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Pennance
Lucy is haunted by the death of her partner, Jake, and lives in paranoid fear and reclusion. She lives in a small, introverted village in Cornwall, and is surrounded by Jake's family and memories of him. She feels intensely guilty about his death and thinks someone is out to get her in retribution. Relief appears to come when a new neighbour, Karen, enters her life, but is that when the real threat begins?
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
33 people are currently reading
645 people want to read
About the author
Clare Ashton
16 books1,637 followersClare Ashton loves writing sapphic stories. Whether it’s a romcom or mystery, there’s always a queer woman about. With gorgeous settings, from the hills of Wales to college halls of Oxford, every book is a travel destination from the comfort of an armchair. Best known for her award-winning, sunny romance, Poppy Jenkins, and rollercoaster family drama, The Goodmans, Clare has a new series that captures the best of both and more, with Meeting Millie kicking off The Oxford Romance series.
Clare lives in the UK with her wife and kids and can be found spending too much time on social media – https://linktr.ee/clareashton
Clare lives in the UK with her wife and kids and can be found spending too much time on social media – https://linktr.ee/clareashton
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
August 22, 2021
3.5 "ghostly, odd, unsettling" stars !!
Southwest coastal England, misty, cloudy and cool. A 26 yo woman has lost her 40 year old boyfriend in a car accident. She was in the car with him but survived. She feels guilt and is anguished with PTSD as well as feeling his spirit everywhere. The villagers gossip and an old resident moves in after her divorce.
The two women meet and well more strange and eerie and wicked things begin to happen....
Clare Ashton is excellent at description and setting tone. You can see what is happening in your mind's eye. You are confused by what is the genre. Ghost story, mystery, love story. All three in fact.
Although I figured out early on what was happening, this did not take away my interest in wanting to complete the novel and see what the final resolution to be.
An author to watch out for as I understand her primary genre is lesbian romance.
Southwest coastal England, misty, cloudy and cool. A 26 yo woman has lost her 40 year old boyfriend in a car accident. She was in the car with him but survived. She feels guilt and is anguished with PTSD as well as feeling his spirit everywhere. The villagers gossip and an old resident moves in after her divorce.
The two women meet and well more strange and eerie and wicked things begin to happen....
Clare Ashton is excellent at description and setting tone. You can see what is happening in your mind's eye. You are confused by what is the genre. Ghost story, mystery, love story. All three in fact.
Although I figured out early on what was happening, this did not take away my interest in wanting to complete the novel and see what the final resolution to be.
An author to watch out for as I understand her primary genre is lesbian romance.
March 22, 2017
Wonderfully written book and hard to believe this was the first book written by Clare Ashton. In ways, it was a hard book to read because it was very dark with the depression and other mental problems the main character is/was living with. But you always felt there was light at the end of the tunnel. With the mystery that brought some closure and romance that brought the rays of hope so closely woven together. A definite must read for Clare Ashton fans and for those who haven't read any of her books.
July 6, 2018
Beautiful in all its bleakness - Corrie
Whether she's writing a fairly straight-forward romance or something dark and twisted, her writing is beautiful. And it's the little things that make it so rich. The descriptions are so accurate that they don't need to be long-winded. Here's one that is really simple and she could have had her character just say that she was uncomfortable and in a bland environment but what you get is so much more tactile and easy to relate to:
It's an uncomfortable read and her characters fallibly human, in some cases just vile. I love the way Ashton writes and I love that her books make me feel a full range of emotions, and not just the nice ones. I've given every one a five star rating and I only have one left to read which is going to have to wait so that the distance isn't too great between that and the next one.
Whether she's writing a fairly straight-forward romance or something dark and twisted, her writing is beautiful. And it's the little things that make it so rich. The descriptions are so accurate that they don't need to be long-winded. Here's one that is really simple and she could have had her character just say that she was uncomfortable and in a bland environment but what you get is so much more tactile and easy to relate to:
I stared at the wall opposite. It was covered with a light beige wall paper with a raised flowered pattern that looked like it was made of polystyrene. I got up and went towards the wall. I touched the spongy flowers, and ran my fingers along the stalks. I dug my nails into the stiff foam, testing what it was made of, and watched the dent heal as if it had not been touched at all.
It's an uncomfortable read and her characters fallibly human, in some cases just vile. I love the way Ashton writes and I love that her books make me feel a full range of emotions, and not just the nice ones. I've given every one a five star rating and I only have one left to read which is going to have to wait so that the distance isn't too great between that and the next one.
October 3, 2018
Checked the name of the author for the 1OOth time, yup no mistakes whatsoever. Ms.Ashton wrote the book. It had her signature touches - love towards countryside, amazing hs, good secondary characters, engaging story and thriller?
Lucy, our h survived a car crash but her bf did not. She lived miserably after, consumed with guilt for thinking that she did not do much to rescue him from the burning car. Being inside Lucy's mind during the dark days was a bit disturbing and the chillness that caused by my new favorite ice cream flavor, dark chocolate with almonds did not help whatsoever. Thank God, Karen Trevithik came along. Okay, Karen was not all sunshine and butterbeer either but these two broken souls formed a friendship and began to heal together at a very slow pace.
It was a pleasure reading their journey, there were plenty of ups and downs but since they were together who am I to complain.
Now to the thriller part
This book is unavailable on KU/Available on Scribd.
Lucy, our h survived a car crash but her bf did not. She lived miserably after, consumed with guilt for thinking that she did not do much to rescue him from the burning car. Being inside Lucy's mind during the dark days was a bit disturbing and the chillness that caused by my new favorite ice cream flavor, dark chocolate with almonds did not help whatsoever. Thank God, Karen Trevithik came along. Okay, Karen was not all sunshine and butterbeer either but these two broken souls formed a friendship and began to heal together at a very slow pace.
It was a pleasure reading their journey, there were plenty of ups and downs but since they were together who am I to complain.
Now to the thriller part
This book is unavailable on KU/Available on Scribd.
May 28, 2013
This is an excellent book from an author that knows how to write the most wonderful descriptions and create such a realistic atmosphere I could feel the loam beneath my feet and smell the salt in the air.
All of the characters in this novel are completely convincing and naturalistic, the plot moves along at a rapid enough pace that you are thoroughly engrossed. The art of a good book for me is not being made to feel as if I'm being manipulated and while the plot twists and turns, it never veers so far as to strain the point of credibility.
Read this book and the author' second novel "After Mrs Hamilton", you will not regret it.
All of the characters in this novel are completely convincing and naturalistic, the plot moves along at a rapid enough pace that you are thoroughly engrossed. The art of a good book for me is not being made to feel as if I'm being manipulated and while the plot twists and turns, it never veers so far as to strain the point of credibility.
