Hello there, and welcome to this week’s book review! Today’s review is of a book written by one of my favourite authors, Claire Fuller (whose book, Bitter Orange, was the first review of this blog (which you can find here)).
Having already read Bitter Orange and Our Endless Numbered Days, I had been wanting to read Swimming Lessons for a while but had never got round to it. So, the book launch for her fourth novel, Unsettled Ground, was the perfect prompt (I did attend the book launch for Unsettled Ground – it was a lot of fun and I look forward to reading and reviewing it soon).
So, let’s get to it.
About the book
Ingrid’s disappearance has had a large impact on the lives of her husband, Gil, and their two daughters, Flora and Nan. It comes as a surprise, therefore, when Gil looks out the window to see her standing in the street, staring up at him in the pouring rain. He calls out to her, but she does not respond. Instead, she turns away and walks down the street.
Gil runs out of the shop to follow her, but she is nowhere to be seen. He does not give up. He runs down the street, turning the corner in the hope that he catches up with her until he reaches the pier. One second she’s there, the next she’s gone. Gil, in his attempt to find her, slips off the edge of the pier, down onto the rocks below.
From here, the questions only grow. Will Gil survive? What did he really see that night? What happened to Ingrid all those years ago?
In answering these questions, the story switches between the present day told from Flora’s perspective, and the past told from Ingrid’s perspective. The latter is found in letters Ingrid wrote to Gil in the years before her disappearance, left in some of the thousands of books scattered across the house. Eventually, both stories reach their endpoint in a dramatic revelation.
I LOVED it!
I was looking forward to reading another Claire Fuller novel… And it did not disappoint. Her descriptive writing is always impeccable, so much so that it seems she could turn something so ordinary into the most interesting thing in the world. She could probably turn a white empty room into a place of wonder.
On top of this, the pacing of the book magnifies the intensity of the book. Each chapter gives us a little bit more, enough to entice our curiosity while not giving anything away. By the end, the suspense will leave you desperate to find out what happened, and the wait is worth it (but no spoilers, of course)!
But what I always admire the most about Claire Fuller’s novels is the meticulousness of the writing. All three of her books, I would happily (and probably will) read multiple times, keeping an eye out for things I didn’t spot the first time. There is something exciting in finding hidden details you hadn’t spotted previously, but I also appreciate how much work and planning has to go into a book to have this level of detail.
You have probably guessed from my review that the books are very, very good and I would highly recommend (and this book is no exception)!
Outro
I hope you enjoyed this review. I went for a bit of a different approach this time. Usually, I would spend a lot of time planning what I am going to say and how I’m going to say it and then going over the plan to make sure that I haven’t missed any key points. This time, I went for a brain-dump technique of putting down whatever came to mind. Admittedly, while writing in this way was much quicker, it felt odd not to plan it out and I probably won’t do it again. But, I would be interested to hear (well, read…) your thoughts!
But for now, it is time for coffee and another book 🙂
TBT
Theodore's Bookish Thoughts (TBT) 