up!




 Maryom's review - 5 stars 
Publisher - Orion (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Genre - adult, literary fiction

The Life and Death of Sophie Stark by Anna North

review by Maryom

 Sophie Stark is a film-maker - one who makes visually engaging, often disturbing, films but is unable to connect emotionally at a personal level - in fact she has always found it easier to communicate through visual art. Starting as a child with drawing, moving on to photos and then film, she uses these mediums to explore and explain the world, drawing on the experiences of others for her story-lines and often exploiting their emotions too.

Her story is narrated by the six people who were closest to her, each with a unique insight into her as a person and director - her brother, the guy she had a crush on in college, her actress lover, her singer-songwriter husband, a Hollywood producer/director and a film reviewer. Their accounts build up a portrait of a talented but disturbed young woman. A misfit who finds difficulty in getting close to people and whose only way of communicating her feelings is through her films, Sophie is a weird mix of tough and vulnerable, small in stature, big in attitude, unable to connect emotionally with others, but someone that others are drawn to. I didn't find Sophie an entirely likeable person - she's a complex character, and although obviously her brother and her lovers care for her, as a by-stander I found her actions and manipulation of others unpleasant.
 The author certainly knows how to tell a tale and hook the reader. The story opens with Allison, who goes on to become Sophie's lover and star in her films, telling how she and Sophie first met at an open mic event. Allison is on stage, recounting the tale of a camping trip which went oh-so-wrong - a tale which had me gripped, sent shivers down my spine and set the tone for the whole book.
Each chapter is narrated by a different person, and covers a different time of Sophie's life - from her meeting with Allison, the story moves back to her childhood, then on to college on her first experiment with film, then leaping forward again. Throughout there are excepts from reviews of her films and music videos, which chart Sophie's developing techniques and style, but at the same time still saying a lot about the reviewer himself. After reading these sections, I felt like I had seen the films for myself - the intense moody shots with occasional flashes of brightness; not feel-good films but ones that would leave the viewer moved.
It is a rather dark novel - after all we know from the outset that ultimately the story leads to Sophie's death, that there's unlikely to be a happy ending. Even so it is undoubtedly a gripping book, and one I'd recommend to someone who likes an unusual and compelling read.


Maryom's review - 5 stars 
Publisher - Orion (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Genre - adult, literary fiction

The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

review by Maryom

Eva and Jim first meet at Cambridge in 1958; she is cycling along quickly and swerves to avoid a dog, he steps forward to help, and what happens next will affect the rest of their lives. Do they speak briefly and part, do they go off to the pub? Three different scenarios are offered and from this point the narrative splits, with each version following Eva and Jim throughout their lives - however events play out, the two of them seem linked, their paths destined to cross and part, and maybe cross again.

The Versions of Us is a stunning book, even more so considering it is Laura Barnett's debut novel! With three alternate time-lines playing out over 50 years it's easy to see this book is a cross between Sliding Doors and One Day but for me, in style and story-telling, it has more in common with Kate Atkinson's Life After Life.

From that initial meeting Eva and Jim's alternative lives pan out in different directions, and the reader is offered three versions of how their lives could have been, each fully realised; it's almost like reading three different stories. The balance between them is perfect, none is allowed to dominate, but which of them leads to a happier life? At first it seems to be one version, then, as the years pass, another will seem the more appealing. It led me to wonder if I were Eva or Jim and could choose my life, knowing all the permutations, which would it be?

I also wondered how much fun the author had in playing with Eva and Jim's lives; authors frequently say that their characters take charge and will only behave in certain ways - this time it seems like the author has the upper hand and can manipulate the characters at will, sometimes pushing them forward impulsively, sometimes holding them back.

I loved it completely; following Jim and Eva throughout three lifetimes I became familiar with them, their characters and foibles, their friends and family. If there's a drawback, it's that it's not always easy to remember what has happened previously in each version, and I have to admit I had notes to help me keep track of things. Something I'd like to try one day is reading each of the time lines individually, from start to finish as a 'normal' story. It certainly isn't a book to read once and discard; there's still lots to explore after that. I don't belong to a book group and this is one time that I'm missing that because there's lots to discuss with fellow readers - not least that question of which way leads to greater happiness and fulfilment.


Catch my Q+A with the author here
Maryom's review - 5 stars 
Publisher - Orion (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Genre - adult,

Her by Harriet Lane

review by Maryom

One Friday afternoon, stepping out of her local off-licence, Nina is taken aback to see a well-remembered face from the past. The other woman, Emma, struggling with a baby buggy, doesn't notice or recognise her, and as the weeks pass, and summer moves on into autumn, Nina tries to forget the incident ...but finds she can't. Nina starts to contrive reasons for the two of them to meet, drawing Emma into her life, but her reasons are far from honest. Long ago, Emma's actions hurt Nina; Emma may not remember but Nina does - and she's not going to let Emma off the hook again.

Her is a curious book - for much of it not a lot really happens but even so the writing style pulled me in; I really wanted to discover what Emma had done in her past to so offend Nina, why Nina recognises Emma but not vice versa, what exactly Nina's intentions are - obviously not a cheery Hello, nice to meet after all this time! - and I just couldn't put the book down till I had all the answers.

The story is told in first person from the alternating perspectives of Nina and Emma; maybe there's a little too much of showing incidents from both points of view as sometimes the accounts are too similar but it gets the reader into the heads of these two women, contrasting Nina's machinations with Emma's innocence, and creating an atmosphere filled with menace.
From the lead-up, I'd expected more drama in the denouement - it actually creeps up quietly with both reader and character only gradually realising the enormity of what has happened. The ending itself is tricky and ambiguous  - but it worked for me. 
I'm not quite sure it lives up to the tag of psychological thriller but it's a great compelling read, filled with a growing sense of discomfort and dread.

 Maryom's review - 4.5 stars 
Publisher - Orion (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Genre - adult, psychological thriller,