There are already three of us in this marriage. I'm not sure there is room for a fourth . . .
Ann is a reluctant Vicar's wife. She tries her best but her husband only has eyes for God, her son is asking questions she struggles to answer, and it is all too easy to displease the congregation. It may only be a matter of time before she makes the headlines of the local gazette: Vicar's wife gets giggles in church. Vicar's wife refuses to bake scones. Vicar's wife does not care about other people.
When her brother needs her help, Ann travels from Cornwall up to London. There she meets Jamie, and a new world unexpectedly opens up. Ann knows what the older women of the parish would say - she's made her bed and now she has to lie in it. But once she has been led into temptation, it may prove impossible to resist . . .
The funny and heartbreaking new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink, Ordinary Time is an unforgettable story of the joys and sorrows of everyday life; one that asks big questions about friendship and marriage, forgiveness and redemption, and the real meaning of love.
Ordinary Time by Cathy Rentzenbrink was published on 11 July 2024 by Phoenix. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.
I have read all of this authors books, both her fiction and non-fiction. She's an author that I greatly admire, her passion for books, and her incredible insight into the often mundane lives of character are astonishing.
Ordinary Time is Ann's story. Ann's husband Tim is a vicar, they have a young son Sam and have lived in various parishes over the years. They've just moved to a rural parish in Cornwall. It's a tight-knit community where the church is at the heart of all business. The previous vicar was elderly and unmarried, his house is old and almost derelict in places. There's a bunch of locals who made it their life to ensure that he wanted for nothing.
Ann is struggling. She's never really believed in God, her marriage is not what she hoped for. Tim's whole life is centred around doing God's work, assisting others, being the rock of the community, but Ann and Sam have always come second. Tim is not an affectionate man, he is blunt and often appears not to notice his wife or child, except to tick them off when they do something that doesn't really fit nicely into the 'family of a vicar' box.
Ann meets Jamie when she goes on a mercy mission to help her brother Stephen who is having problems with life in general. Jamie notices her, she sees her as a woman, he is kind, he appears interested in what she has to say. He acknowledges her intelligence. Ann's inner world turns inside out, desperate to spend more time in the company of someone who doesn't just see the vicar's wife.
This is a wonderfully quiet book, it is often so funny, and always so astute and well observed. Rentzenbrink's ability to look deeper than the surface is tender, and generous and will speak volumes to a lot of women who are experiencing those 'what now' moments that creep up and take a firm hold sometimes.
At its heart, this is a novel about love, in all of its many forms. Ann and her brother have a tragic back story that has impacted so much on their entire lives. This is one of the reasons that Ann decided to marry Tim in the first place, to put aside her true character, to try to create a new world for herself.
Tim is a cold man, a man of God, yet not a man of family. Well respected, almost adored by some of his parishioners, he is unaware of the needs of his own family. It is not until the end of the book that the reader learns more about him, about why he has led this life, and how he bears his own scars from the past.
Populated with characters to love, including the awesome duo of Barbara and Doreen, two elderly women whose verbal battles are a joy to read. Ann's brother Stephen and his wife Sarah are beautifully created too and we cannot forget young Sam, the youngster with the wise head on his shoulders.
Compassionate, subtle and honest. Ordinary Time is a wonderful read. Highly recommended.
acclaimed works of non-fiction including the Sunday Times bestseller The Last Act of Love.
She grew up in Yorkshire, spent many years in London and now lives in Cornwall.
www.cathyreadsbooks.com
X @CatRentzenbrink
Instagram @catrentzenbrink
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