Charity Norman
Teoksen After the Fall tekijä
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Charity Norman was born in Uganda and brought up in successive draughty vicarages in Yorkshire and Birmingham. After several years' travel she became a barrister, specialising in crime and family law in the northeast of England. Also a mediator, she is passionate about the power of communication to näytä lisää slice through the knots. In 2002, she took a break from the law and moved with her family to New Zealand. Her first novel, Freeing Grace, was published in 2010 and her second, Second Chances, in 2012 (published in the UK as After the Fall). The Son-in-Law, her third novel, was published in 2013. Her title The Secret Life of Luke Livingstone made the New Zealand Best Seller List in 2015. näytä vähemmän
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This book drew me right in from the first page and kept me reading into the wee hours.
The author introduces a disparate group of people. They all are early morning customers to the Tuckbox Cafe in busy London. They find themselves hostages and witnesses to the violent death of the cafe owner, Robert. He had always seemed a genial fellow although none knew him well. The gun wielding, Sam, appears highly distressed. crying "where is she? what have you done with her?". Who and what he is referring to is gradually revealed. The hostages form a tight bond with Sam as we learn each of their stories throughout the taut stand off. They along with the police negotiator, give thei all to try and bring a peaceful resolution. this proved a very sad story but gripping.… (lisätietoja)
The author introduces a disparate group of people. They all are early morning customers to the Tuckbox Cafe in busy London. They find themselves hostages and witnesses to the violent death of the cafe owner, Robert. He had always seemed a genial fellow although none knew him well. The gun wielding, Sam, appears highly distressed. crying "where is she? what have you done with her?". Who and what he is referring to is gradually revealed. The hostages form a tight bond with Sam as we learn each of their stories throughout the taut stand off. They along with the police negotiator, give thei all to try and bring a peaceful resolution. this proved a very sad story but gripping.… (lisätietoja)
Charity Norman blends family drama with mystery in her compelling novel, Remember Me.
When a phone call from a neighbour informs Emily Kirkland that her ageing father is in need of help, she reluctantly leaves her life in London and returns to her hometown, Tawanui on New Zealand’s North Island. Diagnosed with Alzheimers more than year earlier, Dr Felix Kirkland is no longer able to hide his deteriorating condition and Emily plans to stay just a few weeks to arrange for his ongoing care.
Emily’s return coincides with the upcoming 25th anniversary of the disappearance of her neighbour and friend, Dr. Leah Parata. Leah, an environmental scientist, headed into the Ruahine ranges on the edge of town for a two night hike when she was 26 years old and vanished, with no trace of her ever been found.
A committed physician and reserved man, too busy with his patients to have ever paid much attention to his children, Emily and Felix have never been close. She expects to swiftly move Felix into a local nursing home, as her elder twin siblings suggest, and begins the job of sorting out the house. The task, and Felix’s increasing candour as a result of his dementia, promotes a new intimacy between father and daughter, but when Emily finds a beanie in the bottom of a cupboard, which looks just like the one Leah was wearing when Emily last saw her on the day she disappeared, she’s suddenly afraid of what Felix may reveal.
I really liked the plot of Remember Me, and the way in which Norman skilfully weaved her two story threads together.
Norman thoughtfully explores the dynamic between father and daughter, and the changes wrought by Felix’s illness. His dementia-induced disinhibition reveals vulnerabilities that tempers some of Emily’s childhood resentments about their relationship, and there is a real sense of poignancy as Emily simultaneously finds, and loses, their connection as he declines.
When public interest in the mystery of Leah’s disappearance is renewed, Emily is at first puzzled and then anxious about her father’s reaction. I was caught up in the suspense as Emily, discovering evidence that suggests her dad could have been involved, is torn between her loyalty to her father, and to Leah’s family, who are still hoping for answers. I thought the bittersweet resolution worked well, and found it quite moving.
Norman’s writing is engaging and thoughtful, and though the pace of the novel is measured, Remember Me is an absorbing read.… (lisätietoja)
When a phone call from a neighbour informs Emily Kirkland that her ageing father is in need of help, she reluctantly leaves her life in London and returns to her hometown, Tawanui on New Zealand’s North Island. Diagnosed with Alzheimers more than year earlier, Dr Felix Kirkland is no longer able to hide his deteriorating condition and Emily plans to stay just a few weeks to arrange for his ongoing care.
Emily’s return coincides with the upcoming 25th anniversary of the disappearance of her neighbour and friend, Dr. Leah Parata. Leah, an environmental scientist, headed into the Ruahine ranges on the edge of town for a two night hike when she was 26 years old and vanished, with no trace of her ever been found.
A committed physician and reserved man, too busy with his patients to have ever paid much attention to his children, Emily and Felix have never been close. She expects to swiftly move Felix into a local nursing home, as her elder twin siblings suggest, and begins the job of sorting out the house. The task, and Felix’s increasing candour as a result of his dementia, promotes a new intimacy between father and daughter, but when Emily finds a beanie in the bottom of a cupboard, which looks just like the one Leah was wearing when Emily last saw her on the day she disappeared, she’s suddenly afraid of what Felix may reveal.
I really liked the plot of Remember Me, and the way in which Norman skilfully weaved her two story threads together.
Norman thoughtfully explores the dynamic between father and daughter, and the changes wrought by Felix’s illness. His dementia-induced disinhibition reveals vulnerabilities that tempers some of Emily’s childhood resentments about their relationship, and there is a real sense of poignancy as Emily simultaneously finds, and loses, their connection as he declines.
When public interest in the mystery of Leah’s disappearance is renewed, Emily is at first puzzled and then anxious about her father’s reaction. I was caught up in the suspense as Emily, discovering evidence that suggests her dad could have been involved, is torn between her loyalty to her father, and to Leah’s family, who are still hoping for answers. I thought the bittersweet resolution worked well, and found it quite moving.
Norman’s writing is engaging and thoughtful, and though the pace of the novel is measured, Remember Me is an absorbing read.… (lisätietoja)
I really enjoyed this novel. The author creates a strong sense of place with her depiction of a small rural community and very credible characters.
The Parata family have farmed a section of Dr Kirkland's property for many years. They have supported each other through the death and disappearance of loved ones. So when Emily Kirkland returns to look after her father Felix who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, she is welcomed with affection by the remaining Parata family.
The Parata family have farmed a section of Dr Kirkland's property for many years. They have supported each other through the death and disappearance of loved ones. So when Emily Kirkland returns to look after her father Felix who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, she is welcomed with affection by the remaining Parata family.
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Full Review at: Newtown Review of Books