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The Other Mrs Walker
Somehow she'd always known that she would end like this. In a small square room, in a small square flat. In a small square box, perhaps. Cardboard, with a sticker on the outside. And a name...
An old lady dies alone and unheeded in a cold Edinburgh flat, on a snowy Christmas night. A faded emerald dress hangs in her wardrobe; a spilt glass of whisky pools on the carpet. A few days later a middle-aged woman arrives back to the city of her birth, her future uncertain, her past in tatters. But what Margaret Penny cannot yet know is that in investigating the death of one friendless old lady, her own life will become enriched beyond measure.
The Other Mrs Walker - a detective story with no detective - is a beautiful, beguiling and intensely moving debut.
An old lady dies alone and unheeded in a cold Edinburgh flat, on a snowy Christmas night. A faded emerald dress hangs in her wardrobe; a spilt glass of whisky pools on the carpet. A few days later a middle-aged woman arrives back to the city of her birth, her future uncertain, her past in tatters. But what Margaret Penny cannot yet know is that in investigating the death of one friendless old lady, her own life will become enriched beyond measure.
The Other Mrs Walker - a detective story with no detective - is a beautiful, beguiling and intensely moving debut.
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First published March 8, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
July 25, 2016
Have you ever read a book you didn't enjoy but had to finish? This is one of those books. So I congratulate the author for creating a narrative with enough questions to keep me ploughing on. Upon completion I feel unsatisfied and a little let down. Not due to a lack of 'happy ending' more due to a big fat feeling of 'so what?'. Whithout giving away the plot, this story left me frustrated with the central characters' lack of resolution, even in their own minds and lives. Endings don't have to be happy but there should be a point to them, some sort of realisation or solution otherwise what was the point of it all? This ending was just a dangling thread, only alluding to the conclusion imagined/hoped for. Hmmm. To quote the book, life has a way of giving in one hand and taking away with the other. If this is the theme of the book, which I strongly suspect it is, then it lived up to that ethos. It is very well written though, no doubt about it. The characters leap out and the darker elements of the tale are relayed in a mature way avoiding gratuitous violence, graphic detail or lewd debauchery. I appreciated that. I'm sad though. Edinburgh, London, and life in general have much more to offer than this book would suggest. Even in times of war and poverty there are moments of joy and beauty in life. I didn't see them here. All that said, I'm glad I read it. I have no doubt we will see more from this author and I look forward to some great reads to come.
June 7, 2017
I certainly found this debut novel an absolute page turner. In fact it's been quite a while since I sacrificed sleep to finish a novel but the narrative certainly won out last night. There were so many unexpected dimensions to this tightly plotted story with its sparse but vivid descriptives and repeated motifs, so that each time I thought "Ok I see where this is going " the author had another surprise up her sleeve.
The book is about secrets and lies, secrets and lies. Then how do you stitch together the story of someone's life when others have done their best to remove a paper trail? What is left?
Unlike the conventional mystery tale there is no helpful recapitulation at the end even though there is a dramatic climax. Paulson-Ellis expects her readers to pay close attention throughout and piece together the timeline that has been jumping about throughout the narrative. Not a book for the faint hearted either as she takes us into the murky world of back street abortionists and the incarceration of those deemed to be mentally unfit.
I love the way this story has been crafted. There is mystery here and death certainly but, though we, the readers have been given little windows into the history, the central character, Margaret, has no such knowledge. Her own family history is all unknown to her and her mother's not telling. Indeed Margaret doesn't even try to find out having been discouraged by her mother from asking questions years ago.
Margaret's journey into discovery is born out of necessity, apathy and chance. A curious enough chance certainly. But that is the novelists privilege. To create the perfect opportunity for something to happen.
And Margaret is reluctantly hooked. As she delves deeper and deeper her true character is revealed. She is tenacious, this woman, determined, now she has something to work on she will do her best to discover the truth.
But her best is just not enough. Too much has been deliberately destroyed. In the end she makes an educated guess based on the evidence she has. But her guess does not even come close to the truth. Still it's good enough to make something happen.
Today we are obsessed with searching out our family history, needing to make connections in a world where communities are fragmentary and easily broken. This is a family history tale, dark secrets lie within, but life goes on. People can be trapped and crippled by their past or they can let it go and live in the present embracing the now and making a new start.
