I seem to have a lot of Transita books by my side at the moment sent to me by nice, kind authors to read and review which is a lovely surprise as nobody has ever asked me to review anything before. Fancy being given a book, brand new and shiny cover, untouched pages and mine all mine. Bliss.
On Sunday I had a lot to do. I had some trousers to let down (perennial problem with me finding legs long enough), ironing, housework (yes I do some every now and then) and cooking. Well, I managed to cook my supper but everything else went out of the window as I was totally absorbed in The Crowded Bed by Mary Cavanagh which has just been published by the aforementioned Transita. I read it straight through only stopping for the odd necessary visit and to grab a cup of tea.
Unusually, the story is narrated by a man, Joe Fortune, a Jewish doctor, who has been married to his adored wife Anna, for twenty years. He loathes his father in law who is cruel, sadistic, and wildly anti-semitic and finally, after years of simmering hatred, Joe decides to kill him. This is stated in the opening sentence of the book which certainly grabs the reader's attention.
The book ranges from the present to the past and back again, and we gradually learn just what has happened to bring Joe to the point where he is considering committing murder. He had had a loving but stifling childhood, brought up by 'the quartet' his parents and grandparents who smothered him with affection and care. He eventually escapes to University where he leads a lonely life studying medicine and where he meets Urshie, the good Jewish girl his parents always wanted him to bring home. Though he has fought against his heritage, Joe is a good Jew at heart and feels it right to carry on the family line so he marries Urshie who is pregnant with his child, even though they do not love each other. It is a disastrous marriage and descends to physical fights and abuse. Caught in a cycle of misery, Joe then meets Anna, a nurse working in the the same hospital and for the first time in his life, falls deeply in love.
His love is reciprocated and their affair is passionate, but lies and betrayal separate them and they are not reunited until many years have passed. Joe is aware that Anna has secrets of her own, but has agreed not to ask her anything of her past and to accept that their life together starts now.
The use of the time shifting device and the alternating narratives of Joe and Anna gradually draw the reader in and, as you become privy to their inner thoughts and feelings, you become totally involved with both characters and care about their fate. At one point I was fighting against the temptation to take a quick peek at the final pages to see how it all ended, but managed to resist and glad I did as the ending of this book packs quite a punch. Anna has kept secrets not only from Joe, but from us, the readers and when in the final few pages we learn about her secrets, what she has hidden from Joe and what she will continue to keep hidden, it comes as quite a shock.
Using the phrase 'a darn good read' always seems a somewhat dismissive way to describe a book, and yet it IS a darn good read, in fact, a great read and deserves to sell lots of copies. And if you want to know if Joe did murder his father-in-law and, if he did, whether he got away with it well, you will just have to buy the book and find out.....
You won't be disappointed.
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