Reviews

I had the pleasure of seeing the author discuss her novel recently during the Manchester Literature Festival and she was an engaging author who brought even more life to a novel I had enjoyed thoroughly thus raising this book to a five star read. Interestingly her discussion was with andrew michael hurley "The Loney" ( review to follow) and both had similar themes both being set on the Nortj Lancashire coast.
The opening chapter of Fell introduces us to Netty and Jack, ghosts who see their adult daughter revisiting their run down home in Grange over Sands. this first cha[ter is poetic in its descriptions and creates the feeling of something other wordly in the story. Annette , the daughter, is struggling with her memories of the house and cannot manage a property falling apart as she sleeps in her sleeping bag. A large Sycamore street is undermining the house and her battle with it brings her to breaking point.
The book then has two time frames. We meet Jack and Netty who let the house out with lodgers in 1963. The writer wonderfully captures time and place with excellent writing as Jack comes across Timothy Richardson a young man in the local lido. In an important scene we see what appears to be Timothy performing a form of healing on Jack and Timothy swiftly moves into the family as we see Netty's phtsical health deteriorate. As this story continues we carry on with the up to date story of annette as she is adopted by the local tree surgeon and her wife and son.
I loved the story and the different elements in the book. Spirituality is important as we wonder about Timothy is he con man or troubled missionary. What is going on with Jack, a brilliant scene in a pub half way through revealed to me like a lightbulb moment issues around guilt and questioned Jack's reliability. How does Timothy relate to the members of the family? and how much can be read into the relationships.
At times it reminded me a little of Oranges are not the only fruit and as dysfunctional religion formed a significant part of The Loney I wondered if this is something specific to Lancashire suggesting ideas of folklore, Pendle, and persecution of religion in middle ages. The book was inspired by the myth of Baucus and Philemon and had me googling the story.
An enjoyable read that I want to read again and because of the experience of an entertaining talk by the author I have elevated from 4 to 5 stars.

wendoxford's review against another edition

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3.0

The shifting sands and the setting of Morecambe Bay permeate this book in obvious and very subtle ways. Narration falls to the spirits of the house (Netty & Jack) from where the story evolves. There was a gut instinct to suspend reality (the reality of fiction) when faced with this and yet it is so far from a futuristic, sci-fi or even esoteric novel that I didn't. Great storytelling and I love the sublime writing that credits the reader with their own intelligence to fill in the gaps.

And yet, despite all this and, almost being a Jenn Ashworth groupie, I could not completely love this book. I was hooked to the spirit voices but not by the more concrete based characters. Although they were conjured up brilliantly in actions, looks and temperament, they did not burst out of the shadows for me. On reflection maybe that is the intention, just didn't work for me!
@Jennashworth

charlottesometimes's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

sean67's review against another edition

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2.0

It was just not engaging to me in any way and felt fairly dull right from the outset. I persisted with it but can't say I got a lotto enjoyment out of it. Maybe it just wasn't my style. Uninteresting to say the least.

gillian_barbieri's review against another edition

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4.0

Loved this novel. It was chilling, haunting and heartbreaking. The entire novel revolves around one family's ability to cope with a slowly crumbling life, afflicted with cancer, and how that illness affects the rest of their lives, before and after the inevitable. And the unfounded hope they place in a unlikely savior, which results in them neglecting important aspects of the life they must continue to live.

If you are looking for something fast paced or a traditional ghost story, this is not your book. But if you are looking for a deeply moving reflection on loss, I highly recommend.

libraryofescape's review

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4.0

I was hooked from the first page. Simultaneously a very simple and yet epically tragic tale. It managed to spill the guts of a simple life all over the well-trimmed lawn (metaphorically).
Uncanny. Haunting. Nostalgic. Chilling. Warm. Human.

Made a great addition to my collection of tree-centred fiction!

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