Read this book and the author' second novel "After Mrs Hamilton", you will not regret it.
October 5, 2018
Very powerful story. Intense at times.
It was a very good read. Solid 4*
It was a very good read. Solid 4*
May 18, 2013
An atmospheric psychological thriller cum drama/romance. This is one of the most effective uses of first person POV in lesfic I've read. The author takes us into the mind of the lead character Lucy and experience first hand her feelings of alienation, dread and guilt as she attempts to recover from a tragic accident.
In the first couple of chapters, Lucy's ruminations may sound like that of someone with paranoid delusion, but as more details are revealed, we start to get why she acts and thinks that way. Things (and Lucy) start to perk up once a neighbor (Karen) arrives and Lucy begins interacting with someone who doesn't look at her like a pitiable creature. Their relationship is well-developed and paced and thru Karen, the real Lucy before the accident occurred slowly emerges again.
There is a sinister presence, however, and hairy things happen. I must say the author managed to lead me astray with her red herrings. So the final reveal caught me way off guard. And Lucy's choice, and later Karen's choice, were heart-rending!
This book reminded me of those M. Night Shymalan movies (the good ones, at least). With just words, the author manages to conjur up for me vivid images of the eerie houses, manor and village and its creepy inhabitants as seen through the eyes of Lucy. But unlike Mr. Shyamalan's works, this book actually has an engaging story to tell.
Reading both of the author's books back to back, I can't help but compare the two. Both involve mysteries, though Pennance is darker. In 'After Mrs Hamilton', there were a great many characters and the plot was fairly convoluted, but I had the 'big reveal' figured out half way into the book. The romances were lovely though. In Pennance, the plot is much simpler, but the mystery worked better. And because there were just two lead characters, the romance was also developed better.
There are some things that the were left unexplained such as
In the first couple of chapters, Lucy's ruminations may sound like that of someone with paranoid delusion, but as more details are revealed, we start to get why she acts and thinks that way. Things (and Lucy) start to perk up once a neighbor (Karen) arrives and Lucy begins interacting with someone who doesn't look at her like a pitiable creature. Their relationship is well-developed and paced and thru Karen, the real Lucy before the accident occurred slowly emerges again.
There is a sinister presence, however, and hairy things happen. I must say the author managed to lead me astray with her red herrings. So the final reveal caught me way off guard. And Lucy's choice, and later Karen's choice, were heart-rending!
This book reminded me of those M. Night Shymalan movies (the good ones, at least). With just words, the author manages to conjur up for me vivid images of the eerie houses, manor and village and its creepy inhabitants as seen through the eyes of Lucy. But unlike Mr. Shyamalan's works, this book actually has an engaging story to tell.
Reading both of the author's books back to back, I can't help but compare the two. Both involve mysteries, though Pennance is darker. In 'After Mrs Hamilton', there were a great many characters and the plot was fairly convoluted, but I had the 'big reveal' figured out half way into the book. The romances were lovely though. In Pennance, the plot is much simpler, but the mystery worked better. And because there were just two lead characters, the romance was also developed better.
There are some things that the were left unexplained such as
October 18, 2016
This book is greatly written, very full of atmosphere of dark, sad, heavy tones.
The main character, Lucy, is described with a full rounded personality, grieving, mourning, but at the same time trying to process the death of her partner and her consequent guilt. You really feel for her. Her past is gradually revealed while slowly a new friendship for her neighbor Kate blossoms in something important. And a dangerous, new disturbing mystery waves into Lucy’s story, getting things harder.
The nature herself stresses the psychological heaviness of the novel, with the hard Cornwall sea cliffs landscape, the soaking mists and the dark woods surrounding Lucy’s cottage.
The story makes you hold your breath until the very last page.
I keep a star because of how I felt. This is not a lighthearted read, it’s not supposed to. It’s a bit too oppressive for me to declare that I loved it.
Also, I could see through the mystery a bit too easily.
But it’s a great story just the same.
The main character, Lucy, is described with a full rounded personality, grieving, mourning, but at the same time trying to process the death of her partner and her consequent guilt. You really feel for her. Her past is gradually revealed while slowly a new friendship for her neighbor Kate blossoms in something important. And a dangerous, new disturbing mystery waves into Lucy’s story, getting things harder.
The nature herself stresses the psychological heaviness of the novel, with the hard Cornwall sea cliffs landscape, the soaking mists and the dark woods surrounding Lucy’s cottage.
The story makes you hold your breath until the very last page.
I keep a star because of how I felt. This is not a lighthearted read, it’s not supposed to. It’s a bit too oppressive for me to declare that I loved it.
Also, I could see through the mystery a bit too easily.
But it’s a great story just the same.
December 1, 2018
An intriguing read. Reviews I’ve read on the book are mainly set on depressing tone, darkness, chilling and everything bleak - not so much on the writing but more so on the setting/plot of the book. Curiosity got the better of me and decided to give the book a go even though I must admit it’s not my cup of tea. Glad to say that I wasn’t disappointed and actually enjoyed the book! The ending had me guessing though it was a tad too rushed.
January 27, 2021
The book starts with Lucy and her thoughts of anxiety one year after suffering the loss of Jack. Ashton’s writing express so vividly Lucy’s feelings and thoughts, even more so by using subtle metaphors like “The lane (to my house) dropped into a wooded valley that ran all the way from the sea up to Pennance. I lived half way between he two.”
Tbh in the beginning, I didn’t get why she had been together with Jack. His mother especially was really annoying and the way Lucy talks and remembers Jack is not overly lovingly either. Especially when one reads the way she thinks about and describes Karen, the new neighbor who moves in next door. But then the more the book progressed, it made me aware that this a book about real life: people start relationships out of all sorts of reasons which we just cuddle together under the “love” explanation, we suffer alone, sometimes because we don’t know how to help or how to accept other’s help and so on. Lucy going through this survival journey on her own it’s only made worse but he fact that she lives in a small town. People are bigots and nobody has any secrets. Everyone know or think they know everything about each other.
When Lucy meets and spends some time with Karen, the situation is best explained again by Ashton who uses throughout the book the first person to tell the story: “We were both such strained characters in different ways that it seemed odd to think is good company. But I did like her. She had enough pain of her own not to feel pity at mine, not to look sorry for me. I felt normal with her.”
As hard as it may sound to some readers who may think Lucy’s situation is awful and she is alone and so on, I found Karen’s story way more tragic.
Another positive aspect I appreciated about the book was the description of the entire process of healing. It seemed very real to me as back and forth and circular movements as I too don’t think it’s a linear way to it.
