Books
by Tessa Hadley
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The Party |
This novella portrays a family in post-war, bombed-out Bristol. Sisters, Moira and Evelyn, recoil against the apparent stagnation of life, as perceived in their parent’s hollow marriage. Desperate to rebel they allow themselves to be briefly drawn into the circle of a group of wealthy, privileged young people, despite not liking them much. Does it change them? Yes and no, luckily their resilience and laughter see them through.
(Christine Miller - bwl 115 Winter 2025) |
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The Past |
Three sisters and their brother gather to spend the summer holidays in their old family home, the brother with teenage daughter and new wife, one sister bringing a Pakistani youth, another with two children. Can Hadley possibly juggle this assorted bunch? The answer is a resounding yes! The family dynamics ring absolutely true, every character perceptively imagined, and the three-tier structure - present, past and back to the present - works admirably. I found it a real delight.
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 94 Autumn 2019) |
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