Gracie by Marie Maxwell : Review and Q&A with the author

I've been a fan of Bernardine Kennedy's novels for many years, and am now most certainly a fan of her alter-ego Marie Maxwell.
Ruby was the first in a planned series of four novels and I enjoyed it immensely, it was published in the summer of 2012 and you can read my review of it here.

The second in the series; Gracie was published by Avon (HarperCollins) in mid April 2013 and I've been looking forward to catching up with the characters for a long time.   Although this book is part of the series, the author provides enough background information throughout the story which makes it a great stand alone story too.

Gracie is Ruby's best friend and although she featured heavily in the first novel, this is her story.  Gracie and Ruby are back home, living and working in the Southend hotel that Ruby recently inherited.  Gracie still has the scars on her heart from the hard times that she lived through when she was younger, but is excited and happy to accept a marriage proposal from long-term boyfriend Sean Donnelly.  Sean works hard and loves Gracie.  This is her chance to settle down and have a family, to love and be loved, probably for the first time in her life.
Gracie's big mistake is to keep secret from Sean the most important thing that has happened to her, the one thing that has shaped her life, and the thing that hurts her so much.  Despite this, the couple begin married life with big dreams and high hopes for the future, until Sean begins to show a side that Gracie does not like.

I loved Ruby; Marie Maxwell's first novel, but I adored Gracie.    As with Ruby, this is a compelling story that does not shy away from some really sensitive, yet very important issues.   It is clear that the author has drawn on her experiences and knowledge when writing this story as it is so real and believable.  The lead characters are, on the whole, strong women who have suffered hardships yet are still fun-loving and hopeful.

The period setting is wonderful, the descriptions of 1950s Southend are rich and evocative and the plot is fast-paced and packed with interesting and well-rounded characters - some you will love and others you will loathe and detest.

Both Ruby and Gracie have been a joy to read, I'm now eagerly awaiting the next in the series which I believe will feature Maggie and will be set in the 1960s.

It is an honour and a pleasure to welcome Marie Maxwell (aka Bernardine Kennedy) to Random Things - I asked her a few questions about books and writing.

      What are you reading at the moment?

Perfect People by Peter James (Kindle) and Dearest Rose by Rowan Coleman (paperback).  I like a cross-section of genres.... my bookshelves and Kindle reflect this, they will also reflect that I’m not too adventurous or literary. I want to read for entertainment so I’m in heaven with a good old Jackie Collins, James Patterson or similar. 

   

Do you read reviews of your novels?      Do you take them seriously?

Yes I do. Avidly! Sometimes I wish I could stop clicking but I can’t and I do take them seriously although if they’re particularly vicious (and there are always one or two) then I have to tell myself it doesn’t matter. But the majority are good and constructive and I do take notice of the feedback, I need it, writing can be very insular so knowing what readers expect is very important.

How long does it take to write a novel?

I write one a year but that year consists of research and plotting as well as the actual putting of the words onto the paper. And there’s usually that cross-over time when the previous book needs promoting and the new one is creeping towards deadline. A lot of juggling goes on constantly.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Only that I have to have the bits and pieces of everyday life in order before I can sit down and set to it, even if it’s only writing a list! Actually it often is just writing the list, that's enough to satisfy me... 

What was your favourite childhood book?

Probably Enid Blyton’s Island of Adventure. (and the rest of the series) Oh how I wanted to be part of that world. I was quite a solitary child and loved the idea of going off with other children and having adventures. 

Name one book that made you laugh?

I’m ashamed to say I don’t really read humorous books although I do sometimes laugh at biographies. Thinking about it I did laugh most at ‘Stone Me, the Wit and Wisdom of Keith Richards’. He has a way with spontaneous words both good and bad!

Name one book that made you cry?

I read ‘Home for Christmas’ by Annie Groves (Penny Jordan) just after she had died. She was a friend and I sobbed through that one. A fabulous and most prolific author.

Which fictional character would you like to meet?

The mother in ‘We Need to talk about Kevin’. Just to find out what she was really like. I simply couldn’t fathom her out and I’m still not sure if I feel sorry for her or if I blame her. Now I've said it I think I may go back and read it again. Something I don’t often do.

Which book would you give to your best friend as a present?

One of mine? No, not really. Maybe ‘Gone Girl’ the current top seller. I read it when I was on holiday recently, I wasn’t sure about it but I had to finish it to find out the end. I’d love to know what others think of it. It seems to have appeared from nowhere and flown!  

Are you inspired by any particular author or book?

Jackie Collins and ‘Hollywood Wives’. I not only wanted to write like her, I wanted to be her! I was so envious of it all! Note I said envious, not jealous. It was very fleeting but i still admire her tremendously. 

What is your guilty pleasure read?

I don’t feel guilty about any books I read now. Someone laughed on the train a while ago, a stranger no less, when I was reading Jeffrey Archer and suggested I put a brown cover on it. But I like his books, always have. Another good storyteller IMO. I don’t care about his private life!

Who are your favourite authors?

At the moment I’d say Jodi Picoult and Kathy Reichs but it could all change next month. I’ve gone through so many phases over the years. The one’s who have stayed all through are Jackie Collins and Jilly Cooper.

What book have you re-read?

I’m currently re-reading Tanamera by Barber which I still love (a novel set in Singapore in the forties) but I recently read Valley of the Dolls and now wish I hadn’t. I loved it so much at the time but sadly it hasn’t worn well.

What book have you given up on?

War and Peace? Not that I’ve tried it recently! I tried to read many many years ago because I thought I ought to so that was probably the wrong way to approach it.

Thank you so much, Bernardine, for answering my questions Good Luck with Gracie!