I think one sign of a good novel is one that leaves us wondering at the end.... What happened next? Did this? Why that? What if the other? > Social wonder v science wonder.... < To quote Michelle Garcia Winner that great guru of "social thinking".
I don't need to know any more "facts". I want to know how this family gets on now, and I hope that their lives from this point forward will be happier than before.
So a great story and a five star read for me. I think this story will stick with me for a long time...
The past is past...... Let it go.
The book is about secrets and lies, secrets and lies. Then how do you stitch together the story of someone's life when others have done their best to remove a paper trail? What is left?
Unlike the conventional mystery tale there is no helpful recapitulation at the end even though there is a dramatic climax. Paulson-Ellis expects her readers to pay close attention throughout and piece together the timeline that has been jumping about throughout the narrative. Not a book for the faint hearted either as she takes us into the murky world of back street abortionists and the incarceration of those deemed to be mentally unfit.
I love the way this story has been crafted. There is mystery here and death certainly but, though we, the readers have been given little windows into the history, the central character, Margaret, has no such knowledge. Her own family history is all unknown to her and her mother's not telling. Indeed Margaret doesn't even try to find out having been discouraged by her mother from asking questions years ago.
Margaret's journey into discovery is born out of necessity, apathy and chance. A curious enough chance certainly. But that is the novelists privilege. To create the perfect opportunity for something to happen.
And Margaret is reluctantly hooked. As she delves deeper and deeper her true character is revealed. She is tenacious, this woman, determined, now she has something to work on she will do her best to discover the truth.
But her best is just not enough. Too much has been deliberately destroyed. In the end she makes an educated guess based on the evidence she has. But her guess does not even come close to the truth. Still it's good enough to make something happen.
Today we are obsessed with searching out our family history, needing to make connections in a world where communities are fragmentary and easily broken. This is a family history tale, dark secrets lie within, but life goes on. People can be trapped and crippled by their past or they can let it go and live in the present embracing the now and making a new start.
I think one sign of a good novel is one that leaves us wondering at the end.... What happened next? Did this? Why that? What if the other? > Social wonder v science wonder.... < To quote Michelle Garcia Winner that great guru of "social thinking".
I don't need to know any more "facts". I want to know how this family gets on now, and I hope that their lives from this point forward will be happier than before.
So a great story and a five star read for me. I think this story will stick with me for a long time...
The past is past...... Let it go.
October 6, 2019
3.5 stars
This is a rather complex and convoluted novel that defies easy description. It is certainly a detective novel without a detective, there is a gothic edge and it is reminiscent of a Victorian novel. The setting is 2010-2011 but the novel jumps back in time, starting in the 1930s and then onwards but not sequentially. Margaret Penny is in her late 40s and is returning to a cold grey December Edinburgh to see her mother (Barbara), after many years absence. Her life in London has fallen apart. She is now looking for a job/something to do. She ends up taking a job researching the recent death of an elderly woman in an Edinburgh flat. Mrs Walker died alone with few clues as to her identity and origins:
“Everyone leaves something behind, if you only know where to look.”
The search takes her back to London and as you might guess the outcomes are closer to home than might be realised. The journey starts in the 1930s and centres on the London of the Blitz. The history is rather grim and involves abortionists, child abuse, alcoholism, mental illness and asylums, missing documents, a very crooked and seedy firm of solicitors and much more.
The plot is slow moving at times and information is teased out slowly. This is a book about secrets, their keeping and disclosing. It is also about family ties, close knit and loose. The various bits of narrative come together at the end, but the ending is rather contrived. There are also too many hints as to the solutions during the narrative to make this a real detective story. However what this also turns out to be is a history of the lives of the women of a family. A struggle for survival in a brutal world where children die, men abuse and society constricts. There is a bleakness to this and secrets are central to it:
‘And somehow shed always known that she would end up like this. In a small square room, in a small square flat. In a small square box, perhaps. Cardboard, with a sticker on the outside. And a name.
What was that name? Lost, along with everything else she’d ever owned’
There are significant objects and documents scattered throughout and each of these has a story to tell, whether it be orange pips, a small piece of jewelry or other trinkets. There is lots of imagery and the reader has to put it together. The timeline can be confusing and the ending is unsatisfactory, but the narrative held my attention and portrays a picture of some of the hidden horrors of wartime London. More positives than negatives, just.
