sentimental journey

This is the story of one hot summer afternoon and evening for a young teenage girl, her interaction with the people around her, and the events prior to and after the event. It also ties in the experiences of the people around her.

I purchased this book for my 89 year old grandmother, as the book is set in the 1930's - a time when my grandmother's life was at its most interesting - and also that it was set in the United Kingdom - to where my grandmother (though Australian) has many personal links to.

My sister in law said that the book was very strange, implying that I had made a bad choice. When my grandmother gave me the book to read, she said she had enjoyed it. I approached it timidly as I was worried about my sister in law's comments, and wondered if my grandmother's comment was tongue in cheek or ironic. Also, I had not read a novel for a long time.

My fears were unfounded, and I quickly fell under the storyteller's spell. There were several moments in the story which made me laugh out loud, although the overall tone is gloomy. I was surprised by those funny moments. The sad and poignant moments touched me deeply, and at the end I closed the cover and the tears poured down my cheeks.

There were several themes which struck me personally. There is the atonement theme of course. For example, the theme of the writer developing her skill as a writer. How I wished that I could write well. Alongside that is the thought that to become good at anything, you must persevere through long learning stages. Another theme is the problems that families face - problems that sometimes can not be overcome either due to circumstances or personal weakness. Each reader will collect their own themes from this novel I feel.