The description of the car accident was so vivid and raw that I felt I almost lived through it... Something that will definitely remain with me a while, at the same time another proof, like there was any more need, of the amazing way Ashton uses words to describe events.
Lucy is so perfectly an imperfect human with a highly respectable and not easily managed degree of self introspect, I found the way Ashton wrote her amazing.
Another book from Ashton that will remain with me. I loved it. Only a handful of characters intertwined in a suspenseful and realistic love story
Tbh in the beginning, I didn’t get why she had been together with Jack. His mother especially was really annoying and the way Lucy talks and remembers Jack is not overly lovingly either. Especially when one reads the way she thinks about and describes Karen, the new neighbor who moves in next door. But then the more the book progressed, it made me aware that this a book about real life: people start relationships out of all sorts of reasons which we just cuddle together under the “love” explanation, we suffer alone, sometimes because we don’t know how to help or how to accept other’s help and so on. Lucy going through this survival journey on her own it’s only made worse but he fact that she lives in a small town. People are bigots and nobody has any secrets. Everyone know or think they know everything about each other.
When Lucy meets and spends some time with Karen, the situation is best explained again by Ashton who uses throughout the book the first person to tell the story: “We were both such strained characters in different ways that it seemed odd to think is good company. But I did like her. She had enough pain of her own not to feel pity at mine, not to look sorry for me. I felt normal with her.”
As hard as it may sound to some readers who may think Lucy’s situation is awful and she is alone and so on, I found Karen’s story way more tragic.
Another positive aspect I appreciated about the book was the description of the entire process of healing. It seemed very real to me as back and forth and circular movements as I too don’t think it’s a linear way to it.
The description of the car accident was so vivid and raw that I felt I almost lived through it... Something that will definitely remain with me a while, at the same time another proof, like there was any more need, of the amazing way Ashton uses words to describe events.
Lucy is so perfectly an imperfect human with a highly respectable and not easily managed degree of self introspect, I found the way Ashton wrote her amazing.
Another book from Ashton that will remain with me. I loved it. Only a handful of characters intertwined in a suspenseful and realistic love story
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2016
What an experience. Yet again I seem to find myself at a loss for words. There’s something truly mystical about Clare Ashton’s novels, specially about this one.
The first word that comes to mind when thinking about Pennance is mist. It’s dense, intense, keeping you at the very edge. You are not sure where the next step, the next word, will lead you. Adrenalin rushes through you. When the pace slows down, when you seem to be given a break for a breath, you can’t help but hold it, stay on high alert. It’s too good to be true…
I would say that Lucy’s anxiety is contagious. You can feel it, you can hear her frantic heartbeat inside your head… I found myself having to close the book a couple of times, stretch and make a cup of tea before carrying on. It’s powerful.
I will never grow tired of saying how visual Clare Ashton’s writing is. Once you close the book, once you finish reading, you are left with a feeling of emptiness – What do you mean they are not there?
You will find mystery wrapped in romance, secrets, tragedy and family. You will find a beautiful, even if at times terrifying, landscape. In Pennance you will find great company for as long as it lasts.
The first word that comes to mind when thinking about Pennance is mist. It’s dense, intense, keeping you at the very edge. You are not sure where the next step, the next word, will lead you. Adrenalin rushes through you. When the pace slows down, when you seem to be given a break for a breath, you can’t help but hold it, stay on high alert. It’s too good to be true…
I would say that Lucy’s anxiety is contagious. You can feel it, you can hear her frantic heartbeat inside your head… I found myself having to close the book a couple of times, stretch and make a cup of tea before carrying on. It’s powerful.
I will never grow tired of saying how visual Clare Ashton’s writing is. Once you close the book, once you finish reading, you are left with a feeling of emptiness – What do you mean they are not there?
You will find mystery wrapped in romance, secrets, tragedy and family. You will find a beautiful, even if at times terrifying, landscape. In Pennance you will find great company for as long as it lasts.
April 20, 2018
Pennance was Clare Ashton’s debut novel and okay, maybe it’s not as polished as her later works, it is still powerful enough to knock your socks off. Don’t expect a comfortable read though. Her main character Lucy is dealing with some serious issues in the aftermath of a very traumatic car accident that injured her and killed her partner Jake. A large part of the book is basically Lucy surviving, stuck in limbo, paralyzed with PTSD, survivor’s guilt and loneliness, stuck with the ghost of Jake in that filthy, cold cottage. It’s only after her new neighbor Karen arrives on the scene that Lucy’s life starts to get color again.
This was a re-read for me, this time with Book Club Buddie D. We were both sucked into a quagmire of angst, this intense bleakness that Ashton expertly doles out by the bucket load. You cannot get further removed from her rom-coms That Certain Something and Poppy Jenkins than this, but if you put your big girl pants on and stick with Lucy and Karen ‘till the end, it will be a most satisfying journey. Highly recommend.
f/f
Themes: suspended life, PTSD, everything is grey until Karen arrives, but oh that creepy child of hers.
5 stars
This was a re-read for me, this time with Book Club Buddie D. We were both sucked into a quagmire of angst, this intense bleakness that Ashton expertly doles out by the bucket load. You cannot get further removed from her rom-coms That Certain Something and Poppy Jenkins than this, but if you put your big girl pants on and stick with Lucy and Karen ‘till the end, it will be a most satisfying journey. Highly recommend.
f/f
Themes: suspended life, PTSD, everything is grey until Karen arrives, but oh that creepy child of hers.
5 stars
August 7, 2014
I dropped a star because of the open ending. I've read 3 novels from Ms. Ashton, and this is the second one that does that. I hope ( and have every confidence) she can get past that.
Because the writing is beautiful.
Edit: Do NOT read this spoiler if you want to read this book.
Several hours after I read this book, something kept nagging me. Let me say that this is fiction, the author can write anything she wants, and if it's well done and plausable, that's ok. So maybe I am just overthinking this, but if you're able to write three dimensial characters and their inner turmoil as Ms. Ashton did with Lucy and find reasonable solutions to her problems, I expect you do the same with secondary characters. And it's a secondary character and the way it's handled that has me thinking something is really wrong with this book.
Because the writing is beautiful.
Edit: Do NOT read this spoiler if you want to read this book.
Several hours after I read this book, something kept nagging me. Let me say that this is fiction, the author can write anything she wants, and if it's well done and plausable, that's ok. So maybe I am just overthinking this, but if you're able to write three dimensial characters and their inner turmoil as Ms. Ashton did with Lucy and find reasonable solutions to her problems, I expect you do the same with secondary characters. And it's a secondary character and the way it's handled that has me thinking something is really wrong with this book.
