Part of the Spell

by Rachel Heath

 If only people were more honest about themselves and the people around them. . . Tacita is pretending to ignore her husband’s affair. Stella can’t imagine wanting any more than she has. Theresa is determined to stay so busy, she won’t have time to feel guilty. Zeki hopes no one will find out what he’s up to. Jonathan imagined the family running through the woods in their wellies—not the solitary bottles of whisky on the commuter train. And Sheila, a widower, mother, and grandmother has disappeared. In a small English town, everyone is struggling to be the person they think they should casting spells, making justifications, willingly deluded. But sometimes the pressure of being the perfect—or not perfect, just good—wife, husband, lover, mother, or daughter, is overwhelming. Everyone needs to find an outlet. Sometimes it’s easier to be honest with strangers.

Genres: Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2012

Reviews

[Susan Leahy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I understand the need for a woman and mother to escape from the routine of life and to experience a sense of freedom from time to time, but I believe it is selfish to just disappear into thin air leaving the family at home worried about whether you are dead or alive. Especially traumatic for children I think. But well written nonetheless.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing worked for me with this book, the plot or the writing, nor the hurried 'telling' rather than 'showing' ending. But I know what effort it takes to write anything so I'm not going to say more than that about the writing, but I am going to take issue with the copy editing:
- towards the end of the novel one of the character begins to think in the present tense (all the rest is in the past tense)
- many words are repeated (the word 'all' appears in the space of three sentences, six times)
- there is a character called Tacita (unusual name, yes?). Three people are in a car, one of whom is Tacita's husband, while the other two don't know that fact, and would be surprised to learn it. The husband mentions his wife's name aloud in the car. The other two characters don't mention it. Three pages on, and the husband mentions Tacita again, and now the other two say 'Tacita!' 'Your wife is Tacita'! Something went badly wrong there.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the Spell is about the town of Saffron Walden as much as about its people. What I loved about this book was the beauty of the writing- the spare yet stunning prose. This is a book I will definitely reread. I love the way the author depicts each character, the yawning desperation that they hide underneath a barely there veneer, the way the mediocrity of life is slowly eating away at them. I adored Stella, was annoyed with Sheila and Marie and liked Theresa. A gem of a book.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favourite sort of novel with the story revealed in chapters that rotate between characters. I would have like more development of some of the secondary characters such as Joyce and Marie. I also enjoy a tidy ending and a full resolution. Here the ending leaves many questions; it ends where it starts in Saffron Walden and that is "part of its spell".

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful writing. Very atmospheric. The characters have stayed with me for a long time after finishing. A quiet, meditative book unlike anything I have read. Escapist in more than one sense. Loved it.

[Rebecca Hedger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the story and how it alternates between different characters' viewpoints - I also liked the fact that it was set in Essex :) But for me there was a bit too much description where it wasn't needed and it just interrupted the flow of the story. But overall a good read.

[Lauren]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13657749

[Dawn Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful writing and storytelling, I loved it :)