Stephanie Jane recenzis Lyrics For The Loved Ones de Anne Goodwin
Matty at 100!
4 steloj
I was so happy to be offered a review copy of Lyrics For The Loved Ones, the third of Anne Goodwin's trilogy following the life of Matilda Windsor. In this novel, Matilda is approaching her hundredth birthday, still living within the care system that has, in various incarnations, been her home since she was a young woman, and that she ultimately was unable to live without. I still felt a strong sense of the unfairness of Matty's life in this book, but I also loved seeing her finally able to bloom to a degree as her gift for public recitation is harnessed during the Covid lockdown.
Care homes are generally closed worlds to those of us not directly connected to them, so being able to witness exactly what the staff and residents had to deal with through the pandemic was really shocking for me. Even though Matty's astute interpretations of …
I was so happy to be offered a review copy of Lyrics For The Loved Ones, the third of Anne Goodwin's trilogy following the life of Matilda Windsor. In this novel, Matilda is approaching her hundredth birthday, still living within the care system that has, in various incarnations, been her home since she was a young woman, and that she ultimately was unable to live without. I still felt a strong sense of the unfairness of Matty's life in this book, but I also loved seeing her finally able to bloom to a degree as her gift for public recitation is harnessed during the Covid lockdown.
Care homes are generally closed worlds to those of us not directly connected to them, so being able to witness exactly what the staff and residents had to deal with through the pandemic was really shocking for me. Even though Matty's astute interpretations of what is happening did bring a lightness to the situation, I was grateful to Anne for her sensitive and sympathetic portrayals. Even her language helped to bring readers into the care home itself with, for example, family members being 'Loved Ones'. The Cumbrian setting is also beautifully represented.
Lyrics For The Loved Ones doesn't just focus on Matty however, as several narrators take turns bringing their experiences to the fore. I did occasionally lose track of whose story I was following, but I did like the device of having this chorus of voices each adding their own perspective. It was entertaining for me to try and anticipate, ahead of time, how they would eventually connect to each other. Some are easier to work out than others! Parent-child relationships, when those children have grown to be adults, are an integral theme and the differences I encountered added an interesting depth to the story, especially as I wasn't sure until late in the book, who would turn out to be Matty's lost Loved One.
I think Lyrics For The Loved Ones would work as a standalone read as well as it does as part of the Matilda Windsor trilogy. Matty herself is a lovely character to spend time with and I loved being part of her world.