November 19, 2016
The title is a good fit for this unsettling mystery. There is a sinister presence that carries throughout the book. It is not difficult to feel for Lucy and the unfortunate accident that she works to deal with. There is much to like about Karen as she deals with her own issues. This is a read where it is a challenge to identify supporting characters that you care about. Engaging page turner with in my opinion an abrupt ending.
July 2, 2020
Read this in one sitting, completely absorbed in the slow burn love story as well as the unfolding mystery. I would have given it 5 stars, except that here and there I felt the author rushed through some key scenes, which needed a little more detail or tension building. But don't let it put you off. Clare Ashton's quality writing and her ability to create fascinating characters, go a ways in making up for the little weaknesses. This is her first book and I find that her writing just gets better and better with each book. This is the third book by this author that I've read, and though it's not as good as After Mrs Hamilton, or as superb as Poppy Jenkins, I still enjoyed it very much.
November 2, 2021
This was was Clare Ashton's first book - and whoa. It was very dark. I'd characterize it as a psychological study with some mystery and romance. And perhaps some paranormal; is it a ghost story? It’s told in the first person from the point of view of Lucy.
Lucy lives in Pennance, a tiny village in Cornwall. She's a web programmer for a company in Plymouth (the Western-most city in Devon). But at present, she is barely functioning, deeply broken, following a car accident in which her partner Jake had died in fiery conflagration. She is severely depressed, suffering from PTSD, blaming herself for not, somehow, saving him - even though she was seriously injured herself, haunted by dreams and visions (hallucinations?) of Jake's ghost. She stays in their small isolated cottage, venturing into the village by bicycle once a week or so to buy groceries, and daily to jog through the wood between her cottage and the neighboring vacant manor. She logs in to work remotely, save a visit every other week or so by train to her office. She is practically disabled by her grief.
When Lucy jogs by the manor one morning, she meets Karen, the daughter of the previous couple who owned the manor (until they died) as she is moving in, accompanied by Georgie, her three-year-old son and Sophia, her pre-teen daughter. Karen had grown up in Pennance, but moved away for University and marriage - and that marriage was in the process of dissolving, not in an amiable fashion.
Both women are broken. When Lucy later accepts an invitation to stop in for some tea, it is the start of a slowly building friendship in which both Lucy and Karen begin to heal. Unfortunately, not everybody is happy with the situation, and various "accidents" start to happen. Will Lucy and Karen figure out what's happening - and will their relationship survive the shocking (to my eye) revelations?
Yes, I admit to being shocked - but not wholly surprised; the clues were there. I also confess to not being completely satisfied with the resolution;
The writing - even in her debut novel - is just as good as I've come to expect from Clare Ashton; no unnecessary words added, no necessary words omitted. The dialog felt real to me. Since it is in first person, I felt I really understood Lucy's grief, anxiety, and panic, and how her healing started via her friendship with Karen. The other characters were only present through her eyes - which were observant, but not necessarily accurate; there were several people she was convinced were evilly inclined, but perhaps were not? First person worked very well for this book.
Ashton's second novel was After Mrs. Hamilton - and, although that had more romance - two, in fact - it, also, had a shocking twist in it that left things unsettled. Her later novels are happier and less dark - until we come to The Tell Tale; there's a reason that Pennance, After Mrs Hamilton, and The Tell Tell are grouped together in Ashton's Facebook background picture. :)
I liked this book. I am not sure I enjoyed it, but it was very well done. Exactly as I have come to expect for Clare Ashton. The not-completely-satisfying resolution I alluded to might knock this down to four stars for me, but I still highly recommend this for fans of Clare Ashton. Or even soon-to-become fans. :)
Lucy lives in Pennance, a tiny village in Cornwall. She's a web programmer for a company in Plymouth (the Western-most city in Devon). But at present, she is barely functioning, deeply broken, following a car accident in which her partner Jake had died in fiery conflagration. She is severely depressed, suffering from PTSD, blaming herself for not, somehow, saving him - even though she was seriously injured herself, haunted by dreams and visions (hallucinations?) of Jake's ghost. She stays in their small isolated cottage, venturing into the village by bicycle once a week or so to buy groceries, and daily to jog through the wood between her cottage and the neighboring vacant manor. She logs in to work remotely, save a visit every other week or so by train to her office. She is practically disabled by her grief.
When Lucy jogs by the manor one morning, she meets Karen, the daughter of the previous couple who owned the manor (until they died) as she is moving in, accompanied by Georgie, her three-year-old son and Sophia, her pre-teen daughter. Karen had grown up in Pennance, but moved away for University and marriage - and that marriage was in the process of dissolving, not in an amiable fashion.
Both women are broken. When Lucy later accepts an invitation to stop in for some tea, it is the start of a slowly building friendship in which both Lucy and Karen begin to heal. Unfortunately, not everybody is happy with the situation, and various "accidents" start to happen. Will Lucy and Karen figure out what's happening - and will their relationship survive the shocking (to my eye) revelations?
Yes, I admit to being shocked - but not wholly surprised; the clues were there. I also confess to not being completely satisfied with the resolution;
The writing - even in her debut novel - is just as good as I've come to expect from Clare Ashton; no unnecessary words added, no necessary words omitted. The dialog felt real to me. Since it is in first person, I felt I really understood Lucy's grief, anxiety, and panic, and how her healing started via her friendship with Karen. The other characters were only present through her eyes - which were observant, but not necessarily accurate; there were several people she was convinced were evilly inclined, but perhaps were not? First person worked very well for this book.
Ashton's second novel was After Mrs. Hamilton - and, although that had more romance - two, in fact - it, also, had a shocking twist in it that left things unsettled. Her later novels are happier and less dark - until we come to The Tell Tale; there's a reason that Pennance, After Mrs Hamilton, and The Tell Tell are grouped together in Ashton's Facebook background picture. :)
I liked this book. I am not sure I enjoyed it, but it was very well done. Exactly as I have come to expect for Clare Ashton. The not-completely-satisfying resolution I alluded to might knock this down to four stars for me, but I still highly recommend this for fans of Clare Ashton. Or even soon-to-become fans. :)
June 14, 2018
This was my second Clare Ashton book, the first was After Mrs. Hamilton and I enjoyed reading Mrs. Hamilton, coming back to Penance in the description I thought this to be a mystery thriller, so I decided to give it a try.
The book is set on a Woman who currently has lost her partner in a car accident and is still grieving. She has cocooned herself inside her cottage and avoids meeting people as she hates them sympathizing for what happened to her, also somewhere down she still blames herself for her partner's death.
Amidst her social withdrawal, comes her new divorcee neighbor, with two children. The two women in grief connects.
