As teenagers, Helen, Annie and Laura were inseparable, bonding over family, boys, and their dreams for the future. But when school ended, so did their friendship.
Twenty-five years later, a snowstorm forces the three women to spend time together, leaving them wondering if they can reconcile the gap between who they are and who they used to be.
GREENER is an exploration of the changing dynamics of adult friendships and asks whether old friends can ever let us become new people.
.png)
Greener by Gráinne Murphy was published on 18 April 2024 by Legend Press. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.
I have become such a fan of this author, I read and reviewed Where The Edge Is in 2020, and Winter People in 2022. Those were two very special books and Greener is another one. The writing is sublime, the characters are carefully and beautifully crafted and the sense of place is just magnificent. Reading Greener is like dropping in on old friends, even though you've never met them before.
Greener is the literary equivalent of visiting a fine portrait gallery. The author has created vibrant, realistic and utterly believable character, and as she reveals a little more about them, be it their background, or their innermost thoughts, it's like looking at a painting and discovering those little extras that you didn't spot when you first looked.
The story is set during the pandemic, but it is not about the pandemic. The restrictions on travelling have prevented Helen from travelling home to Ireland to visit her father who has suffered a stroke. However, she's arrived now and although she's very grateful that her old friend Annie has taken such care of her father in her absence, she struggles to come to terms with their relationship. Annie moved in during the pandemic, to make things easier for them both and Helen now feels as though this house, where she grew up is no longer really her home.
Helen, Annie and Laura were childhood friends. So very close back in the day, sharing new experiences and secrets. Each of them had their own difficulties. Helen, the daughter of a famous soap opera star and a delicate mother often felt surplus, although she wanted for nothing materially, she would have liked more attention. Annie and Laura were both brought up by single mothers, but this seemed to be the only real thing that they had in common. Like most of us, they grew up, got on with their lives and lost touch. Now as bad weather sets in and they find themselves having to spend time together, they rediscover each other, carefully and with trepidation. All of them quite anxious, not sure of where they stand.
This is a character led story that examines relationships between parent and daughter and also the complexities of female friendships. There's no doubt that women make more of relationships than men, that they have longer memories, that they often have distorted views of things done and words uttered, often many years ago. Murphy has such skill in unpicking these relationships, she can convey to the reader the tiniest nuance, the most explosive memories, and it is utterly beautiful and compelling. There are poignant, heart breaking moments, there are discoveries that make the reader understand why the adult woman is who she is today. There are regrets and there is love.
Another captivating novel from this hugely talented writer. I love it and highly recommend it.
.png)
language editor specialising in human rights and environmental issues.
X @GraMurphy
Instagram @gramurphywriter
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment