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A Year of Marvellous Ways
Cornwall, 1947. Marvellous Ways is a ninety-year-old woman who's lived alone in a remote creek for nearly all her life. Recently she's taken to spending her days sitting on the steps of her caravan with a pair of binoculars. She's waiting for something - she's not sure what, but she'll know it when she sees it. Freddy Drake is a young soldier left reeling by the war. He's agreed to fulfil a dying friend's last wish and hand-deliver a letter to the boy's father in Cornwall. But Freddy's journey doesn't go to plan, and sees him literally wash up in Marvellous' creek, broken in body and spirit. When Marvellous comes to his aid, an unlikely friendship grows between the two. Can Freddy give Marvellous what she needs to say goodbye to the world, and can she give him what he needs to go on?
310 pages, Hardcover
First published April 9, 2015
1065 people are currently reading
12595 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Winman
9 books2,948 followersSarah Winman (born 1964) is a British actress and author. In 2011 her debut novel When God Was a Rabbit became an international bestseller and won Winman several awards including New Writer of the Year in the Galaxy National Book Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,433 reviews
August 26, 2017
This book is filled with imagery beautifully painted. It is filled with song, the harmonies and accompaniments to a melody in the key of life. These feelings can usually only be found in heart stirring poetry, yet they are found throughout this moving story written in prose.
An old woman at the end of her life and a young man at the beginning of his. Young, broken Francis Drake comes into the old woman’s sphere of existence to deliver a letter, and finds deliverance for himself. Through her stories of her life and the beauty of nature surrounding them, he finds healing and purpose.
The accompaniments to their melody and harmony are found in other people who are seeking their purpose and find it through their connections with each other. And at the center of it all, the old woman’s melody sings true and holds the life notes of everyone together until they are able to follow their own melody.
This is such a beautiful and inspiring book and I recommend it to everyone.
An old woman at the end of her life and a young man at the beginning of his. Young, broken Francis Drake comes into the old woman’s sphere of existence to deliver a letter, and finds deliverance for himself. Through her stories of her life and the beauty of nature surrounding them, he finds healing and purpose.
The accompaniments to their melody and harmony are found in other people who are seeking their purpose and find it through their connections with each other. And at the center of it all, the old woman’s melody sings true and holds the life notes of everyone together until they are able to follow their own melody.
This is such a beautiful and inspiring book and I recommend it to everyone.
July 23, 2015
This is a difficult book to review. Those readers who enjoy beautiful sentences and lyrical writing will rave about it. Those who just want a good story will struggle to get into it. I had to keep re-reading bits as I keep losing the thread of the tale. And I'm still not sure I understood what happened in the end!
July 22, 2018
“What a dream I had
Pressed in organdy
Clothed in crinoline of smoky Burgundy
Softer than the rain
“I wandered empty streets down
Past the shop displays
I heard cathedral bells
Tripping down the alleyways
As I walked on”
-- For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her, Simon & Garfunkel, Songwriters: Paul Simon
”So here she was, old now, standing by the roadside waiting.
“Ever since she had entered her ninetieth year Marvellous Ways spent a good part of her day waiting, and not for death, as you might assume, given her age. She wasn’t sure what she was waiting for because the image was incomplete. It was a sense, that’s all, something that had come to her on the tail feather of a dream – one of Paper Jack’s dreams, God rest his soul – and it had flown over the landscape of sleep just before light and she hadn’t been able to grasp that tail feather and pull it back before it disappeared over the horizon and disintegrated in the heat of a rising sun. But she had known its message: Wait, for it’s coming.”
An ode to life with all the mystical and magical ways it has of sweeping you off one course and onto another, into another’s life and when those lives become linked and mingle and bring forth new life – and this is how life goes on. This story is filled with life: the beginnings and the ends, the highs and the lows, and all the somethings and someones in between that give life meaning.
Weaving in and out of time, from her childhood to the days when American Soldiers roamed England and this little village of St. Ophere, a hamlet, really, and Marvellous Ways was still a young woman, through the years that follow, and shared as she looks back over those years.
This reads like a fairy tale, a dream, like a song of love and yearning and loss, a poem that tells a lifelong tale and leaves you wanting more, but acknowledging that this is the story of a life, the way of life to begin. To end. An ode to life, to living a life that is true to your own beliefs, despite what the other villagers think or say.
I loved this story, these characters, the way in which this story was told with so much charm, and this magical view of love and life and the world.
”Love. It’s the only thing to have faith in.”
This is the second book written by Sarah Winman that I have read, and I have loved both of them in very different ways. I’m now really looking forward to reading her “When God Was a Rabbit.”
Pressed in organdy
Clothed in crinoline of smoky Burgundy
Softer than the rain
“I wandered empty streets down
Past the shop displays
I heard cathedral bells
Tripping down the alleyways
As I walked on”
-- For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her, Simon & Garfunkel, Songwriters: Paul Simon
”So here she was, old now, standing by the roadside waiting.
“Ever since she had entered her ninetieth year Marvellous Ways spent a good part of her day waiting, and not for death, as you might assume, given her age. She wasn’t sure what she was waiting for because the image was incomplete. It was a sense, that’s all, something that had come to her on the tail feather of a dream – one of Paper Jack’s dreams, God rest his soul – and it had flown over the landscape of sleep just before light and she hadn’t been able to grasp that tail feather and pull it back before it disappeared over the horizon and disintegrated in the heat of a rising sun. But she had known its message: Wait, for it’s coming.”
An ode to life with all the mystical and magical ways it has of sweeping you off one course and onto another, into another’s life and when those lives become linked and mingle and bring forth new life – and this is how life goes on. This story is filled with life: the beginnings and the ends, the highs and the lows, and all the somethings and someones in between that give life meaning.
Weaving in and out of time, from her childhood to the days when American Soldiers roamed England and this little village of St. Ophere, a hamlet, really, and Marvellous Ways was still a young woman, through the years that follow, and shared as she looks back over those years.
This reads like a fairy tale, a dream, like a song of love and yearning and loss, a poem that tells a lifelong tale and leaves you wanting more, but acknowledging that this is the story of a life, the way of life to begin. To end. An ode to life, to living a life that is true to your own beliefs, despite what the other villagers think or say.
I loved this story, these characters, the way in which this story was told with so much charm, and this magical view of love and life and the world.
”Love. It’s the only thing to have faith in.”
This is the second book written by Sarah Winman that I have read, and I have loved both of them in very different ways. I’m now really looking forward to reading her “When God Was a Rabbit.”
September 4, 2021
Sarah Winman's chimerical prose is as mellifluous as a lullaby, drifting in and out of the reader's consciousness, like a half-remembered dream.
I've snipped off one star, only because the story loses its way somewhat.
I've snipped off one star, only because the story loses its way somewhat.
August 26, 2015
A charming, magical read. The writing is superb, almost poetical and the characters well-developed.
Marvellous Ways is a kind, caring but strong and wise woman. A healer in many ways, but to a degree she is also naive, sheltered from the world, but that makes her even more appealing as a character and vulnerable as a person. When hers and Drake's paths cross, a magical journey begins, a journey of self-discovery, forgiveness and a beautiful friendship starts.
I loved that book. If you enjoy reading quirky, magical stories, this one is a must-read.
Marvellous Ways is a kind, caring but strong and wise woman. A healer in many ways, but to a degree she is also naive, sheltered from the world, but that makes her even more appealing as a character and vulnerable as a person. When hers and Drake's paths cross, a magical journey begins, a journey of self-discovery, forgiveness and a beautiful friendship starts.
I loved that book. If you enjoy reading quirky, magical stories, this one is a must-read.
November 12, 2025
3.5 rounded up.
Tin Man and Still Life by Sarah Winman are two books that still resonate with me, even though I read them several years ago . I loved everything about them so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this earlier book by Winman that is being rereleased in June , 2026. These are very different stories, yet there is much about this story that reminded me of the two first two I read . It’s beautifully written, filled with emotion and characters who I will remember .
Marvelous Ways - what a marvelous name for a singular woman ! Marvelous, an 89 year old recluse lives along the coast of Cornwall with her now fading memories waiting for something to happen, although she doesn’t know what it will be . A young soldier returning from WWII washes up on the shore. His memories are newer and raw. It’s told in lyrical language and as life stories are shared, a lovely relationship of mutual caring between two unlikely characters blossoms. They connect through the stories of the loves of their lives, their happinesses, their losses and their grief. Dreams pass from one to another . One with a desire to know a father, one with a desire to know a mother .