The writing is good and engaging, her understanding of the subject is great and you will want to read more and more to know what happens next. But I won't put this book under thriller or mystery the ending for me was very lame and somehow I just couldn't wrap my head around it.
Rest its a decent book to read, the emotions are good and real, but if you are reading this for mystery you may be disappointed.
Its a one time read and Ill recommend this.
Happy Reading!
The book is set on a Woman who currently has lost her partner in a car accident and is still grieving. She has cocooned herself inside her cottage and avoids meeting people as she hates them sympathizing for what happened to her, also somewhere down she still blames herself for her partner's death.
Amidst her social withdrawal, comes her new divorcee neighbor, with two children. The two women in grief connects.
The writing is good and engaging, her understanding of the subject is great and you will want to read more and more to know what happens next. But I won't put this book under thriller or mystery the ending for me was very lame and somehow I just couldn't wrap my head around it.
Rest its a decent book to read, the emotions are good and real, but if you are reading this for mystery you may be disappointed.
Its a one time read and Ill recommend this.
Happy Reading!
February 13, 2012
After the death of her partner, Jake, in a tragic car accident, Lucy’s life falls apart. Lucy is haunted by Jake’s death. She withdraws from the world, shutting herself up in the cottage they shared and becomes a virtual recluse. Just emerging when it’s essential. Lucy is nursing her fears and fuelling her guilt that she could have and should have been able to save Jake from their burning car. More to the point is Lucy’s guilt that she didn’t love Jake enough to save him.
When Karen and her two children moved in to the empty property next door, that belonged to Karen’s parents, Lucy was none too pleased. The last thing Lucy wanted or needed was someone invading her privacy. But once Lucy meets Karen and her children, she finds herself coming out of her self imposed isolation and actually beginning to live a little.
Lucy finds herself drawn to Karen and she love’s Karen’s three year old son, George. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the same rapport with Karen’s daughter, Sophia. But no matter, they tolerate each other. In time both Lucy and Karen feel a mutual attraction to one another, will either woman act upon it?
As time passes Lucy becomes more and more convinced that someone is trying to kill her, she becomes paranoid that someone is out to make her pay for her being alive and Jake dying. Little things keep happening around her. But, is the threat real or imagined? What will it take to unravel the mystery? Will this cost Lucy and Karen their friendship?
This is a wonderfully well written debut mystery romance. Right from the beginning, the story is gripping and a page turner right through to the end. A book that once started, I did not want to put down.
The way Clare Ashton has told this story is breath taking. Lucy’s descent into paranoia and near madness from her guilt at not being able to save her partner, is written with such clarity that the emotions are coming in waves off of the pages.
It is nice to see the change in Lucy as she begins to accept Karen’s friendship. But like every story, the paths of love and friendship never run smoothly and there are many obstacles put in their way.
Karen has her own secrets she is hiding too. Which all adds fuel to the fast heating story. The story sizzles off the pages and made me want to finish it quickly.
The mystery stayed a mystery throughout. I simply could not guess what was happening and who was doing what. Which is a big bonus for me. I love a good mystery. All I will tell you here is that the revelation shocked me. Stunned me. Unbelievable, brilliantly thought out.
The characters are so well formed and easy to get to know, that I lost myself amongst them. I was there with them. The setting of this book is Cornwall. My home county. I can tell you, the scenic views are as beautiful as Clare has described them.
The end of this book came all too soon, even though I was desperate to find out who, what and why. This is a book I will re-read even though I know the outcome. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a comfort read, no pressure, just to enjoy the story.
I’m looking forward to any lesfic book Clare may write in the future. I hope it will be sooner rather than later.
When Karen and her two children moved in to the empty property next door, that belonged to Karen’s parents, Lucy was none too pleased. The last thing Lucy wanted or needed was someone invading her privacy. But once Lucy meets Karen and her children, she finds herself coming out of her self imposed isolation and actually beginning to live a little.
Lucy finds herself drawn to Karen and she love’s Karen’s three year old son, George. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the same rapport with Karen’s daughter, Sophia. But no matter, they tolerate each other. In time both Lucy and Karen feel a mutual attraction to one another, will either woman act upon it?
As time passes Lucy becomes more and more convinced that someone is trying to kill her, she becomes paranoid that someone is out to make her pay for her being alive and Jake dying. Little things keep happening around her. But, is the threat real or imagined? What will it take to unravel the mystery? Will this cost Lucy and Karen their friendship?
This is a wonderfully well written debut mystery romance. Right from the beginning, the story is gripping and a page turner right through to the end. A book that once started, I did not want to put down.
The way Clare Ashton has told this story is breath taking. Lucy’s descent into paranoia and near madness from her guilt at not being able to save her partner, is written with such clarity that the emotions are coming in waves off of the pages.
It is nice to see the change in Lucy as she begins to accept Karen’s friendship. But like every story, the paths of love and friendship never run smoothly and there are many obstacles put in their way.
Karen has her own secrets she is hiding too. Which all adds fuel to the fast heating story. The story sizzles off the pages and made me want to finish it quickly.
The mystery stayed a mystery throughout. I simply could not guess what was happening and who was doing what. Which is a big bonus for me. I love a good mystery. All I will tell you here is that the revelation shocked me. Stunned me. Unbelievable, brilliantly thought out.
The characters are so well formed and easy to get to know, that I lost myself amongst them. I was there with them. The setting of this book is Cornwall. My home county. I can tell you, the scenic views are as beautiful as Clare has described them.
The end of this book came all too soon, even though I was desperate to find out who, what and why. This is a book I will re-read even though I know the outcome. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a comfort read, no pressure, just to enjoy the story.
I’m looking forward to any lesfic book Clare may write in the future. I hope it will be sooner rather than later.
April 3, 2017
I enjoyed it, mostly because it was a really different story for lesfic. Dark, broody, with a definite Rebecca-ish feel to it.
But at times the writing was clunky and the characters were too much on the black/white scale and not very much well developed gray.
Don't at all regret finally reading this. But going back to an author's earlier work can be tricky.
But at times the writing was clunky and the characters were too much on the black/white scale and not very much well developed gray.
Don't at all regret finally reading this. But going back to an author's earlier work can be tricky.
August 31, 2025
This book had a whole lot of build up to an ending that was predictable and anti-climactic. There are hints of ghosts, a suggestion of an unreliable narrator, and plenty of red-herrings. All these things can make a great thriller, but what this book lacked was any sort of nail-biting suspense.
It felt monotonous.
It felt monotonous.
February 11, 2012
Pennance by Clare Ashton is another stunning debut entry in the self-publishing world of fiction. The tone and emotional atmosphere reminded me very much of Josephine Hart’s Damage, a book that mesmerized me years ago and provided a standard against which I tend to judge many literary fiction books since.
