I’m starting off the first instalment of May’s fiction with two novels I’ve already read the first of which is Catherine Chidgey’s The Book of Guilt. Largely set 
in an alternate version of 1979, close to reality but unsettlingly different, it follows a set of thirteen-year-old triplets living in a children’s home in the New Forest, part of the Sycamore Project to be wound down under the new government. They’ve been told their parents both died young from heart attacks, obediently accepting their daily medicine, recounting their dreams and attending lessons based on the Book of Knowledge. Brought up in isolation, they’re polite and well behaved, treated with disdain on rare visits to the local town, comments that make no sense to them muttered as they pass. There’s a lot of darkness in Chidgey’s novel which asks questions about nature and nurture, what makes us human, and the ethics of research all wrapped up in a gripping piece of storytelling. Review soon…
Anna Hope’s Albion spans five days as the Brooke family bury the man who has wielded so much influence over their lives. Frannie and her father established the Albion Project a decade ago, rewilding their Sussex estate. Before his death, Philip had promised his son enough land to establish a centre for the psilocybin therapy Milo believed had cured his own addiction. While Frannie and Milo wrangle over the estate’s precarious finances, the daughter of one of Philip’s many lovers has decided to attend his funeral and is about to drop a bombshell. Hope explores class, privilege, climate change and colonialism, deftly weaving her message about the foundation of wealth and where it comes from through an absorbing story. I found the ending a bit too neat and tidy, but it does leave readers with hope. Review shortly…
John Boyne’s novella series has explored the theme of abuse from different perspectives with sensitivity and compassion. In Air, the final instalment, Aaron Umber and his fourteen-year-old son are travelling across the world towards a woman who is unaware of their intended visit. Aaron’s life has been marked by his childhood trauma which has threatened to drive a wedge between himself and his son. He’s determined to be a better father, aware that his trip will either bring them closer or drive them further apart. Very much looking forward to this one. I’ve been impressed with Water, Earth and Fire, the first three in the series.
I’m not so sure about Saba Sams’s Gunk but her short story collection, Send Nudes, was much praised. Jules still works in the eponymous club, owned by her ex-husband and frequented by students with whom he likes to flirt. She becomes enchanted with nineteen-year-old Nim, taken on by Leon to help at the bar, drawn into an intimate, complicated relationship until Nim announces she’s pregnant then disappears a day after giving birth leaving Jules with the baby. ‘Raw, exhilarating, tender and wise, Gunk is an electrifying debut novel exploring love and desire, safety and destruction, chaos and control – and family in all its forms’ say the publishers.
Elaine Feeney’s Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way sees a woman returning to Ireland to care for her dying father after breaking up with her partner. When he turns up, having taken a new job close by, she wonders if he’s there for her or for himself while she contends with difficult family memories which have come back to haunt her. ‘Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way is a story of love and resilience, rich with history and drama, and the legacies of violence and redemption. As the secrets of the past are revealed, Claire must confront whether she can escape her history to make a future for herself – and whether finding yourself means facing yourself too’ according to the publishers. Not entirely sure about this one, either, but I’ve been won over by several of my favourite Irish writers praising it to the skies.
That’s it for May’s first batch of new fiction. As ever, a click on a title will take you to a more detailed synopsis for any that take you fancy. Part two soon…
