Tag: family

‘The Magnificent Sons’ by Justin Myers

This book – published today in hardback – is a warm, witty and uplifting read.

I really love funny books and Adam Kay (who endorsed this book) so I thought this was definitely worth a try.  I am certainly glad I did.

Jake is edging towards thirty with a girlfriend who is expecting to become a fiancee, but he isn't quite comfortable in his own skin or even with his own family.  His younger brother, Trick, has just publically come out as gay, not that anyone ever considered he might not be.  Their parents are accepting of their youngest son's sexuality, but seem a whole lot less supportive when Jake announces his own bisexuality.  This book charts Jake's progress from heterosexual coupledom into uncharted waters...

The book is funny - not side-splittingly so, but certainly warm and witty.  However, its strength lies in its characterisation.  Jake is troubled and flawed and capable of some bad decisions, and his family and friends are so real.  This is a book that swerves stereotypes wherever possible - Jake's girlfriend is fabulous even when she is hurting when she could easily have been made into a woman scorned and I loved her.  Similarly, Jake's family are brash and loud, but also extremely subtly drawn and tender when it matters.

I enjoyed this book - it's a lively and engaging read that doesn't preach or stereotype.  Instead, we get a full range of well-observed and realistic characters who are just trying to navigate their own situations.  A lovely book and one I whole-heartedly recommend.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Photo by Shopify Partners from Burst

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‘The Revolt’ by Clara Dupont-Monod

Happy publication day to this fabulous book!

This looks like a gorgeous book, but I wouldn't usually have chosen it if it hadn't been for recommendations from people on Twitter.  It's not my usual period for historical fiction and is actually set in an era that I knew very little about - Eleanor of Aquitaine's revolt against her husband and King of England, Henry Plantagenet (Henry II).  The novel is beautifully translated from the original French by Ruth Diver.

The narrative covers the period of Eleanor's marriage to Henry II (after her first, to Louis VII of France, was annulled), the birth of their children and the revolt that Eleanor - supported by some of her sons - leads against Henry.  The story then follows Eleanor's favourite of the sons, Richard I (the Lionheart), as he embarks on crusades in the Holy Lands. 

What makes this book compelling is the fact that the narrative is delivered through monologues from the key characters; Eleanor and Richard lead the storytelling, but there are also chapters where we hear from the vanquished king Henry and others, including a poignant input from Alys, Richard's rejected fiancee.  These imagined voices make the story vibrant and modern - this reads as real people exploring some pretty incredible events and emotions.  The language is also striking in its beauty with some really vivid and striking imagery and snippets of songs recalled by the characters.

The character of Eleanor is a big draw for the novel.  She is presented through her son's eyes as being absolutely formidable and majestic, something supported by the historical fact that she was Queen Consort to two kings and ruled Aquitaine in her own right.  She is put in the impossible situation of a woman in that time period and patriarchal society, yet manages to find her own ways to gain power through her own determination and through her sons;  however, we do also see her human frailty as in the scene when she is caught in the storm on board a ship, pregnant and afraid.  The relationship between Eleanor and Richard is also explored in detail and seems a little claustrophobic and intense at times.

This is a highly engaging and fascinating book and I think can be enjoyed regardless of how much knowledge you already have of the time period.  The voices are lively and feel authentic, linking us to these extraordinary events in history and an amazing woman at the centre of the French and English monarchy.  The writing/translation is beautiful and this book is a short but sweet treat.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Links are provided below to purchase this title from Amazon UK in hardback and on Kindle. The Quick and the Read may earn commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you.

‘The Miseducation of Evie Epworth’ by Matson Taylor

One of my most recent reviews on NetGalley is this one for a book I really loved wholeheartedly. As this was released yesterday (14th July, 2020), it seemed an appropriate first review for this site.

This book was an absolute delight! I thought it would be a humorous ‘chick-lit’ type book (although I hate that term), but instead I got a charming coming-of-age story that made me laugh and love the main character.

Evie Epworth has been compared in other reviews to the great Adrian Mole as a brilliant, naive, fictional teenage narrator and I can definitely see the similarities. However, Evie has a voice and quirks that are all her own!

Sixteen-year-old Evie lives on a farm in Yorkshire with her father and Christine, a gold-digging ‘scarlet woman’ who is making changes to Evie’s (dead) mother’s farmhouse that Evie is really not happy with. The plot follows Evie’s attempts to rid herself of Christine and also to find her own way in a world full of choices.

As mentioned already, Evie is a lovely narrator and this gives the book warmth and depth. However, the joy of the book for me was in the comic characters – the plot is hardly complex, but Evie’s 1960s Yorkshire village is brought to life by the people. Christine is gloriously awful, a vision in garish pink, while other villagers are hilarious – I have a particularly soft spot for Mrs Swithenbank and her digestive issues! The humour is somewhat broken up by the poignancy of Evie’s mum’s story being included in the story as interludes to Evie’s narrative, but this also adds depth to the novel and another reason why the terrible Christine needs to go.

I really loved this book – it made me laugh and root for Evie as she navigates her tricky teenage landscape. This is a charming novel and one that is both genuinely funny and a comforting read in turbulent times.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.