Ashton’s book is true literary fiction in the best sense: a great story beautifully told. It’s the gripping story of Lucy, a woman who retreats into a self-induced shell of isolation, paranoia and self-destructive mental fantasies that tend only to support her guilt, shame and regret at not having been able to save her boyfriend after they were involved in a violent auto crash. The problem is even deeper: she didn’t love him. Not the way he or she would have wanted.
At the height of Lucy’s social withdrawal, a new neighbor moves down the isolated shady lane from Lucy’s cabin. Lucy can’t believe it. Her privacy will be interrupted and her waning social skills will be tested. Sure enough, all her fears of discovery, all the ennui of depression and all the hyper-vigilance of her anxieties fill her waking hours. Yet she finds herself steadily drawn to the nearly divorced neighbor, Karen, after a chance meeting while Lucy is out running off her stress at being forced to live...at all.
Their friendship blooms amidst the weeds of their mutual pasts. Karen has two children, an unfriendly husband from whom she is separated and a connection to Lucy’s life that our protagonist would never have imagined. But as they get to know one another, something else in Lucy’s life is suddenly amiss: Someone is trying to kill her.
I cannot reveal the outcome of the growing romantic and sexual attraction between Lucy and Karen, nor the impediments that are placed in their way at every turn, but I will say this is one hell of a love story!
The book reads simultaneously like a tightly wound mystery and like a very modern gothic romance. The words, the feelings, and the actions—all of it revealing a level of talent and skill astoundingly high for a debut novel—is a hypnotic aphrodisiac that you won’t soon forget. The tension is palpable, Lucy’s angst measureable, Karen’s charm compellingly real and the story telling magnificent. I could not put this book down.
In every moment of the story, the measure of pain and passion in Lucy’s reality begins to dawn upon the reader in well-modulated increments of revelation and mystery. The outcome is all the more astonishing for the dashed hopes and spent spirit that Ashton imparts in Lucy’s view of the world after she learns who it is that has been trying, first, to frighten her and then, to kill her.
Do yourself a favor: Buy this fabulous novel, support this artist Clare Ashton, and let’s hope another book is on the way in the very near future.
Ashton’s book is true literary fiction in the best sense: a great story beautifully told. It’s the gripping story of Lucy, a woman who retreats into a self-induced shell of isolation, paranoia and self-destructive mental fantasies that tend only to support her guilt, shame and regret at not having been able to save her boyfriend after they were involved in a violent auto crash. The problem is even deeper: she didn’t love him. Not the way he or she would have wanted.
At the height of Lucy’s social withdrawal, a new neighbor moves down the isolated shady lane from Lucy’s cabin. Lucy can’t believe it. Her privacy will be interrupted and her waning social skills will be tested. Sure enough, all her fears of discovery, all the ennui of depression and all the hyper-vigilance of her anxieties fill her waking hours. Yet she finds herself steadily drawn to the nearly divorced neighbor, Karen, after a chance meeting while Lucy is out running off her stress at being forced to live...at all.
Their friendship blooms amidst the weeds of their mutual pasts. Karen has two children, an unfriendly husband from whom she is separated and a connection to Lucy’s life that our protagonist would never have imagined. But as they get to know one another, something else in Lucy’s life is suddenly amiss: Someone is trying to kill her.
I cannot reveal the outcome of the growing romantic and sexual attraction between Lucy and Karen, nor the impediments that are placed in their way at every turn, but I will say this is one hell of a love story!
The book reads simultaneously like a tightly wound mystery and like a very modern gothic romance. The words, the feelings, and the actions—all of it revealing a level of talent and skill astoundingly high for a debut novel—is a hypnotic aphrodisiac that you won’t soon forget. The tension is palpable, Lucy’s angst measureable, Karen’s charm compellingly real and the story telling magnificent. I could not put this book down.
In every moment of the story, the measure of pain and passion in Lucy’s reality begins to dawn upon the reader in well-modulated increments of revelation and mystery. The outcome is all the more astonishing for the dashed hopes and spent spirit that Ashton imparts in Lucy’s view of the world after she learns who it is that has been trying, first, to frighten her and then, to kill her.
Do yourself a favor: Buy this fabulous novel, support this artist Clare Ashton, and let’s hope another book is on the way in the very near future.
March 12, 2012
Not the kind of novel I normally read but I actually really did like this story. The characters got to you and you cared about them. A bit of danger and suspense with a hint of romance. A very touching story that did not go overboard on the romance. I was beautiful done. I highly recommed this even to other cynical people like me.
July 19, 2020
Depressing
If I rated this based on writing ability, I’d give it a 4. If based on how much I liked it, it’d be a 2. It’s just a damn depressing book. There is a tiny bit of happiness and then that’s shattered. Maybe could be okay but the reader doesn’t get to find out. Well written, just not my idea of a good time.
If I rated this based on writing ability, I’d give it a 4. If based on how much I liked it, it’d be a 2. It’s just a damn depressing book. There is a tiny bit of happiness and then that’s shattered. Maybe could be okay but the reader doesn’t get to find out. Well written, just not my idea of a good time.
September 18, 2018
Slightly worried by the opening chapters, I have to admit - but so worth perseverance & a stunning book that shocks but kept me engrossed. Loved it. 5th book read of her's - all 5*!! Wow!
May 12, 2012
Pennance is a beautifully-crafted debut novel that does the two most important things for a new writer: it establishes a voice and a mood. In Pennance, the voice is that of a woman who is scarred both physically and emotionally, the result of a car crash and fire that killed her boyfriend. The mood is a perfect evocation of the setting, a small town in Cornwall: ingrown, governed by minuscule distinctions of family and class, and suspicious of all outsiders and especially of Lucy, our narrator/protagonist.
The novel is a form of romantic suspense, dominated by the suspense, consisting of Lucy's (and our) growing awareness that someone really is out to get her, and with the romance developing slowly, resolved only at the very end of the book. Most of the story, especially the first half, is concerned with Lucy's fragile emotional state. Wracked with guilt over her own survival and failure to save her partner, Jake, fearful of confrontations with Jake's family and the owner of the garage that serviced the fatal car, whom they're suing, Lucy is both timid and resolute, agoraphobic and stubborn. Ashton does an excellent job of making us feel Lucy's terror at subjecting herself to the stares and judgments, real or imagined, of her fellow villagers. Lucy forces herself to make the weekly trip to the market for groceries and spends the rest of her time avoiding people, going for runs in the woods and bicycling to her job rather than face the ordeal of driving.