A beautifully written story of the joy and heartbreak of love, of life and death . However, the magical realism was at times was too much for my taste . The bond between them would have been magical enough for me.
I received a copy of this from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through Edelweiss.
Tin Man and Still Life by Sarah Winman are two books that still resonate with me, even though I read them several years ago . I loved everything about them so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this earlier book by Winman that is being rereleased in June , 2026. These are very different stories, yet there is much about this story that reminded me of the two first two I read . It’s beautifully written, filled with emotion and characters who I will remember .
Marvelous Ways - what a marvelous name for a singular woman ! Marvelous, an 89 year old recluse lives along the coast of Cornwall with her now fading memories waiting for something to happen, although she doesn’t know what it will be . A young soldier returning from WWII washes up on the shore. His memories are newer and raw. It’s told in lyrical language and as life stories are shared, a lovely relationship of mutual caring between two unlikely characters blossoms. They connect through the stories of the loves of their lives, their happinesses, their losses and their grief. Dreams pass from one to another . One with a desire to know a father, one with a desire to know a mother .
A beautifully written story of the joy and heartbreak of love, of life and death . However, the magical realism was at times was too much for my taste . The bond between them would have been magical enough for me.
I received a copy of this from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through Edelweiss.
January 7, 2022
I loved this almost more than Still Life. It's a wonderful story of how human lives intersect and interweave, and how even the cruellest hurts can be healed through patience, compassion and love. This occasionally edges into magical realism (a genre I usually dislike) but this author does it so brilliantly, blurring the margins between the earthly and the dreamlike/magical, that it feels exactly right for the story. Also, being of grandmotherly years myself, I appreciated the strong character of Marvellous, who is central to the story and is around my age.
July 1, 2024
A Year of Marvellous Ways is a book about Marvellous Ways, a ninety-year-old woman who has lived alone in a remote creek all her life and is now waiting for something and Freddy Drake, a young soldier left reeling by the war who is on a journey to deliver a letter, as their paths cross.
I don’t think its possible for me to dislike a book written by Sarah Winman. There’s something about the plot of her books that just captures your heart and refuses to let go. A Year of Marvellous Ways was a heartwarming book about love, friendship and sacrifice, about learning to live and appreciate life. I can’t say that I knew what was going on half of the time that I was reading this book but that was the beauty of the story, that it kept me guessing and wondering at what was happening and the secrets behind the plot. I have to admit though, that there were times that the plot was stronger and times where I felt like I was wading through a lot of the story, but I don’t think its possible for me to rate a book by Sarah Winman anything less than 5 stars. This book was truly magical, and the experience of reading it felt like magic as well.
Sarah Winman’s books always have such heartbreaking love stories within them. In this book, Marvellous’ three experiences of falling in love and Freddy’s relationship with his childhood lover just broke my heart into pieces. Why can’t we ever just have a happy ending? And this book was a little hopeful in it’s ending but that doesn’t change the fact that the romances and how they played out really made me cry bucket loads of tears. And that’s no surprise there. I don’t think its possible for me to read a book written by this author and not cry a lot. But the love between characters in this book strives to remind me of the beauty of life and living and how sometimes the ultimate test of love is loving someone enough to let them go.
As always, the writing was beautiful and poetic. But in this book, it also felt magical, like I could feel the magic of the story through it’s writing. It really helped set that atmosphere, especially because there were some magical elements that took place throughout the story, and the writing helped frame that mood and I really, really enjoyed it.
Overall, A Year of Marvellous Ways reminded me all over again why Sarah Winman is one of my favourite authors of all time. Her books will teach you how to love and break your heart, all in one go.
“It was as if a blade had shucked his heart like an oyster and stolen the beauty within. He said his heart never started beating again, it just started working and I never understood the difference, not until I was much older anyway, when I learnt that coming back from the dead is not quite the same as coming back to life.”
I don’t think its possible for me to dislike a book written by Sarah Winman. There’s something about the plot of her books that just captures your heart and refuses to let go. A Year of Marvellous Ways was a heartwarming book about love, friendship and sacrifice, about learning to live and appreciate life. I can’t say that I knew what was going on half of the time that I was reading this book but that was the beauty of the story, that it kept me guessing and wondering at what was happening and the secrets behind the plot. I have to admit though, that there were times that the plot was stronger and times where I felt like I was wading through a lot of the story, but I don’t think its possible for me to rate a book by Sarah Winman anything less than 5 stars. This book was truly magical, and the experience of reading it felt like magic as well.
“Love. It's the only thing to have faith in... Or the moon. Something that turns up every day when you can't. The sun. The moon. Anything. You have to have faith in something.”
Sarah Winman’s books always have such heartbreaking love stories within them. In this book, Marvellous’ three experiences of falling in love and Freddy’s relationship with his childhood lover just broke my heart into pieces. Why can’t we ever just have a happy ending? And this book was a little hopeful in it’s ending but that doesn’t change the fact that the romances and how they played out really made me cry bucket loads of tears. And that’s no surprise there. I don’t think its possible for me to read a book written by this author and not cry a lot. But the love between characters in this book strives to remind me of the beauty of life and living and how sometimes the ultimate test of love is loving someone enough to let them go.
“Love just enough. What's enough? Enough to hold. When it hurts, you're loving too much. Just enough to hold. Anything more than a handful and you're in trouble.”
As always, the writing was beautiful and poetic. But in this book, it also felt magical, like I could feel the magic of the story through it’s writing. It really helped set that atmosphere, especially because there were some magical elements that took place throughout the story, and the writing helped frame that mood and I really, really enjoyed it.
“He wanted to tell her that nothing felt right and he missed his home because how could he make a home in a land that whispered angry words? How could he make a home in a land that didn’t have her?”
Overall, A Year of Marvellous Ways reminded me all over again why Sarah Winman is one of my favourite authors of all time. Her books will teach you how to love and break your heart, all in one go.
July 16, 2017
This is such a beautiful book. In some ways it reminded me of Ben Okri's A Famished Road. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's one of those very special books that is beautifully written and has a great story. I absolutely loved it.
February 1, 2018
A Year Of Marvellous Ways is a beautiful heart warming read that i enjoyed more than i expected (which is good SO GOOD)
It's about this eighty-nine-year-old brilliant woman called Marvellous Ways -I love her name SO BLOODY MUCH!!- Who sits by a creek waiting for her last adventure, she had plenty of them though but she is still waiting for the latest. And it's about Francis Drake a young soldier, worn out of war and broken hearted, these two characters will find their way to each other's lives and will tell tales you've never heard of before.
And i can promise you that you'll love her after reading only 2 pages of her POV, i mean come on who wouldn't love an old woman whose name is freaking MARVELLOUS
Okay I'll show you a bit of how she speaks and all :
'You again!'
And he said, 'Me again!'
'So what do you want? Wellness or hellness?'
And he quietly said, 'You-ness.'
And she said, 'ain't no Eunice living here.'
And he said, 'God damn iit, woman, you've still got a mouth! Now come down those steps and let me hold you.'
Um, i would like to see you try and write a better OTP than Marvellous and Jack...I've got all the time i am patiently waiting.
'Do you love me?'
'Yes Because i have more love to give.'
He reached for his ale. 'I still have guilt,' he said.
'Time swallowed mine.'
'Lucky.'
'No. Just very very tired,' said Marvellous.
'I won't go underground again,' said Jack. 'Just the sea for me now. I'll take my chances with the waves.'
'Swim with me,' said Marvellous.
'I can't swim. I don't know a sailor who can.'
'We'll stay shallow and I'll hold you.'
'I'm a lot to hold.'
'I'm a good anchor.'
AAAAAHHHHHH The writing is so beautiful and poetic it makes me want to cry.
~~~~
I want to be Marvellous Ways when i grow up.
It's about this eighty-nine-year-old brilliant woman called Marvellous Ways -I love her name SO BLOODY MUCH!!- Who sits by a creek waiting for her last adventure, she had plenty of them though but she is still waiting for the latest. And it's about Francis Drake a young soldier, worn out of war and broken hearted, these two characters will find their way to each other's lives and will tell tales you've never heard of before.
