It has been quite some time since I have read a novel that was so gripping. I read it over the weekend and was caught up in the beautifully depicted world of Lily and her very dysfunctional family. And yet, it is very different from other novels about dysfunctional families.
There is an attempt to be generous and to try to analyse the dysfunctionality sympathetically which gives significant depth to the novel. I particularly liked the descriptions of the various cultures the family lives in over the years and found it added richness to the story. And I was taken back in time by the closely observed and very poignant description of life in the 60s. Overall, despite some of the horrific events in the book the story is a very positive, life affirming one.
I was happy to have had the opportunity to read ‘Geraniums’ and will watch out for future novels by this author.