4 Stars
Jeanie and Julius Seeder are 51-year-old fraternal twins living with their mother Dot in a dilapidated cottage in rural England. Though isolated and poor, they are content. Then Dot dies suddenly, and the outside world intrudes and threatens their sanctuary. They must learn to adapt and fend for themselves as they quickly learn that the world Dot had constructed for them was built on deception and manipulation.
Just as the ground unsettles beneath the twins’ lives, the reader will find the book unsettling. The twins are hampered in their ability to deal with the outside world. Julius suffers from travel sickness so being in a motorized vehicle is untenable; with limited education, he can take only menial jobs and only those which he can reach by bicycle. Because of a heart condition which left her frail, Jeanie attended school only sporadically and is functionally illiterate. They are vulnerable, and there are people who move in quickly to exploit their vulnerability. As they are repeatedly victimized, I felt like I was reading a Thomas Hardy novel.
This is very much a novel of character. Though both Julius and Jeanie’s perspectives are included, Jeanie is more of a focus. Because of her educational limitations and her lack of contact with the outside world, she lacks some basic life skills needed in the modern world and is uncomfortable outside her home: Jeanie “craves home, quiet and security.” Nonetheless, she engages with others as she must and fights to maintain her dignity and become more independent. Though trapped by circumstances, she doesn’t let herself succumb to the increasingly hopeless situation in which she finds herself and shows herself to be both strong and brave. The reader cannot but cheer for Jeanie even while sometimes being frustrated with her actions.
Another character who is developed is Dot. From the beginning it is made clear that she has secrets; as she suffers a stroke in the first chapter, she thinks about “that unmentionable-at-home man” who occasionally sleeps with her and her last thought is about “the biggest lie of all.” The reader will certainly guess many of her secrets before her children learn them, but it’s not the nature of the secrets but her motivation that is of most interest. I found myself increasingly angry with Dot for limiting her children’s opportunities. Her conversation with Jeanie about the risks of pregnancy for someone with her heart condition and her casual mentioning to her son that she saw a friend of his kissing a man outside the pub do not portray Dot in a positive light. A book club could have a great discussion about Dot’s choices: Does her love for her children excuse her manipulation? Does her pride keep her from taking actions that would have made her children’s lives easier? What role do selfishness and a fear of loneliness play in her behaviour? Was Dot the good woman everyone says she was?
Music is a very important source of comfort to both Julius and Jeanie and serves as a bond between them. Dot also played an instrument and the twins fondly remember the home concerts with the three of them. It becomes obvious that Jeanie is especially musically talented, and it is in this area that we see the harm that can be done by parents.
Suspense is built slowly but there is little doubt that something terrible is going to happen. For example, the visitors to the cottage and spinney become more and more threatening, and Jeanie and Julius’ situation becomes more and more dire. And then when a confrontation does happen, what will the long-term outcome be?
The book is slow-paced and generally bleak and oppressive, but the development of characters is exceptional and, fortunately, the ending offers some hope. The novel certainly inspires one to think of the long-term impact of secrets and lies.
Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley. The book will be released tomorrow, May 18.
I am just to read this boo. Although, it is gloomy, it is also fascinating. I want to say thank you for your interesting review.
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