Book Reviews: 23 June
OUT NOW
THE LIE OF THE LAND by Amanda Craig (Little, Brown £16.99)
It’s been eight years since Amanda Craig’s last novel, the Bailey’s Prize long-listed Hearts and Minds, and much in Britain has changed since then. Zero-hours contracts, the just- about-managing, the growing gulf between old and young, and the slow separation of London from almost everywhere else – this is the story of how we live now, all subjects that find a place in Craig’s panoramic new novel. But The Lie of the Land is more than just a state-of-the-nation dispatch: it is also a clear-eyed yet unfailingly compassionate examination of a long marriage, specifically that of philandering journalist Quentin Bredin and his long- suffering architect wife Lottie.
Unable to afford a divorce, the couple are forced to let out their London home and begin again in Devon. However, country life turns out to be far from quiet: not only is the ageing rock star Gore Tore a neighbour, but the Bredins’ new abode also turns out to have been the site of a gruesome unsolved crime. Meanwhile, other characters face struggles of their own, both personal and professional. Health visitor Sally is devoted to her job but tormented by her own infertility, while teenage factory worker Dawn seems strangely under the thumb of her fearsome and increasingly sinister mother.
As generous and wise as it is witty and incisive, this novel is the timeliest of page-turners.
Stephanie Cross
FROM SOURCE TO SEA: Notes From a 215-Mile Walk Along the River Thames by Tom Chesshyre (Summersdale, £16.99)There is no river more accessible, engaging and walkable than the Thames, weaving its way from the shadow of an ancient ash in a Cotswold meadow to the Kentish creeks and marshes that mark its transition into the north sea. Along the first 184 of its 215 miles runs a well-signposted national trail: thousands take to this Thames Path every year, walking the river in part or in full.
Among the latest to take up the challenge is travel writer Tom Chesshyre – including various detours, he covered 369 miles in three weeks. The result is this enjoyable travelogue, guiding the reader through the delightful towns and cities strung like pearls along the river, the ‘liquid history’ of the Thames from the Romans to the Profumo Affair, and the beloved works of art and literature inspired by life on its banks, most famously Alice in Wonderland, Three Men in a Boat and The Wind in the Willows.
A focus on Brexit and the more loutish modern-day riverside residents rather detracts from the timeless appeal of the Thames, but Chesshyre makes up for this with vignettes on the river police and the RNLI river rescue teams. A welcome addition to the Thames canon.
Richard Tarrant
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Take your time
ON TIME: Finding Your Pace in a World Addicted to Fast by Catherine Blyth (Harpercollins, £16.99)
‘We have more time than ever: each one of us can expect 1,000 months on this planet if we’re lucky. So why do we feel time-poor?’ asks Catherine Blyth in her insightful meditation on a very contemporary problem. Why does time fly past with your lover and drag at the dentist? Why do people procrastinate? Drawing on the latest psychology and science, with entertaining stories from Leonardo Da Vinci and Aristotle to Anna Wintour, she offers many ideas to help us manage our precious time.
Researching her subject, Blyth discovered that ‘those who best discern time’s worth are generally those who have brushed the crust of mortality.’ She explores how technology has transformed our perception of time and dismantled the familiar rhythms of daily life. She recommends that we become aware that our brains are always playing games with time. There are plenty of useful, simple tips for mastering time management: starting complicated tasks earlier, quarantining distractions and introducing 10-minute buffers into our schedule.
An elegant and thoughtful read that takes us on an enlightening tour – often a personal one – delving into the mysteries of time and how the years don’t necessarily speed up as you get older. It will help you take back control in a manic world.
Rebecca Wallersteiner
COFFEE TABLE BOOK
OCEAN LINERS: Glamour, Speed and Style by Daniel Finamore and Ghislaine Wood (V&A Publishing, £40)The golden age of transatlantic crossings conjures up dreamy visions of opulent staterooms and diamonds at dinner. Despite the odd brush with disaster and the strictures of class segregation, in these days of budget airlines and airport- security humiliations, it’s impossible not to look back with nostalgia. This beautifully illustrated book explores the ocean-liner experience and how it embodied influential 20th- century trends, from art nouveau to modernism.
Beyond the trailblazing feats of engineering and to-die-for interiors, there are marketing posters – many of which have become graphic design icons – and coverage of the clothes required for a crossing: it was a form of travel that was a social destination in itself. JC
PAPERBACKS
FALLING: A Love Story by Jane Green (Pan, £7.99)This heartwarming novel by The Lady’s Stateside-based columnist is the perfect opening to your summer holiday reading. It has all the right elements: an utterly absorbing plot, a relatable heroine and a smattering of escapism, while also touching on deeper themes – self- rediscovery, second chances, tragedy and redemption. Emma Montague leaves her native upper-crust London life for a successful but all-consuming finance job in New York. This turns out to be not quite what she wanted after all – so she quits in search of fulfilment. A rented beach cottage in Connecticut, which is in dire need of renovation, is the springboard to a new life for Emma – and unexpected romance. A warm, lively conversational style spiced up with humour and wit make this a most engaging and entertaining read. Juanita Coulson
THE CONSTANT SOLDIER by William Ryan (Pan, £7.99)
Returning to his village from the Eastern Front in 1944, an injured German soldier discovers an ss ‘rest hut’, a retreat for concentration camp officers run by female prisoners. There, he finds a woman he once knew, and decides to protect her in a bid to atone for his own sins. Yet as the Russian offensive moves closer, the days of the rest hut and its SS inhabitants are numbered... inspired by a true story from occupied Poland, this is a complex, intense and gripping historical thriller. Fast-paced and yet at the same time subtle and nuanced, the journey of the principal characters sweeps the reader along with it. Atmospheric and engaging, sometimes bleak, definitely thought- provoking: The constant soldier is a rewarding read. Julie Louise Hall
THE LADY’S RECIPE READS
Barbecues with a difference and how to take the drudgery out of everyday cooking. By Juanita Coulson
WEBER’S COMPLETE BARBECUE SMOKING by Jamie Purviance (Hamlyn, £16.99))
The craze for all things smoked is still going strong and shows no sign of fizzling out, with devotees spending small fortunes on specialist kit, but with American grilling supremo Jamie Purviance’s new book you can master basic smoking techniques with just about any type of home barbecue. There is a chapter on the basics of fire, followed by starters, red meat, poultry, fish and vegetables. Purviance treats smoking as ‘a type of seasoning’ – and in the case of smoke, less is more. For each recipe, he suggests a type of wood and an optimum smoking time. You can start with simple dishes like oak-roasted leg of lamb and progress to more complex ones like trout and artichoke dip.
FROM MOTHER TO MOTHER: Recipes From a Family Kitchen by Lisa Faulkner (Simon & Schuster, £20)
This warm and chatty book on family cooking is an antidote to the macho smoking and grilling scene (although I approve of men cooking outdoors, where they can cause less chaos). The actress and MasterChef winner tackles the challenge of providing interesting, nutritious food every day (a task that in most households still falls to women), as opposed to culinary acrobatics for special occasions. She says we cook by ‘being given nuggets of inspiration’, sharing recipes and tweaking them: as a starting point, she asked friends and family for their favourites. The result is a repertoire of delicious dishes, from weekday fallbacks like chicken and kale bake to an indulgent hazelnut, cherry and amaretto meringue cake.
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