I came to this book with no expectations - I had somehow managed to avoid the hype around the author, though now I've read it everyone seems to know about it. Anyway it's a beautifully crafted short story, made into a small book with big font and lots of white space, about a young girl in rural Ireland, who is fostered out by her parents (informally, it seems) while the mother has a new baby. The main point seems to be how much she loves, and is cherished by, the foster parents. It's very simply written, but sensual and beautiful.
It put me in mind of my dad, who was evacuated to Biggleswade during the Second World War, and seems to have had a wonderful time. He remembered that the family to which he had been allocated bought him a bicycle for his birthday, and he never shared any memories of any such memories of his own family. Of course Dad never kept up with them after the war, though I think he may once have made a trip to Biggleswade.
No comments:
Post a Comment