And i can promise you that you'll love her after reading only 2 pages of her POV, i mean come on who wouldn't love an old woman whose name is freaking MARVELLOUS
Okay I'll show you a bit of how she speaks and all :
'You again!'
And he said, 'Me again!'
'So what do you want? Wellness or hellness?'
And he quietly said, 'You-ness.'
And she said, 'ain't no Eunice living here.'
And he said, 'God damn iit, woman, you've still got a mouth! Now come down those steps and let me hold you.'
Um, i would like to see you try and write a better OTP than Marvellous and Jack...I've got all the time i am patiently waiting.
'Do you love me?'
'Yes Because i have more love to give.'
He reached for his ale. 'I still have guilt,' he said.
'Time swallowed mine.'
'Lucky.'
'No. Just very very tired,' said Marvellous.
'I won't go underground again,' said Jack. 'Just the sea for me now. I'll take my chances with the waves.'
'Swim with me,' said Marvellous.
'I can't swim. I don't know a sailor who can.'
'We'll stay shallow and I'll hold you.'
'I'm a lot to hold.'
'I'm a good anchor.'
AAAAAHHHHHH The writing is so beautiful and poetic it makes me want to cry.
~~~~
I want to be Marvellous Ways when i grow up.
January 21, 2015
Got this as a proof. And I can't decide if I liked it. After getting used to the style ( no "talking" marks anywhere in the book - which totally annoyed me) I wanted to see where everything tied in. It took about 3 chapters to adjust to the style and to be honest I found it hard work. Maybe people who rave on about Style and Lyrical Text and all that jazz will love it. Maybe it is some sort of experimental form. Personally I found it distracting and irritating.
The plot had more coincidences and unexpected relations than Jane Eyre and most of them I found to be unnecessary. The story kept me reading in spite of all this so the writer is onto something. Toward then end of the book I did find myself skimming the text rather than reading thoroughly -I just wanted it finished and to find out what happened to the characters.
As a book seller whenever I read a proof I find myself asking "Who would I recommend this book to?" and if I can think of 3 regular customers who would read it I think it is worth getting into the store. This will definitely find an audience with the literary set. Those who care more for form than story. Those who like the language and complexity of vocabulary. Those , in other words, who have a certain tolerance for literary bullshit.
The plot had more coincidences and unexpected relations than Jane Eyre and most of them I found to be unnecessary. The story kept me reading in spite of all this so the writer is onto something. Toward then end of the book I did find myself skimming the text rather than reading thoroughly -I just wanted it finished and to find out what happened to the characters.
As a book seller whenever I read a proof I find myself asking "Who would I recommend this book to?" and if I can think of 3 regular customers who would read it I think it is worth getting into the store. This will definitely find an audience with the literary set. Those who care more for form than story. Those who like the language and complexity of vocabulary. Those , in other words, who have a certain tolerance for literary bullshit.
June 18, 2017
She asked only for a moment so that the cataract veil between Time-Past and Time-Now could shift.
Are you a valuing the journey person, or all about the destination? If it's the former, how important is the style of the journey for you?
The blurb for this book (and the gorgeous cover; we all know I'm a sucker for a beautiful cover) sucked me right in. But this is not a straightforward story told in a straightforward way. The book has a magic realism feel to it; though the book ties itself to particular time periods at times, these don't really seem to anchor the book. The book seems to float in a world apart, in a time apart, where it follows its own rules. The time shifts in the book can be sudden and unannounced, and it took me a little to become used to this.
This is an author new to me, and I'm not sure if it the same with her other book, but in this book the author has a very distinct style, and this contributes to the hazy sense of time and place. Whilst set in Cornwall, the book had the feel to me of literature from the American south. The character names also added to the other worldly feel with characters such as Marvellous Ways; Francis Drake; Paper Jack; Peace, and so on.
There was beautiful imagery in the book, such as
I awoke dazed, looking up through a portal to a star-drenched sky. And beyond the stars bands of milky light stretched out to the hush of infinity.
You can dip into the book randomly and pull out descriptions and beautiful passages at will.
Some quotes I picked out as I read, that I thought captured the author's style were;
She tried to shove Doubt aside but Doubt laughed because you can't shove Doubt.
and
He unbuttoned his trousers, and she, once again unbuttoned his heart.
or there was this one that made me smile
Salvation, for me, will come from the dirt she once told Marvellous.
Like a potato? said the young child.
Coming back to my question about whether you enjoy the journey, or if it just to get to the destination: this book is a journey, a non-linear one, and one that is told in a particular style. I feel safe making a call it won't be a book for everyone. If you're unsure, pick the book up and read a few pages, or download a kindle sample. It will be apparent quickly whether this is a book that you feel comfortable and at home with.
With many grateful thanks to Goodreads First Reads and Hachette Australia for this proof copy to read and review.
Are you a valuing the journey person, or all about the destination? If it's the former, how important is the style of the journey for you?
The blurb for this book (and the gorgeous cover; we all know I'm a sucker for a beautiful cover) sucked me right in. But this is not a straightforward story told in a straightforward way. The book has a magic realism feel to it; though the book ties itself to particular time periods at times, these don't really seem to anchor the book. The book seems to float in a world apart, in a time apart, where it follows its own rules. The time shifts in the book can be sudden and unannounced, and it took me a little to become used to this.
This is an author new to me, and I'm not sure if it the same with her other book, but in this book the author has a very distinct style, and this contributes to the hazy sense of time and place. Whilst set in Cornwall, the book had the feel to me of literature from the American south. The character names also added to the other worldly feel with characters such as Marvellous Ways; Francis Drake; Paper Jack; Peace, and so on.
There was beautiful imagery in the book, such as
I awoke dazed, looking up through a portal to a star-drenched sky. And beyond the stars bands of milky light stretched out to the hush of infinity.
You can dip into the book randomly and pull out descriptions and beautiful passages at will.
Some quotes I picked out as I read, that I thought captured the author's style were;
She tried to shove Doubt aside but Doubt laughed because you can't shove Doubt.
and
He unbuttoned his trousers, and she, once again unbuttoned his heart.
or there was this one that made me smile
Salvation, for me, will come from the dirt she once told Marvellous.
Like a potato? said the young child.
Coming back to my question about whether you enjoy the journey, or if it just to get to the destination: this book is a journey, a non-linear one, and one that is told in a particular style. I feel safe making a call it won't be a book for everyone. If you're unsure, pick the book up and read a few pages, or download a kindle sample. It will be apparent quickly whether this is a book that you feel comfortable and at home with.
With many grateful thanks to Goodreads First Reads and Hachette Australia for this proof copy to read and review.
September 16, 2017
Spoilers
The writing wasn't my cup of tea, particularly Marvellous's chapters, it was hard to understand what was going on. She kept banging on about starfish and weird dreams, and flip flopped between the past and present and it was difficult to keep track of what was when. It got better later on in the book, but even then it still wasn't great, her chapters were a wishy washy mess of magical realism and bizarre ponderings. I wasn't keen on Marvellous's personality either, she was too pathetic, her whole life was about some guy who kept ditching her and who lived a full life of his own and had his own adventures and only returned to her when he was dying and had nowhere else to go and had nothing else in his life. All his bullshit about loving Marvellous when he left her on her own for decades so he could travel the world, have relationships and a kid whilst she wasted away waiting for him was depressing, but it was written as if it was meant to be romantic. I mean Marvellous lived as a loner and even though she really wanted a kid, she didn't have one because she was waiting for him to come back to her, and when he did she was too old. She was too much of a desperate loser for me to care about her, and Marvellous/Jack supposedly being soul mates was beyond daft, the guy truly fucked her over and fucked off around the world whilst she grew old on her own.
Drake's POV was a little more interesting, for starters it wasn't impossible to follow. That said, he wasn't enough to hold the story together. The thing I was most engrossed with was a minor subplot where he had to deliver a letter from a young guy who died in war to the father, that was actually quite moving. Also, the mini romance between Peace and Ned was quite sweet. Everything else ranged from meh to WTF.
The writing wasn't my cup of tea, particularly Marvellous's chapters, it was hard to understand what was going on. She kept banging on about starfish and weird dreams, and flip flopped between the past and present and it was difficult to keep track of what was when. It got better later on in the book, but even then it still wasn't great, her chapters were a wishy washy mess of magical realism and bizarre ponderings. I wasn't keen on Marvellous's personality either, she was too pathetic, her whole life was about some guy who kept ditching her and who lived a full life of his own and had his own adventures and only returned to her when he was dying and had nowhere else to go and had nothing else in his life. All his bullshit about loving Marvellous when he left her on her own for decades so he could travel the world, have relationships and a kid whilst she wasted away waiting for him was depressing, but it was written as if it was meant to be romantic. I mean Marvellous lived as a loner and even though she really wanted a kid, she didn't have one because she was waiting for him to come back to her, and when he did she was too old. She was too much of a desperate loser for me to care about her, and Marvellous/Jack supposedly being soul mates was beyond daft, the guy truly fucked her over and fucked off around the world whilst she grew old on her own.
Drake's POV was a little more interesting, for starters it wasn't impossible to follow. That said, he wasn't enough to hold the story together. The thing I was most engrossed with was a minor subplot where he had to deliver a letter from a young guy who died in war to the father, that was actually quite moving. Also, the mini romance between Peace and Ned was quite sweet. Everything else ranged from meh to WTF.
January 24, 2025
Gentle and charming story of friendship between souls who have experienced missed opportunities of the heart. Unfortunately I didn’t fall under the spell of the dreamlike magical sequences and found that my concentration was drifting at times. Decent read.
March 24, 2015
The story of the last year of Marvellous Ways, ninety years old and still bathing naked in the creek. Set (I'm guessing it's never stated) in the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall. It's not an easy one to get into, with disparate characters introduced in stages, giving the opening chapters a jerky feel. The tale does not flow at the start and I can understand how some have found this hard to stick with and given up. It requires slow reading. It needs to be savoured. Stay with it: the story settles when the central characters come together to play their roles and a lush, eloquent, lyrical tale emerges. There's Francis Drake, returned from the war to find then lose his one true love, his heart healed by Marvellous and her gift for the rhythms of nature and life. There's Peace, whose moods can be tasted in the bread she bakes, loaves filled with names, songs and memories. Ned the fisherman is 'Cornish through and through' and woos, not with flowers, but bunches of whiting and oysters with 'the coolness, the saltiness of a prince's kiss'. And Marvellous herself, of course, a curious old woman who bathes naked and lives alone in a gypsy caravan, 'part woman, part child and neither knew what to do with the other', living in a landscape 'rich with leaf mulch and salt mud', where dawn winds blister across corrugated sands. Of 'dirt grass moor and sand, a whole history of the Peninsula laid down one on top of the other, like fossils, like prayers.' The poetry of the writing is, above all, what lifts this book and makes it sing. The description is lavish, prosaic and literary, but this never stalls the storytelling. A deeply moving tale told almost entirely in flashback, peppered with gentle twists and small surprises that became (after that admittedly very slow start) absolutely compelling. One bit of the last chapter made me sigh rather (it is a bit pat) but Marvellous' final parting more than made up for it. It is one of the most moving things I have ever read. A beautiful end to a beautiful novel.
April 17, 2015
I'd read and enjoyed When Rabbit was God, so I was looking forward to seeing what Sarah Winman would write next. And it was so worth the wait.
I absolutely love this magical, marvellous book. I feel as if I've been searching for a book like this for some time. One that seeps right into your soul, like the water from Marvellous' creek running over your welly boots, and makes you feel as squelchy as the mud she sinks down into when collecting cockles.
Everyone needs to spend some time with Marvellous Ways and listen to her stories - the stories which make up the story of her long life. It's beautiful and sad and tragic and poignant. It'll make you wonder at the world around you, marvel at the world which Marvellous inhabits, and long to pare yours back to a simpler existence where you fill your days and nights surrounded by those you love, doing something you love. This is a touching, beautiful book that I know I'll treasure and re-read every time I'm in need of reminding of that.
I absolutely love this magical, marvellous book. I feel as if I've been searching for a book like this for some time. One that seeps right into your soul, like the water from Marvellous' creek running over your welly boots, and makes you feel as squelchy as the mud she sinks down into when collecting cockles.
Everyone needs to spend some time with Marvellous Ways and listen to her stories - the stories which make up the story of her long life. It's beautiful and sad and tragic and poignant. It'll make you wonder at the world around you, marvel at the world which Marvellous inhabits, and long to pare yours back to a simpler existence where you fill your days and nights surrounded by those you love, doing something you love. This is a touching, beautiful book that I know I'll treasure and re-read every time I'm in need of reminding of that.
July 12, 2015
maybe I just wasn't paying good enough attention but this was like the most confusing book I've ever read. quotation marks weren't used so half the time I was trying to figure out who was speaking. the other half of the time I was trying to figure out if they were in present day or if Marvellous was telling a story from the past. even when the story came together at the end I was like whaaaat? I don't not recommend it but I warn you that you'll need to pay more attention than I did or you too will be finishing this book saying WTF?
March 2, 2018
I found this book harder to get into than When God was a Rabbit’ hence the four stars and there were sections in it at the beginning I’m not sure I understood. However, once I got a bit further in I was hooked. Sarah Winman is a truly gifted writer and so creative. There were beautiful images throughout such as descriptions of the Thames as being something alive as were the seasons, flowers, the sea which I believe is called animism. There was Marvellous herself being lifted by the kite and Peace with the bread. There’s a constant theme of magic throughout this book which put me in mind of elements in the writing of Joanne Harris. For example Vianne in Chocolat and Lollipop Shoes and the bottles in Blackberry Wine. Some of the images in this book will live with me for a long time. There are so many things I could pick out but who can forget the beautiful image of Paper Jack who had a ‘stowaway poet that lived in his soul’ who ‘gave that ship [a sailing ship] his heart for safekeeping’. I loved the way that characteristics were humanised like doubt which is true as we let it in. However in this book Doubt ‘lit a big fat pipe and lay back on the bed and rubbed its stomach seductively’. I loved the ending and hopefully through it Francis/Freddy can find peace and contentment. If you like books that are a bit different, that are lyrical and exquisitely crafted you’ll love this.
February 23, 2016
Very poetically written but, in my opinion, not in a good way. The author spent half the time using complex poetic phrases that I had to re-read the paragraph again to understand what was going on. Also the author, for who knows what reason, decided not to use any quotation marks throughout so I had no idea who was talking to who! Also the writing is very unclear you don't know who's story you are reading about or whether it is in the present or past. Disappointing end. This should have been a DNF but unfortunately I persisted until the end.
March 24, 2021
I'm afraid I found this book pretty hard going. I wanted to like it, but in the end I didn't find it nearly as profound or beautiful as it thinks it is.
The story is really about the healing of broken lives and spirits. It concerns Francis Drake, a war-damaged ex-soldier in 1947, who returns to England and, by various means, ends up living in an isolated Cornish river inlet with 89-year-old Marvellous Ways, a wise old woman with considerable Second Sight and a Story Of Her Own needing resolution. Their two life histories emerge slowly in the narrative, as do those of two other characters who appear later, as they all strive for healing and hope in the semi-magical landscape and in the wisdom and insight of Marvellous Ways.
This is a perfectly decent basis for a story and character study. I am in sympathy with its message of finding the depth in things, finding the depth in yourself and putting that depth into what you say and do. I have spent a lot of time in Cornwall and in its more secret places, and I think it truly is a healing, almost magical place. All of this should have made me like this book a lot, but I'm sorry to say that I don't think it is well enough done to make it really work.
The book is written in heightened language almost throughout, which may be an appropriate idea but doesn't quite succeed. I began to feel as though I was wading through treacle after a while, with lots of bits like this, for example: "The hamlet was eerily deserted. It was so quiet he could hear the mercury drop in that still air of yesteryear." This sounds very atmospheric and profound, but "hear the mercury drop"? I know it's not to be taken literally, but it's pushing hyper-reality a bit far for me. Or this, later on: "...then a shyness took hold, a shyness so acute that at the height of summer even her shadow refused to go out and play." It's intended to be profound and evocative, but I'm afraid I just found it strained and a bit silly.
I found this a lot, with a great deal of rather mannered Fine Writing but a content which shifts, disperses and often vanishes as you look at it. It isn't helped by Marvellous telling her stories at length in a voice isn't that of a woman born in 1858 and speaking in 1947, but the author's own, modern, Fine Writing, narrative voice, which threw me further out of the story.
I'm sorry to be grumpy about this book. There's more I could say about anachronisms and use of language, but I'll stop. I really thought there was lots of Style here but a good deal less insight than meets the eye, and that the style itself was mannered and, in the end, rather irritating. I know that we are supposed to find books like this Beautiful, Profound And Uplifting, but I didn't, and had to slog my way to the (rather predictable) end. Others may enjoy this more than I did, but personally I can't recommend it.
The story is really about the healing of broken lives and spirits. It concerns Francis Drake, a war-damaged ex-soldier in 1947, who returns to England and, by various means, ends up living in an isolated Cornish river inlet with 89-year-old Marvellous Ways, a wise old woman with considerable Second Sight and a Story Of Her Own needing resolution. Their two life histories emerge slowly in the narrative, as do those of two other characters who appear later, as they all strive for healing and hope in the semi-magical landscape and in the wisdom and insight of Marvellous Ways.
This is a perfectly decent basis for a story and character study. I am in sympathy with its message of finding the depth in things, finding the depth in yourself and putting that depth into what you say and do. I have spent a lot of time in Cornwall and in its more secret places, and I think it truly is a healing, almost magical place. All of this should have made me like this book a lot, but I'm sorry to say that I don't think it is well enough done to make it really work.
The book is written in heightened language almost throughout, which may be an appropriate idea but doesn't quite succeed. I began to feel as though I was wading through treacle after a while, with lots of bits like this, for example: "The hamlet was eerily deserted. It was so quiet he could hear the mercury drop in that still air of yesteryear." This sounds very atmospheric and profound, but "hear the mercury drop"? I know it's not to be taken literally, but it's pushing hyper-reality a bit far for me. Or this, later on: "...then a shyness took hold, a shyness so acute that at the height of summer even her shadow refused to go out and play." It's intended to be profound and evocative, but I'm afraid I just found it strained and a bit silly.
I found this a lot, with a great deal of rather mannered Fine Writing but a content which shifts, disperses and often vanishes as you look at it. It isn't helped by Marvellous telling her stories at length in a voice isn't that of a woman born in 1858 and speaking in 1947, but the author's own, modern, Fine Writing, narrative voice, which threw me further out of the story.
I'm sorry to be grumpy about this book. There's more I could say about anachronisms and use of language, but I'll stop. I really thought there was lots of Style here but a good deal less insight than meets the eye, and that the style itself was mannered and, in the end, rather irritating. I know that we are supposed to find books like this Beautiful, Profound And Uplifting, but I didn't, and had to slog my way to the (rather predictable) end. Others may enjoy this more than I did, but personally I can't recommend it.
May 7, 2023
3.5 stars. I'm having a really hard time rating this book. I listened to the audio book, and as always Sarah Winman's narration is superb, but for some reason I struggled focusing on the story. I listened to Still Life by the same author last year, and had no such issues. Although the writing is as beautiful, there is fewer characters, less dialogue and a slower, more meandering pace in A Year of Marvellous Ways. Because of this I think I should rather have read this dreamlike story about love, loss and second chances, as I would this would have allowed me a deeper connection with the characters and the beautiful imagery.
The Story: This is a story about Marvellous Ways, an eighty-nine-year-old woman who lives alone in a remote Cornish creek, spending her days sitting by the river, peering through a telescope. And it's about Francis Drake, a young soldier who washes up in her creek, shattered by war and broken-hearted.
The Story: This is a story about Marvellous Ways, an eighty-nine-year-old woman who lives alone in a remote Cornish creek, spending her days sitting by the river, peering through a telescope. And it's about Francis Drake, a young soldier who washes up in her creek, shattered by war and broken-hearted.
July 4, 2015
Marvellous Ways is a little old lady who lives alone in a Cornish Creek waiting….until one day she gets an unexpected visitor.
Story in a nutshell
Marvellous Ways is eighty-nine years old and the Creek she calls home is almost all she’s ever known. She spends her days sitting by the river, telescope in hand, waiting for something – she’s not sure what but she’ll know when she sees it.
One day she comes along an injured soldier, also with an unusual name – Francis Drake – and like Marvellous he is used to people commenting on his name. He’s there to fulfill the wish of dying man. Marvellous offers to help him.
But who is really helping whom?
Marvellous lives in the middle of a remote and Cornish Creek (Roseland peninsula perhaps?) but to her this is more than a creek, this is a world and unique landscape she paints as her own. The imagery reads like a painting –
I awoke dazed, looking up through a portal to a star-drenched sky. And beyond the stars bands of milky light stretched out to the hush of infinity.
Her life is revealed by a series of fantastical and poignant stories she tells to the solider and often to herself in little snippets which read like dreams. She lives in a fictional place where the sign says St Ophere and the origins of that place name are a delight to discover! With a church at its centre. Her Cornwall is embedded in her soul, her mind and her very being. This is the place for thought and reflection –
For as long as she could remember the tide had carved around the church but the church had broken away from the people or maybe the people had broken away from the church?
The stories of Marvelous – how she came to be in that creek, and how Drake came to join her there are revealed by gentle ebbs and flows of the tide.
In the ‘undulating nocturnal silence’ Marvellous smiles as she keeps company with the moon, sitting on the ‘dirt grass moor and sand, a whole history of the Peninsula laid down one on top of the other, like fossils, like prayers’ . She tells stories…oh how she tells stories of wonderment.
With characters named Marvellous Ways; Francis Drake; Paper Jack; Peace, amongst others, the scene is set for some magical realism with stars and glow bugs lighting the stage.
Drake’s story is also told as a journey to Cornwall, his experiences in war and how he spends time in London adapting to civvie life before he sets off and ends up in the creek. Wartime London is evoked poignantly too but it’s when the journey starts to that creek when Drake is about to discover a world of stories, hope and salvation.
Bookish musings
Lyrical, quirky and magical in equal measure. Oh I so wanted to meet Marvelous when reading this. Her world was one of magical realism and it was a joy to linger with her beside the creek and experience the sounds and smells all around. Listen to her telling stories and seeing her relationship with Drake develop as it does was an unusual yet uplifting journey. I did find the writing style a little confusing at times (lack of speech marks) but then I did read some of it at night
She is a very memorable character and you leave it feeling as if you’ve learned something valuable from Marvellous about how it is to think about life, have hope, dream big and live a simple, pleasurable life in a little part of Cornish paradise.
Story in a nutshell
Marvellous Ways is eighty-nine years old and the Creek she calls home is almost all she’s ever known. She spends her days sitting by the river, telescope in hand, waiting for something – she’s not sure what but she’ll know when she sees it.
One day she comes along an injured soldier, also with an unusual name – Francis Drake – and like Marvellous he is used to people commenting on his name. He’s there to fulfill the wish of dying man. Marvellous offers to help him.
But who is really helping whom?
Marvellous lives in the middle of a remote and Cornish Creek (Roseland peninsula perhaps?) but to her this is more than a creek, this is a world and unique landscape she paints as her own. The imagery reads like a painting –
I awoke dazed, looking up through a portal to a star-drenched sky. And beyond the stars bands of milky light stretched out to the hush of infinity.
Her life is revealed by a series of fantastical and poignant stories she tells to the solider and often to herself in little snippets which read like dreams. She lives in a fictional place where the sign says St Ophere and the origins of that place name are a delight to discover! With a church at its centre. Her Cornwall is embedded in her soul, her mind and her very being. This is the place for thought and reflection –
For as long as she could remember the tide had carved around the church but the church had broken away from the people or maybe the people had broken away from the church?
The stories of Marvelous – how she came to be in that creek, and how Drake came to join her there are revealed by gentle ebbs and flows of the tide.
In the ‘undulating nocturnal silence’ Marvellous smiles as she keeps company with the moon, sitting on the ‘dirt grass moor and sand, a whole history of the Peninsula laid down one on top of the other, like fossils, like prayers’ . She tells stories…oh how she tells stories of wonderment.
With characters named Marvellous Ways; Francis Drake; Paper Jack; Peace, amongst others, the scene is set for some magical realism with stars and glow bugs lighting the stage.
Drake’s story is also told as a journey to Cornwall, his experiences in war and how he spends time in London adapting to civvie life before he sets off and ends up in the creek. Wartime London is evoked poignantly too but it’s when the journey starts to that creek when Drake is about to discover a world of stories, hope and salvation.
Bookish musings
Lyrical, quirky and magical in equal measure. Oh I so wanted to meet Marvelous when reading this. Her world was one of magical realism and it was a joy to linger with her beside the creek and experience the sounds and smells all around. Listen to her telling stories and seeing her relationship with Drake develop as it does was an unusual yet uplifting journey. I did find the writing style a little confusing at times (lack of speech marks) but then I did read some of it at night
She is a very memorable character and you leave it feeling as if you’ve learned something valuable from Marvellous about how it is to think about life, have hope, dream big and live a simple, pleasurable life in a little part of Cornish paradise.
March 26, 2022
Marvellous Ways, bir koydaki karavanında tek başına yaşayan 89 yaşında bir kadın. Yaşamına çok fazla ve çok farklı hikayeler sığdırmış. Birkaç bölüm okuduğunuzda ve hikayeler ortaya saçıldığında ne demek istediğimi anlayacak ve görüp görebileceğiniz en farklı karakterlerden biriyle tanışacaksınız.
” İşaret parmağıyla avucunun içinde bir alan çizerek, Kalbinin büyüklüğü bu kadar, dedi Missy. Yeteri kadar sev, Freddy.
Yeteri kadar nedir?
Dayanabileceğin kadar. Canını yakmaya başlarsa fazla seviyorsun demektir. Sadece dayanabileceğin kadar. Bir avuçtan fazla olan her şey başını derde sokar. Anladın mı?”
Drake ise savaştan sağ kurtulmuş olsa da o süreçte kendinden çok şey kaybetmiş. Mutluluğu, umudu, yaşam enerjisi ve hevesi kalmamış bir genç adam. Bir gün ölmek üzere olan bir askerle karşılaşıyor, onu hiç tanımasa da son isteğine karşı koyamıyor ve yazdığı mektubu babasına ulaştıracağına söz veriyor. Drake için mektubu ulaştırma yolculuğu da böylece başlıyor. Bu süreçte onu daha da yıpratan şeyler yaşıyor fakat her şeyin sonunda, çıktığı yolculuk onu Marvellous’a götürüyor. Ve daha sonra hikayeye bir de Peace dahil oluyor. Sonrasındaysa hem birlikte geçen zamanlarını hem de geçmişlerini okuyoruz ve Marvellous ile Drake arasındaki bağı adım adım çözmeye çalışıyoruz.
“Söylesene annen öldüğünde baban ne yaptı?
Ne mi yaptı? Nefes almayı bıraktı, dedi Marvellous.
Öldü mü yani?
Hayır, nefes almayı bıraktı.
Öldü mü?
Bunu kasten mi yapıyorsun?
Neyi?
Nefes almayı bıraktı dedim. İkisi farklı şey. Tıpkı bir istiridye gibi bir bıçakla kalbi yarılmış ve içindeki güzellik çalınmıştı. Kalbinin asla yeniden çarpmaya başlamadığını, sadece çalıştığını söylerdi ve aradaki farkı kendim de iyice yaşlanıp ölümden dönmenin yaşama geri dönmekle aynı şey olmadığını öğrenene dek anlamadım. Ne demek istediğimi anlıyor musun?”
Yazarın kitaplarından Teneke Adam’ı okumuştum o yüzden beni nasıl bir anlatımın beklediğini biliyordum. Tırnak işareti kullanmayışı, hikayenin geçmiş ve şimdiki zaman arasında sürekli sıçrayışı ve bir de hikayeye kattığı gerçeküstü öğeler derken önlenemez bir kafa karışıklığıyla karşı karşıya kalabiliyorsunuz. Marvellous’un yetenekleri, denizkızları, şarkı söyleyen dalgalar, dedikodunun duyulan sesi, Marvellous’un karşısına çıkan, onunla konuşan şüphe gibi gerçeküstü özellikler yüklenen duygular... hem çok farklı hem de çok güzel kılmış kitabı. Zorlayıcı yanları olsa da karakterlere, anlatıma ve hikayeye adapte olduktan sonra da su gibi akıp gidiyor kitap ama bence yavaş yavaş okumak daha keyifli bir hale getiriyor. Ben böyle farklı karakterler okumayı, onların duygularını hissetmeyi çok sevdiğim için kitabı severek okudum. Drake için farklı bir şey beklemiştim sonunda ama tabii ki sürprizlerle dolu bu kitapta tahminlerin tutması pek olası değildi.🙃
Duygu yüklü, etkileyici ve sürprizlerle dolu bir kitap arayışındaysanız kesinlikle tavsiye ediyorum.💙
” İşaret parmağıyla avucunun içinde bir alan çizerek, Kalbinin büyüklüğü bu kadar, dedi Missy. Yeteri kadar sev, Freddy.
Yeteri kadar nedir?
Dayanabileceğin kadar. Canını yakmaya başlarsa fazla seviyorsun demektir. Sadece dayanabileceğin kadar. Bir avuçtan fazla olan her şey başını derde sokar. Anladın mı?”
Drake ise savaştan sağ kurtulmuş olsa da o süreçte kendinden çok şey kaybetmiş. Mutluluğu, umudu, yaşam enerjisi ve hevesi kalmamış bir genç adam. Bir gün ölmek üzere olan bir askerle karşılaşıyor, onu hiç tanımasa da son isteğine karşı koyamıyor ve yazdığı mektubu babasına ulaştıracağına söz veriyor. Drake için mektubu ulaştırma yolculuğu da böylece başlıyor. Bu süreçte onu daha da yıpratan şeyler yaşıyor fakat her şeyin sonunda, çıktığı yolculuk onu Marvellous’a götürüyor. Ve daha sonra hikayeye bir de Peace dahil oluyor. Sonrasındaysa hem birlikte geçen zamanlarını hem de geçmişlerini okuyoruz ve Marvellous ile Drake arasındaki bağı adım adım çözmeye çalışıyoruz.
“Söylesene annen öldüğünde baban ne yaptı?
Ne mi yaptı? Nefes almayı bıraktı, dedi Marvellous.
Öldü mü yani?
Hayır, nefes almayı bıraktı.
Öldü mü?
Bunu kasten mi yapıyorsun?
Neyi?
Nefes almayı bıraktı dedim. İkisi farklı şey. Tıpkı bir istiridye gibi bir bıçakla kalbi yarılmış ve içindeki güzellik çalınmıştı. Kalbinin asla yeniden çarpmaya başlamadığını, sadece çalıştığını söylerdi ve aradaki farkı kendim de iyice yaşlanıp ölümden dönmenin yaşama geri dönmekle aynı şey olmadığını öğrenene dek anlamadım. Ne demek istediğimi anlıyor musun?”
Yazarın kitaplarından Teneke Adam’ı okumuştum o yüzden beni nasıl bir anlatımın beklediğini biliyordum. Tırnak işareti kullanmayışı, hikayenin geçmiş ve şimdiki zaman arasında sürekli sıçrayışı ve bir de hikayeye kattığı gerçeküstü öğeler derken önlenemez bir kafa karışıklığıyla karşı karşıya kalabiliyorsunuz. Marvellous’un yetenekleri, denizkızları, şarkı söyleyen dalgalar, dedikodunun duyulan sesi, Marvellous’un karşısına çıkan, onunla konuşan şüphe gibi gerçeküstü özellikler yüklenen duygular... hem çok farklı hem de çok güzel kılmış kitabı. Zorlayıcı yanları olsa da karakterlere, anlatıma ve hikayeye adapte olduktan sonra da su gibi akıp gidiyor kitap ama bence yavaş yavaş okumak daha keyifli bir hale getiriyor. Ben böyle farklı karakterler okumayı, onların duygularını hissetmeyi çok sevdiğim için kitabı severek okudum. Drake için farklı bir şey beklemiştim sonunda ama tabii ki sürprizlerle dolu bu kitapta tahminlerin tutması pek olası değildi.🙃
Duygu yüklü, etkileyici ve sürprizlerle dolu bir kitap arayışındaysanız kesinlikle tavsiye ediyorum.💙
April 3, 2016
There is only one way to read and give justice to this novel, and that is to give yourself up to its fairytale, dreamlike quality. Marvellous is an 89-year old woman, the daughter of a mermaid, who has lived most of her days in a caravan on a remote Cornish creek. Meanwhile on the battle front of France a soldier, Drake, comes across a dying comrade who asks him to deliver a last letter home to his father in England. And Drake who, having lived his life with the sense of loss that came from never knowing his father, keeps his promise. In doing so he comes across Marvellous and the pair strike up an unlikely, but inevitable, friendship.
In 1947 Drake eventually comes to live in a shack by the shore of the creek and Peace - a baker who finds that emotions like fear, grief, love when kneading her dough all result in differing tastes of bread - arrives in the village and that is where the story starts to come together. Drake, whose heart is broken, is slowly healed by his extraordinary friendship with Marvellous and the stories she weaves of her past. "Stories, like nature, tend not to end, said Marvellous." There is strong theme of the cycle of life; love, death and grief are all relived throughout the novel.
It is a book of magical realism, beautifully penned, but I have to confess I found it hard to engage with until three quarters of the way through when the characters of Marvellous, Drake and Peace converge. Then I finally succumbed to the novel's charm, as Winman weaves the threads of the stories together. I can't compare it to its award-winning precursor When God was a Rabbit as, I have to admit, that's still lying on my 'to be read' pile but I am keen now to get round to it and discover more of Winman's writing.
Whilst A Year of Marvellous Ways has an enjoyable slow, meandering pace of a story unwinding, something that takes a little getting used to is the lack of speech marks; instead there are just descriptions of speech. However, once you have got over this, and gotten used to the style of writing, this novel is captivating. It's a book that can, and probably should, be read in one sitting, allowing yourself to float away into the dreamlike world Winman creates. It's a book about the beauty and inevitability of life in all its wonders and tragedy; the magic in life and what truly matters.
There is a touching scene when we see Marvellous, not from the viewpoint of her soul, but how others in the world see her, a shabbily dressed, eccentric old woman with hair awry, sitting in a tea shop. Drake feels angry at the people around her for seeing her through such shallow eyes. What matters, he understands, is what lies inside her - there is beauty and magic there - and that is how we all should be judged.
In 1947 Drake eventually comes to live in a shack by the shore of the creek and Peace - a baker who finds that emotions like fear, grief, love when kneading her dough all result in differing tastes of bread - arrives in the village and that is where the story starts to come together. Drake, whose heart is broken, is slowly healed by his extraordinary friendship with Marvellous and the stories she weaves of her past. "Stories, like nature, tend not to end, said Marvellous." There is strong theme of the cycle of life; love, death and grief are all relived throughout the novel.
It is a book of magical realism, beautifully penned, but I have to confess I found it hard to engage with until three quarters of the way through when the characters of Marvellous, Drake and Peace converge. Then I finally succumbed to the novel's charm, as Winman weaves the threads of the stories together. I can't compare it to its award-winning precursor When God was a Rabbit as, I have to admit, that's still lying on my 'to be read' pile but I am keen now to get round to it and discover more of Winman's writing.
Whilst A Year of Marvellous Ways has an enjoyable slow, meandering pace of a story unwinding, something that takes a little getting used to is the lack of speech marks; instead there are just descriptions of speech. However, once you have got over this, and gotten used to the style of writing, this novel is captivating. It's a book that can, and probably should, be read in one sitting, allowing yourself to float away into the dreamlike world Winman creates. It's a book about the beauty and inevitability of life in all its wonders and tragedy; the magic in life and what truly matters.
There is a touching scene when we see Marvellous, not from the viewpoint of her soul, but how others in the world see her, a shabbily dressed, eccentric old woman with hair awry, sitting in a tea shop. Drake feels angry at the people around her for seeing her through such shallow eyes. What matters, he understands, is what lies inside her - there is beauty and magic there - and that is how we all should be judged.
September 12, 2016
Sarah Winman is an accomplished writer. There’s no doubt about that. However, this book is proof that technical skill doesn’t necessarily translate into a good read, in the same way that clumsy writing isn’t always a hindrance to a heart-pounding story (*coughs* Twilight *coughs*)
A Year of Marvellous Ways is the story of the improbably-named Marvellous Ways, a ninety-year-old hermit who lives in a gypsy caravan by a creek in Cornwall. She’s kind of a wise woman, herbal healer type, who gathers oysters and crabs for her dinner and still bathes in the river every day. Into her life stumbles Freddy Drake, a young soldier still suffering the effects of the Second World War and a friendship grows between them.
This book is written in a lyrical, poetic way and while I don’t mind a bit of drifty, airy prose, here it was far too much and at times I struggled to understand what was going on and was constantly having to re-read pages. This completely pulled me out of the story and made it a chore to read. Also, bizarrely, the author decided not to use speech marks when people were speaking. No idea why this should be, but it made dialogue really hard to read, like this:
Look who’s come back, said Mrs Hard, chewing on her words as if they were a bridle.
So the person chewing on their words could either be Mrs Hard or the person she’s talking about. Why do authors do this? It’s like Winman is deliberately trying to alienate her readers.
Marvellous was an okay character. She was very strong and independent, which I liked, but I never really felt like I knew her. I don’t know, maybe this was what the author intended. All I can say is when I don’t feel like I know a character it makes it hard for me to care about them.
Drake was weak and boring at the beginning. He grew a bit stronger as the story progressed, but he was still boring.
The plot centered around how Marvellous and Drake formed a friendship and kind of saved each other. There was a lot of back story surrounding Marvellous’s unusual life, which was fairly interesting, but the parts of the plot set in the current day (1947) were flat and uninteresting.
I always rate books on how much I personally enjoyed them as opposed to how ‘good’ I think they are and while I think some people might love this book, I’m being generous in giving this two stars, because it really didn’t float my boat.
A Year of Marvellous Ways is the story of the improbably-named Marvellous Ways, a ninety-year-old hermit who lives in a gypsy caravan by a creek in Cornwall. She’s kind of a wise woman, herbal healer type, who gathers oysters and crabs for her dinner and still bathes in the river every day. Into her life stumbles Freddy Drake, a young soldier still suffering the effects of the Second World War and a friendship grows between them.
This book is written in a lyrical, poetic way and while I don’t mind a bit of drifty, airy prose, here it was far too much and at times I struggled to understand what was going on and was constantly having to re-read pages. This completely pulled me out of the story and made it a chore to read. Also, bizarrely, the author decided not to use speech marks when people were speaking. No idea why this should be, but it made dialogue really hard to read, like this:
Look who’s come back, said Mrs Hard, chewing on her words as if they were a bridle.
So the person chewing on their words could either be Mrs Hard or the person she’s talking about. Why do authors do this? It’s like Winman is deliberately trying to alienate her readers.
Marvellous was an okay character. She was very strong and independent, which I liked, but I never really felt like I knew her. I don’t know, maybe this was what the author intended. All I can say is when I don’t feel like I know a character it makes it hard for me to care about them.
Drake was weak and boring at the beginning. He grew a bit stronger as the story progressed, but he was still boring.
The plot centered around how Marvellous and Drake formed a friendship and kind of saved each other. There was a lot of back story surrounding Marvellous’s unusual life, which was fairly interesting, but the parts of the plot set in the current day (1947) were flat and uninteresting.
I always rate books on how much I personally enjoyed them as opposed to how ‘good’ I think they are and while I think some people might love this book, I’m being generous in giving this two stars, because it really didn’t float my boat.
June 15, 2015
I received a proof copy of this book through First Reads.
This book is so beautiful. It's moving and poignant and has elements of magical realism. Set in Cornwall in 1947, this absolutely brilliant book follows the last year of Marvellous Ways' life. She's 89 and has lived a lot of life but is still young at heart. She senses that something is coming and she's not sure what she's waiting for but she's waiting. A grieving young man, Drake, arrives in her little town and Marvellous nurses him back to health. He ends up staying with Marvellous, learning about her past through her stories and the two develop a strange friendship. Can this friendship help Marvellous and Drake move on to the next stages of their life?
At first, I thought this book was a bit slow but as I got further into the book, I realised that the pace was one of its charms. The writing of the book is so poetic and full of metaphors. I liked the format of the book too. Although it was a little strange that there were no quotation marks in the book, I ended up really liking that the dialogue was integrated into the sentences. Also, it was done so masterfully that it wasn't hard to read. I also really liked the magical realism.
