reviewed on recorded show by Babs Simpson for 12th Sept 2013
I AM STILL READING THIS BUT WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT IS VERY
SPECIAL. IT IS TWO STORIES IN ONE - FIRSTLY OF RICHARD BARBER WHO, IN THE EARLY
1950'S, LEAVES HOME TO GET AWAY FROM THE FATHER SHE CANNOT LOVE. SHE MOVES TO
STAY WITH AN AUNT IN LONDON AND GETS A JOB WITH A SMALL PUBLISHING HOUSE. SHE
LOVES HER WORK AND HAS A NATURAL TALENT FOR SPOTTING NEW WORK AND MAKING HELPFUL
SUGGESTIONS TO AUTHORS FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
THE OTHER STORY CONCERNS EMILY GORDON AND IS SET IN THE PRESENT DAY. EMILY
IS ALSO IN PUBLISHING IN LONDON - NOW A VASTLY DIFFERENT BUSINESS FROM RACHELS
TIME. MOST OF THE SMALL PUBLISHING HOUSES HAVE BEEN CONSUMED BY THE
CONGLOMERATES BUT EMILY TOO ENJOYS HER WORK AND IS GIVEN THE TASK OF HELPING A
FREE-LANCE WRITER WITH HIS BIOGRAPHY OF HUGH MORTON WHOSE NOVEL, THE RISING
TIDE, WAS AN ACCLAIMED BEST-SELLER IN THE 1950'S. THAT TITLE IS A REFERENCE TO
THE DREADFUL FLOODS IN EAST ANGLIA IN 1952 THAT COST SO MANY LIVES AND IS A
MENACING PRESENCE THROUGHOUT THE NARRATIVE.
INEVITABLY THE TWO STORIES ARE INTER-TWINED AND FULL OF INTRIGUE. HUGH
MORTONS FIRST WIFE WAS ISOBEL BARBER BUT HIS SECOND WIFE, JACQUELINE, BARELY
ACKNOWLEDGES HER EXISTENCE AND THERE ARE MANY TWISTS AND TURNS AS THE STORY
PROGRESSES.
RACHEL HORE IS A BRILLIANT WRITER. SHE CROSSES EFFORTLESSLY BETWEEN THE
1950'S AND THE PRESENT DAY AND THE READER IS NEVER CONFUSED. THE SETTINGS AND
PEOPLE ARE ALL EXACTLY RIGHT FOR THEIR TIME AND THE BOOK IS GLORIOUSLY ABSORBING
AND BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN - TO QUOTE NOVELIST OF TODAY. I AM ABSOLUTELY
MESMERISED BY THIS STORY. IF YOU HAVE DISCOVERED THE JOYS O KATE MORTONS BOOKS
YOU WILL CERTAINLY LOVE RACHEL HORE - SHE IS A FINE NOVELIST.
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