Ajay Close (Sandstone Press)
The relationship between parent and child is always fraught with tension, but for Freya, things are even more complicated. She has never known her father and her mother remains reticent at divulging any information about him. Freya’s mother, Lilias, has never conformed to the stereotypical mother, constantly remaining aloof. Freya is forced to resort to a private clinic to start her own family, and the novel becomes a tangled web as history repeats itself in strange parallels.
Though mainly told from Freya’s perspective, the narrative is also interspersed with flashbacks to 1972, revealing insights into Lilias. Real empathy for the characters is created by situations that force emotions to breaking point. Even at their most deplorable, something excruciatingly real compels an appreciation of the motivations behind their actions. An extremely engaging and absorbing novel.
Price: £8.99. Info: www.sandstonepress.com