Book Description
Grandmothers is the story of three very different women and their relationship with the younger generation: fiercely independent Nan, who leads a secret life as an award-winning poet when she is not teaching her grandson Billy how to lie; glamorous Blanche, deprived of the company of her beloved granddaughter Kitty by her hostile daughter-in-law, who finds solace in rebelliously taking to drink and shop lifting; and shy, bookish Minna who in the safety of shepherd's hut shares with her surrogate granddaughter Rose her passion for reading. The outlook of all three women subtly alters when through their encounters with each other they discover that the past is always with us and that we go on learning and changing until the very end.
Grandmothers is a beautifully observed, sometimes subversive, often tender and elegiac novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Librarian.
Review
I will start by saying 'Grandmothers' isn't the typical sort of book that I would chose to read. This was chosen by a book club that I am in. However, I read the synopsis and I was intrigued by it. It is a very well written book with vivid descriptions that really put you in the story. I found it to be a very easy and light read which can be picked up by the beach or in front of the fire. The story flowed nicely and was filled with family, friendship, regret, sadness, laughter and love. It is a sweet storyline about 3 women and their grandchildren/surrogate granddaughter. I loved meeting each of the characters and became completely invested in the storyline. Out of the three women I must admit my favourite has to me Minna who was a bookworm and reminded me of myself. However, I also liked Blanche and really felt for her at times and although I thought Nan was a bit "blunt" for want of a better word I found her the most intriguing of the 3 grandmothers. Their love for the children in their life absolutely shone through the pages. I was completely absorbed in the storyline and thoroughly enjoyed the trips to Weymouth, where I was on holiday myself last September, London, Paris and many more places. A lovely read which I would definitely recommend.
About The Author
Salley Vickers is the author of many acclaimed novels including the best-selling Miss Garnet's Angel, Mr Golightly's Holiday, The Other Side of You and The Cleaner of Chartres (Viking 2012) and two short story collections, the latest The Boy Who Could See Death (Viking 2015). She has worked as a cleaner, a dancer, a teacher of children with special needs, a university lecturer and a psychoanalyst. She now writes and lectures full time. Find out more at www.salleyvickers.com or @SalleyVickers.
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