I loved the messages in the book. I liked reading about the things that Marvellous has gone through and all the life lessons that she's learnt. This book made me think about my grandparents a lot and I really connected to it. I think it's a book that you just need to dive into and discover for yourself. I'm sure that everybody could get something out of it. And the ending was lovely.
This book is so beautiful. It's moving and poignant and has elements of magical realism. Set in Cornwall in 1947, this absolutely brilliant book follows the last year of Marvellous Ways' life. She's 89 and has lived a lot of life but is still young at heart. She senses that something is coming and she's not sure what she's waiting for but she's waiting. A grieving young man, Drake, arrives in her little town and Marvellous nurses him back to health. He ends up staying with Marvellous, learning about her past through her stories and the two develop a strange friendship. Can this friendship help Marvellous and Drake move on to the next stages of their life?
At first, I thought this book was a bit slow but as I got further into the book, I realised that the pace was one of its charms. The writing of the book is so poetic and full of metaphors. I liked the format of the book too. Although it was a little strange that there were no quotation marks in the book, I ended up really liking that the dialogue was integrated into the sentences. Also, it was done so masterfully that it wasn't hard to read. I also really liked the magical realism.
I loved the messages in the book. I liked reading about the things that Marvellous has gone through and all the life lessons that she's learnt. This book made me think about my grandparents a lot and I really connected to it. I think it's a book that you just need to dive into and discover for yourself. I'm sure that everybody could get something out of it. And the ending was lovely.
April 8, 2016
This is a lyrical, mystical story with a magical undertone. Marvellous is a wise old lady and she recounts her memories throughout the book. It’s a very evocative tale. She meets a man called Drake who needs nursing and they share their life histories. Their friendship forms a huge part of the story. It’s set in Cornwall which adds to the feel of the book .
It would make a great book for a book club- as the writing style may not appeal to everyone but would promote great discussions- and there are reading group questions at the end of the book.
With many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this one in exchange for an honest review.
June 25, 2016
3,5 tähteä. Jos haluat lukea jotain sadunomaista aikuisviihdettä, niin silloin tämä kirja on oikea siihen tehtävään. Kirjassa etsitään ja kohdataan rakkauksia, mutta ovatko ne pysyviä, siitä kannattaa ottaa selvää. Mikään ei ole itsestäänselvää tässä kirjassa. Muistot kulkevat mukanamme, ja ne vaikuttavat siihen elämään, jota elämme. Marvellous Waylle oli tullut aika, että muistot olivat yksi toisensa perästä unohtumassa pois ja oli aika liukua viimeiselle..
June 26, 2015
A Year of Marvellous Ways is the story of Marvellous - her life and loves and Drake who arrives at her caravan by the sea in Cornwall, England. It is an unusual book and it took me awhile to acclimatise to it. I am used to speeding through a book! It takes a little while to get into the rhythm of reading it, I found it has to be read slowly - no skipping or I just might miss something.
The language is poetical, sometimes evocative of the beauty of nature and at others of the stark ordinary workings of the human body. Here and there is a play on words - sometimes I chuckled and reread as I enjoyed the little surprises tucked away in various corners. Even the title of the book surprises! Before I had read the synopsis of this book I had no idea Marvellous Ways was the name of a person.
Marvellous is old, wise, and knows how to be herself and not bend to others rumours and opinions or actions. She is a healer, a caring person and a kind of doctor of the soul and spirit She has had three loves in her life, all important with the last being the longest. She doesn't worry what the neighbours think and sometimes her actions were shocking although I think that was part of being herself rather than setting out to be shocking. I liked her very much.
Drake a soldier scarred by war and what he has witnessed of the hard realities of men's despicable actions, has loved and lost, and when he arrives on Marvellous' doorstep is very broken. He never knew his father and lost his mother early in life. As time goes by he heals with good companionship, story telling and decent helpings of sloe gin.
There is horror and heartbreak, life and death, love and loss, war and peace, the healing of sharing and telling your story, the importance of the sea and nature, and the importance of being needed in this novel. Marvellous is coming to the end of her life, Drake must learn to go on and be at peace. The ordinary mingles with the magical, often in dreams and sometimes in the daily living.
The novel speaks of integration for both Marvellous and Drake as they share with each other their lives and are heard. They are a blessing and gift for each other, and while the final surprise was no surprise it was still satisfying.
I love the cover of this book, the teal blue is perfect, the orange firefly look, I believe ties in with the orange starfish often mentioned in the novel and it has a beautiful feel. Makes having a paper book in your hand a sensory experience. Covers matter!
The language is poetical, sometimes evocative of the beauty of nature and at others of the stark ordinary workings of the human body. Here and there is a play on words - sometimes I chuckled and reread as I enjoyed the little surprises tucked away in various corners. Even the title of the book surprises! Before I had read the synopsis of this book I had no idea Marvellous Ways was the name of a person.
Marvellous is old, wise, and knows how to be herself and not bend to others rumours and opinions or actions. She is a healer, a caring person and a kind of doctor of the soul and spirit She has had three loves in her life, all important with the last being the longest. She doesn't worry what the neighbours think and sometimes her actions were shocking although I think that was part of being herself rather than setting out to be shocking. I liked her very much.
Drake a soldier scarred by war and what he has witnessed of the hard realities of men's despicable actions, has loved and lost, and when he arrives on Marvellous' doorstep is very broken. He never knew his father and lost his mother early in life. As time goes by he heals with good companionship, story telling and decent helpings of sloe gin.
There is horror and heartbreak, life and death, love and loss, war and peace, the healing of sharing and telling your story, the importance of the sea and nature, and the importance of being needed in this novel. Marvellous is coming to the end of her life, Drake must learn to go on and be at peace. The ordinary mingles with the magical, often in dreams and sometimes in the daily living.
The novel speaks of integration for both Marvellous and Drake as they share with each other their lives and are heard. They are a blessing and gift for each other, and while the final surprise was no surprise it was still satisfying.
I love the cover of this book, the teal blue is perfect, the orange firefly look, I believe ties in with the orange starfish often mentioned in the novel and it has a beautiful feel. Makes having a paper book in your hand a sensory experience. Covers matter!
June 21, 2015
I was attracted to this book straight away by it's beautiful cover, it really is lovely and it doesn't stop there, what's inside is even lovelier.
A Year of Marvellous Way's is actually about a wonderful lady who is actually called Marvellous Ways. It's 1947 and Marvellous reminded me very much of a gypsy woman, living in her caravan with people coming to her for help with potions to help with all sorts of ailments and problems. Through this wonderfully told story we find out more about who Marvellous really is and her colourful past.
We meet a wonderful array of characters through this story like Francis 'Freddy" Drake and Peace, who bakes bread but the taste of her bread is determined by her moods and feelings.
I can see this book not being to everyone's tastes as it is very quirky but I think if readers give it a chance I think by the end of the story they will have fallen ever so slightly for the wonderfully different Marvellous Ways.
My favourite character had to be Marvellous, she fascinated me and I couldn't wait to turn each page to learn more about who she is and what had happened to her in her past. I thought the ending was very fitting to the story and left me feeling a mixture of happiness and sadness.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading more by her.
Many thanks too Bookbridgr and Headline Book Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A Year of Marvellous Way's is actually about a wonderful lady who is actually called Marvellous Ways. It's 1947 and Marvellous reminded me very much of a gypsy woman, living in her caravan with people coming to her for help with potions to help with all sorts of ailments and problems. Through this wonderfully told story we find out more about who Marvellous really is and her colourful past.
We meet a wonderful array of characters through this story like Francis 'Freddy" Drake and Peace, who bakes bread but the taste of her bread is determined by her moods and feelings.
I can see this book not being to everyone's tastes as it is very quirky but I think if readers give it a chance I think by the end of the story they will have fallen ever so slightly for the wonderfully different Marvellous Ways.
My favourite character had to be Marvellous, she fascinated me and I couldn't wait to turn each page to learn more about who she is and what had happened to her in her past. I thought the ending was very fitting to the story and left me feeling a mixture of happiness and sadness.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading more by her.
Many thanks too Bookbridgr and Headline Book Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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