If the narrative of the conventional m/f romance novel often involves a wounded hero who must be healed, for this lesbian romance Lucy makes a lovely wounded co-heroine. We see her strength returning as she refuses to give in to her fears and to the protective but constricting advice of Ben, Jake's brother. Lucy is determined to remain independent, staying in the unheated cottage she shared with Jake, using a space heater in one room rather than lighting a fire that would re-create her trauma, continuing to build up her strength with her running and supporting herself with her computer-tech job.
When Lucy meets her new neighbor, Karen, the attraction is shown so subtly that I (a most unsubtle reader and writer) did not immediately pick up on it. I only figured it out because I knew this was supposed to be a "lesbian romance"--and a very good one it is. In recent years, we've come a long way with same-sex love stories, and there are plenty of works of both literary and genre fiction that feature women who know what they like and go after it with gusto. So it's a kind of retro pleasure to read this somewhat old-fashioned love story between two women who have both been involved in longterm relationships with men and come to the realization, slowly and almost reluctantly (on Lucy's part), of who they are and of their true desires.
I'm giving Pennance four stars as a signal that Ashton is a fine writer who is going to do even better with her next books. Pennance shows typical errors of a new, self-published author: the copy editing is on the level of second draft, not a finished product gone over with a fine-toothed comb; the narrative voice relies too often, as another reviewer has remarked, on the internal "I thought," "I wondered," "I realized" phrases that distance readers from the protagonist's emotions; and, unusually for a unedited writer, too few commas instead of too many! All this is easily corrected or improved in subsequent novels, and I look forward to reading them.
The novel is a form of romantic suspense, dominated by the suspense, consisting of Lucy's (and our) growing awareness that someone really is out to get her, and with the romance developing slowly, resolved only at the very end of the book. Most of the story, especially the first half, is concerned with Lucy's fragile emotional state. Wracked with guilt over her own survival and failure to save her partner, Jake, fearful of confrontations with Jake's family and the owner of the garage that serviced the fatal car, whom they're suing, Lucy is both timid and resolute, agoraphobic and stubborn. Ashton does an excellent job of making us feel Lucy's terror at subjecting herself to the stares and judgments, real or imagined, of her fellow villagers. Lucy forces herself to make the weekly trip to the market for groceries and spends the rest of her time avoiding people, going for runs in the woods and bicycling to her job rather than face the ordeal of driving.
If the narrative of the conventional m/f romance novel often involves a wounded hero who must be healed, for this lesbian romance Lucy makes a lovely wounded co-heroine. We see her strength returning as she refuses to give in to her fears and to the protective but constricting advice of Ben, Jake's brother. Lucy is determined to remain independent, staying in the unheated cottage she shared with Jake, using a space heater in one room rather than lighting a fire that would re-create her trauma, continuing to build up her strength with her running and supporting herself with her computer-tech job.
When Lucy meets her new neighbor, Karen, the attraction is shown so subtly that I (a most unsubtle reader and writer) did not immediately pick up on it. I only figured it out because I knew this was supposed to be a "lesbian romance"--and a very good one it is. In recent years, we've come a long way with same-sex love stories, and there are plenty of works of both literary and genre fiction that feature women who know what they like and go after it with gusto. So it's a kind of retro pleasure to read this somewhat old-fashioned love story between two women who have both been involved in longterm relationships with men and come to the realization, slowly and almost reluctantly (on Lucy's part), of who they are and of their true desires.
I'm giving Pennance four stars as a signal that Ashton is a fine writer who is going to do even better with her next books. Pennance shows typical errors of a new, self-published author: the copy editing is on the level of second draft, not a finished product gone over with a fine-toothed comb; the narrative voice relies too often, as another reviewer has remarked, on the internal "I thought," "I wondered," "I realized" phrases that distance readers from the protagonist's emotions; and, unusually for a unedited writer, too few commas instead of too many! All this is easily corrected or improved in subsequent novels, and I look forward to reading them.
July 13, 2019
Yeah, this one will take a couple more reads for me to digest fully.
Post-read first impression Ee-rie! This story is a cross between Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt (minus the traveling) and a . I can’t say which one because I don’t normally do .
With a book like Pennance, I sometimes question whether or not the plot is believable. Could this happen in real life? Sure, accidents happen, people die, fingers are pointed, and survivors sometimes blame themselves—hence the need for penance. In Lucy’s case, her penance comes in the form of self-isolation and forcing herself to live with her phobias and hang ups. Her guilt, if you want to call it that, is misdirected. Her feelings for Jake and the chilling scenes of the accident are coincidental? unrelated? I’m not sure what word(s) fits her scenario. Lucy is a settler by nature, so with her guilt, she lives in purgatory for over a year. During this time she has unpleasant conversations with Margaret (Jake’s mom), hates the constant pity she receives from the residents of Pennance, and suffers harassment from Tom Riley who is in his own state of suffering (with a helping hand from Margaret).
A year and a half later, in glides Karen Trevithik who, according to Lucy, is “confident, elegant,” and “comfortable with herself.” However, Karen, who is a mystery to Lucy and us as readers, is also living her own form of purgatory (failed marriage, the target of town gossip, etc.). Lucy bonds immediately with Karen’s three-year-old son, George, but not so much with Karen’s preteen daughter, Sophia. That little...girl. (Word meanings crop up here and there in Pennance; therefore, it’s interesting how Ms. Ashton contrasts the meaning of the name Sophia with Sophia the actual character.)
The chemistry between Lucy and Karen doesn’t leap off the pages, but it's there. The beginning of their relationship is reminiscent of the phrase “misery loves company.” In Lucy and Karen’s case, their miseries grow into an intimate bond made of hope, absolution, and possible happiness. There is also a sense of desperation for Lucy and Karen in that their relationship is seen as being dangerous and reckless based on the town’s perceived status quo.
On a side note, Ms. Ashton has a talent for creating and bending the setting to her will. I’m the first to admit I have little patience when it comes to reading the description of a place or scene and skip ahead to the dialogue and action. However, with Pennance, the setting is an integral part of the story, not a separate element. Yeah, there is some telling in the beginning, but phrases such as buildings looked like miserable animals, weak rays of sun, and large dark clouds, which are mentioned throughout the story enhance the drama/conflict and keeps me turning the pages.
Overall, great story. There’s romance, some angst, and a series of mysterious events that’ll have you asking/guessing who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Post-read first impression Ee-rie! This story is a cross between Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt (minus the traveling) and a . I can’t say which one because I don’t normally do .
