The Last of the Greenwoods by Clare Morrall
| The Last of the Greenwoods by Clare Morrall | |
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| Category: Literary Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Luke Marlowe
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| Summary: In The Last of the Greenwoods, Clare Morrall explores humanity with a keen, skilled eye – creating a fascinating tale full of intriguing mysteries and compelling characters. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 352 | Date: February 2018 |
| Publisher: Sceptre | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1473649156 | |
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Down in hidden railway carriages, deep behind foliage and further down Long Meadow Road than most care to go, live the Greenwood Brothers. They haven't spoken to each other in years, but one morning a letter arrives on their doorstep - a letter from a sister long thought dead...As the brothers are forced to confront painful memories of a past that both tried to keep buried, the post-woman who delivered the letter struggles with secrets of her own...
Clare Morrall is a Birmingham based author and music teacher - known for novels such as Astonishing Splashes of Colour and When the Floods Came amongst many others. In the past, she's been known for writing intelligent, complex characters - and The Last of the Greenwoods continues much in that vein.
The first thing that grabbed me when reading The Last of the Greenwoods, is how cleverly Morrall depicts her setting. It's an English town distinct enough to have character of its own, but it's also vague enough to easily stir up memories for many a reader – as someone from the Midlands who, rather fittingly, grew up with tales of an old lady living in isolation in the outskirts of town (this time in a gypsy caravan rather than a train carriage), it was easy to feel a connection with the locations that Morrall describes – and the interactions of the characters in it. Morrall still works as a music teacher when she's not writing – and perhaps that allows her a deep glimpse into the private lives of others, as these interactions seem acutely observed no matter the age or gender of the character she's describing. They're brought to life with speed and skill - it's clear she knows every last inch of these creations, as she's able to explore the dynamics between them through them with sparkling, memorable dialogue
Alongside the rich seam of humanity that Morrall mines to tell her story, are compelling mysteries that the author weaves threads of carefully – bringing them together to form a rewarding climax - but leaving the readers with vivid characters who'll doubtless stay in the mind long after the last page is read. A rich and rewarding read - many thanks to the publishers for the copy.
For further reading I recommend When the Floods Came – the author exploring humanity in a post-apocalyptic world… You might also appreciate How to Be Human by Paula Cocozza.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Last of the Greenwoods by Clare Morrall at Amazon.com.
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