For more information about Bernardine, her books and Marie Maxwell, take a look at her website here

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer

Published on 23 May 2013 by Harper Collins, The Shock Of The Fall is Nathan Filer's debut novel.

It is a story of grief and pain, and of how different people deal with them.  It is a story of a family destroyed by the loss of two sons - one who is dead, the other who is trapped in the ever-changing world that is mental illness.  It is a story about love and hope, about forgiveness and about understanding.  It is a story that is not true, but is very real.  It is a story that pulls the reader in from the first few startling sentences and does not let go until the very last word.

Matthew is the remaining son, his brother Simon was killed in an accident ten years ago when the family were on a caravan holiday.  Matthew has suffered every single day since that accident.  His relationship with his Mother and Father broke down as he descended into a life of drug-taking and mental illness.  Matthew has always blamed himself for the accident and the fact that he sees and hears Simon everywhere and everyday only makes him feel worse.  Why doesn't anyone else believe that Simon wants Matt to come and play?

Nathan Filer's writing is accomplished, mature, realistic and shockingly accurate.  Matthew is flawed, he's ill, he's vulnerable and he is honest.  The descriptions of his experiences in a psychiatric ward are harrowing at times, the other patients, the staff, the environment, the boredom.  Sleep, eat, smoke, watch TV - and again, sleep, eat, smoke.

Matthew has flashes of self-perception, he knows that he is ill, he can work the drugs system, he knows that he must have his depot injection, and he knows what effect that has on him.  Matthew is capable of love.  His wonderful grandmother, otherwise known as Nanny Noo, is the only person who really 'gets' Matt, the only one who allows him to be himself, never giving up on him, never judging him and always loving him.  Their relationship will bring a lump to the throat, it is just beautiful.

Nathan Filer - photo from nathanfiler.co.uk

Nathan Filer is a registered mental health nurse and it is clear that he has drawn upon his experiences when writing this novel.  This is the real and true picture of mental health and its effects.  I spent 8 years working in a high secure forensic psychiatric hospital myself, I worked on a male admission ward so can honestly say that  The Shock of the Fall completely nails it.  Despite what other literature, films and TV shows may try to portray, there really is nothing pretty or glam about a ward full of very ill people.  This is brave writing, honest writing and pretty astounding writing.   I am full of admiration for Filer and look forward to reading more of his work in the future.

Ants - from www.nathanfiler.co.uk

Nathan Filer has a brilliant website; www.nathanfiler.co.uk.  You can also follow him on Twitter here

With thanks to Harper Collins publishers for providing copies for the Random Things Reading Group to review, you can read more of the group's reviews at www.readinggroups.org

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

The Last Runaway is Tracy Chevalier's seventh novel and is the first time that she has set one of her historical stories in the USA.    Although the heroine of the story; Honor Bright is most certainly English, the story takes place in Oberlin, Ohio.    It is 1850 and Honor and her sister Grace have emigrated to Ohio in the hope of making a new life.  Honor was heartbroken when her intended husband found an new love, and Grace is due to marry her fiance Adam Cox who has already started to make a new and successful life in America.  Honor and Grace are Quakers, and have been brought up in a modest community in Dorset.

Sadly, Honor arrives in Ohio alone as Grace dies from the Fever during the journey.  Relying on the goodwill of strangers, Honor makes her way to the small settlement of Oberlin to join Adam Cox and his recently bereaved sister-in-law Abigail.  It becomes clear to Honor that she is not truly welcomed by Abigail, and that Adam Cox finds the situation both awkward and difficult to deal with.   Honor marries a local man, Jack Haymaker and goes to live with him and his family.

Tracy Chevalier

Honor finds a true friend in milliner Belle, although her slave-catcher brother Donovan is not such an ally and displays a unhealthy amount of interest in this quiet and modest Quaker girl.   Through her friendship with Belle, Honor soon finds herself involved with the Underground Railroad - a network of people who were sympathetic to runaway slaves who were trying to find freedom in North America or Canada..  The Fugitive Slave Act had been passed and it was illegal to assist a runaway slave, there were heavy penalties to be paid if caught.   Quakers were anti-slavery and wanted to assist the runaways, but their moral dilemma was that to do so would be to break the laws of the land.   The Haymaker family forbid Honor to assist the runaways, and this is the start of the breakdown in their relationship.  Throughout these times, Honor finds some comfort in her quilt-making, she is a fine seamstress and putting together these small pieces of material bring her some peace and make memories for her.

Tracy Chevalier has captured the sense of 1850s Ohio so well, her descriptions of both the place and people really do jump from the page, from the intense heat, to the bitterly cold winters.  The food, the fashions and the small settlements are wonderfully drawn.

This is not a fast-moving story by any means, it is gently drawn out and each character is formed steadily.  Honor, although the lead character, is not the most interesting, she can sometimes appear holier-than-thou and often is portrayed as appearing superior to those around her.  Belle, the milliner, on the other hand is a strong, feisty character, a woman who is colourful and interesting with firm principles and morals.   Belle's slave-catcher brother Donovan is something of an enigma - on the one hand he is a cruel man, and every now and again, he shows a little vulnerability.

This is a powerful novel that is full of detail about the early days of America, about how things were changing and how ordinary people tried to change things for the good.  It is an interesting look at the way of life for Quakers as settlers in a new land.

Tracy Chevalier has a ease to her writing that captures the reader's imagination so well.  I have no doubt that existing fans of her novels will enjoy this story.

The Last Runaway is published in the UK on 14 March 2013 by Harper Collins.

For more information on this story and the background, and Tracy Chevalier's other books, check out her website here.   Her Facebook page can be found here, and her Twitter account here