With a book like Pennance, I sometimes question whether or not the plot is believable. Could this happen in real life? Sure, accidents happen, people die, fingers are pointed, and survivors sometimes blame themselves—hence the need for penance. In Lucy’s case, her penance comes in the form of self-isolation and forcing herself to live with her phobias and hang ups. Her guilt, if you want to call it that, is misdirected. Her feelings for Jake and the chilling scenes of the accident are coincidental? unrelated? I’m not sure what word(s) fits her scenario. Lucy is a settler by nature, so with her guilt, she lives in purgatory for over a year. During this time she has unpleasant conversations with Margaret (Jake’s mom), hates the constant pity she receives from the residents of Pennance, and suffers harassment from Tom Riley who is in his own state of suffering (with a helping hand from Margaret).
A year and a half later, in glides Karen Trevithik who, according to Lucy, is “confident, elegant,” and “comfortable with herself.” However, Karen, who is a mystery to Lucy and us as readers, is also living her own form of purgatory (failed marriage, the target of town gossip, etc.). Lucy bonds immediately with Karen’s three-year-old son, George, but not so much with Karen’s preteen daughter, Sophia. That little...girl. (Word meanings crop up here and there in Pennance; therefore, it’s interesting how Ms. Ashton contrasts the meaning of the name Sophia with Sophia the actual character.)
The chemistry between Lucy and Karen doesn’t leap off the pages, but it's there. The beginning of their relationship is reminiscent of the phrase “misery loves company.” In Lucy and Karen’s case, their miseries grow into an intimate bond made of hope, absolution, and possible happiness. There is also a sense of desperation for Lucy and Karen in that their relationship is seen as being dangerous and reckless based on the town’s perceived status quo.
On a side note, Ms. Ashton has a talent for creating and bending the setting to her will. I’m the first to admit I have little patience when it comes to reading the description of a place or scene and skip ahead to the dialogue and action. However, with Pennance, the setting is an integral part of the story, not a separate element. Yeah, there is some telling in the beginning, but phrases such as buildings looked like miserable animals, weak rays of sun, and large dark clouds, which are mentioned throughout the story enhance the drama/conflict and keeps me turning the pages.
Overall, great story. There’s romance, some angst, and a series of mysterious events that’ll have you asking/guessing who, what, when, where, why, and how.
March 15, 2012
Strong four stars. Quite an enjoyable read. Unexpected twists kept me interested for the majority.
I found it hard to follow the first few chapters but once I found the narrators "voice" I was on a roll. The dialogue and sentence structure were well thought out and executed. The lead character, Lucy, is chock full of relate-able quirks and paranoia. Following a traumatic experience, Lucy, begins to neglect her home and herself. Something most folks can relate to.
I was a bit disappointed there was no finality when it came to Jake, Lucy's ghostly partner. It seemed to me he simply stopped popping up in the cottage until his spirit was mentioned toward the end. Not detrimental to the plot, only my opinion. I was looking forward to further spectral interaction.
The relationship that developed between Lucy and her new neighbor, Karen, was endearing. In fact, the romantic interlude between the two was much better written than that of your typical "romance" novel. I didn't even skip over the steamy scene, like I typically do. Although, I did blush a bit.
Don't mistake this for a "romance" novel by any means. The relationships Lucy juggles are only a side note to the suspense and danger that follows her.
That being said, the end was as it should be. And I was left as I should have been, satisfied and wanting more.
Job well done, Claire!
I found it hard to follow the first few chapters but once I found the narrators "voice" I was on a roll. The dialogue and sentence structure were well thought out and executed. The lead character, Lucy, is chock full of relate-able quirks and paranoia. Following a traumatic experience, Lucy, begins to neglect her home and herself. Something most folks can relate to.
I was a bit disappointed there was no finality when it came to Jake, Lucy's ghostly partner. It seemed to me he simply stopped popping up in the cottage until his spirit was mentioned toward the end. Not detrimental to the plot, only my opinion. I was looking forward to further spectral interaction.
The relationship that developed between Lucy and her new neighbor, Karen, was endearing. In fact, the romantic interlude between the two was much better written than that of your typical "romance" novel. I didn't even skip over the steamy scene, like I typically do. Although, I did blush a bit.
Don't mistake this for a "romance" novel by any means. The relationships Lucy juggles are only a side note to the suspense and danger that follows her.
That being said, the end was as it should be. And I was left as I should have been, satisfied and wanting more.
Job well done, Claire!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2012
I should have written this two days ago when I finished reading the book. Since I have moved into other books blurring my memory of this one.
It was a hard read for me. I suffer from depression and social anxiety. The beginning chapters of the book were quite depressing for me. Once the main character meets her neighbor things start looking up. She has someone who seems to understand how to respond to the emotional roller coaster that MC is going through.
In a town called Pennace, can anyone expect anything but sadness, regret? But it does move and as you get acquainted with others in the book you find the flavors around the town changing.
Clare Ashton introduces polyamorism but doesn't go into it very deeply. She deals with bigotry toward gays or those who think differently than what the town considers 'normal'.
The ghost of boyfriend past plays a large part of the main character's life on a daily basis. And it is great to watch her move from depression to dealing with the problems of others in a way that built her inner strengths. In fact, I think that is the redeeming value of this book. Ms. Ashton let her characters grow.
Well worth the read.
It was a hard read for me. I suffer from depression and social anxiety. The beginning chapters of the book were quite depressing for me. Once the main character meets her neighbor things start looking up. She has someone who seems to understand how to respond to the emotional roller coaster that MC is going through.
In a town called Pennace, can anyone expect anything but sadness, regret? But it does move and as you get acquainted with others in the book you find the flavors around the town changing.
Clare Ashton introduces polyamorism but doesn't go into it very deeply. She deals with bigotry toward gays or those who think differently than what the town considers 'normal'.
The ghost of boyfriend past plays a large part of the main character's life on a daily basis. And it is great to watch her move from depression to dealing with the problems of others in a way that built her inner strengths. In fact, I think that is the redeeming value of this book. Ms. Ashton let her characters grow.
Well worth the read.
April 8, 2012
The book starts with the main character, Lucy, so struck with grief and guilt that she is just barely functioning. The descriptions of Lucy's feelings and actions are a very realistic portrayal of how one may feel when recovering from a loss. Lucy keeps herself fairly isolated, scared of interaction with others - some of whom she feels threatened by and others who she feels judged by. As the story develops we learn more about the accident that scars her and results in her partner's death, while watching a friendship form between Lucy and a new neighbor.
April 3, 2012
Pennance
I recommend Pennance as deserving the title of "a good read." The characters are strong and well defined and the plot is interesting, and at times, surprising. This book has it all - love, mystery, a compelling setting, and most important to me, compelling characters.
I recommend Pennance as deserving the title of "a good read." The characters are strong and well defined and the plot is interesting, and at times, surprising. This book has it all - love, mystery, a compelling setting, and most important to me, compelling characters.
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