A Hidden Life - Adele Geras

Lovely day yesterday with my daughter, pub lunch, tea with my mother, cinema in the evening and then both of us having a read before bed.  So back to A Hidden Life which I was hoping to finish before sleep overcame me.  Lost the battle to prop my eyelids open but as soon as I awoke this morning I got up, leaving sleeping daughter still snoring, made my first cup of tea of the day and read the last 35 pages curled up on the sofa in my nightie and dressing gown, teeth uncleaned and hair standing on end as I was in such a hurry to find out what happened.  Managed to do so before yawning daughter appeared, otherwise she would have received a less than cordial good morning from her mother....

When Constance Barrington dies, her family gather round to hear her last will and testament which, unknown to them, she has changed just before she died.  Constance had a jealous and spiteful nature and her will reflects her favouritism and her desire to settle old scores.  The provisions are unfair and the one to suffer most is Lou, who had been exceptionally close to her late grandfather, a closeness which Constance resented and in the will, Lou finds she has just been left the copyright for her late grandfather's novels, none of which had been particularly successful when originally published and which are now regarded as worthless.

Matt and Phyl, Lou's parents are outraged at this insult from beyond the grave and look to Justin and Nessa, Matt's children by his first wife Ellie, who have benefited from Constance's bequest, to make reparation to Lou but neither of them are willing to do so, even though Lou is a single mother recently escaped from an abusive relationship and in need of financial help. 

Her grandfather used read excerpts from his books out loud to her when Lou was a child.  Bright Moon told the story of Peter, who spent his childhood in a Japanese war camp in North Borneo.  As Lou re-reads this book as an adult, she begins to realise that the story is based on fact, a letter concealed by Constance years earlier, comes to light and Lou discovers that there are family secrets to be uncovered. She and her father, Matt,  take a trip to Paris to hear the true story of her grandfather's mother who died in the camp, and to meet a long lost relative, who nobody knew existed.

As with the other Adele Geras books which I have read in the last few weeks, A Hidden Life is an addictive read which, once started, is difficult to put down.  Family relationships are once again protrayed realistically, Phyl is jealous of Ellie, Matt's first wife who she suspects of trying to get Matt back again; though she has tried to be a good stepmother to Nessa and Justin, she knows that she loves Lou more than they; Nessa and Justin are dismissive of her as is Ellie, and Constance, whose baleful influence permeates the story, was manipulative and selfish.  As each individual member of the Barrington family is influenced by events and family discoveries, alliances and friendships shift and alter as strengths and weaknesses are revealed and it is these changes that make the story so absorbing.

Though A Hidden Life is the story of all the members of the Barrington family, it is Lou who is the character who will interest the reader most, with her struggles as a single parent, her feelings of inadequacy as a mother, and her ambition to write a screenplay better than those she has to read daily as part of her job for a film producer.  The reader will immediately guess that she will be inspired by her grandfather's book Blind Moon and so she is, and we are willing her on to succeed and to find happiness in her personal life as well.

Loved every minute of it.  My mother is an avid reader and I keep her supplied with books, so when I go over later on this week, I am going to take one or two of Adele's with me as I am pretty sure she will thoroughly enjoy them.

Highly recommended.

Comments

[Harriet]

Nice review -- I've read enjoyed and blogged about this myself and endorse everything you say. I hope your mother will enjoy Adele's books -- I feel sure she will.

[adele geras]

I am just back from Edinburgh and delightful visit to the Cornflower family house....so pleased you liked this, Elaine! Thanks!