This is a rather complex and convoluted novel that defies easy description. It is certainly a detective novel without a detective, there is a gothic edge and it is reminiscent of a Victorian novel. The setting is 2010-2011 but the novel jumps back in time, starting in the 1930s and then onwards but not sequentially. Margaret Penny is in her late 40s and is returning to a cold grey December Edinburgh to see her mother (Barbara), after many years absence. Her life in London has fallen apart. She is now looking for a job/something to do. She ends up taking a job researching the recent death of an elderly woman in an Edinburgh flat. Mrs Walker died alone with few clues as to her identity and origins:
“Everyone leaves something behind, if you only know where to look.”
The search takes her back to London and as you might guess the outcomes are closer to home than might be realised. The journey starts in the 1930s and centres on the London of the Blitz. The history is rather grim and involves abortionists, child abuse, alcoholism, mental illness and asylums, missing documents, a very crooked and seedy firm of solicitors and much more.
The plot is slow moving at times and information is teased out slowly. This is a book about secrets, their keeping and disclosing. It is also about family ties, close knit and loose. The various bits of narrative come together at the end, but the ending is rather contrived. There are also too many hints as to the solutions during the narrative to make this a real detective story. However what this also turns out to be is a history of the lives of the women of a family. A struggle for survival in a brutal world where children die, men abuse and society constricts. There is a bleakness to this and secrets are central to it:
‘And somehow shed always known that she would end up like this. In a small square room, in a small square flat. In a small square box, perhaps. Cardboard, with a sticker on the outside. And a name.
What was that name? Lost, along with everything else she’d ever owned’
There are significant objects and documents scattered throughout and each of these has a story to tell, whether it be orange pips, a small piece of jewelry or other trinkets. There is lots of imagery and the reader has to put it together. The timeline can be confusing and the ending is unsatisfactory, but the narrative held my attention and portrays a picture of some of the hidden horrors of wartime London. More positives than negatives, just.
January 9, 2017
An old lady dies alone and with no identification papers in a cold Edinburgh flat in the middle of winter. A middle-aged woman, Margaret Penny, arrives in Edinburgh soon afterwards. Her life in tatters, without any money or a job, she finds temporary work tracking down the paperwork of the deceased. How likely is it that the dead old lady she is sent to trace, a Mrs Walker, is actually closely related? Unfortunately, this central premise to The Other Mrs Walker is such an unlikely coincidence that it becomes something of a struggle to believe it. After a promising start, Mary Paulson-Ellis drip-feeds snippets of information over the years that, despite constant repetition, take so long to come together it becomes irritating rather than intriguing. For a long time, the author’s overwrought prose seems to be taking us round in circles. “What was it about life, she thought, that it had this circular motion she could never quite escape?” Margaret’s mother says at one point. The imagery is circular too. There are far too many mentions of photos of dead twin babies, orange pips, brooches, a brazil nut etched with the Ten Commandments, two apostle-tipped spoons and a plaster cherub with an arm missing. Despite the reader knowing much more than Margaret will ever know, there are far too many time shifts to keep track of the story. The setting is bleak, the characters are dysfunctional people and do not engage – not with each other nor with the reader. Their lives span the darkness of thieving, alcoholism, poverty, child abuse, child murder, insanity, and Wartime bombs wiping out lives. A bit of light now and then would have been appreciated.
August 9, 2017
This book just wasn't for me. I found it hard to keep track of the characters and the "items" important to the story as well, especially as the time-jumps weren't chronological. I've read through 3/4 of the book and had to give up as I didn't care what happened to the characters and I wasn't sure of exactly what it was we were supposed to be deciphering. A lot of work to read this novel for very little reward.
May 10, 2016
Goodreads lied to me....I don't know why this book has such a reasonable rating. It's so dull, so obvious, and honestly couldn't care less about ANY of the characters and their depressing, dysfunctional lives!!
May 12, 2016
If someone could explain the final sentence to me, that would be great....
October 17, 2017
I really don’t want to be harsh, but this book is grim, in every way possible. The storyline is drab, dismal and depressing. The characters are uniformly miserable and unlikeable. The writing is poor and in need of a competent editor. We are told for example that one character wears a stolen red coat. A stolen coat. A red stolen coat. A coat that has been stolen. On and on and on. I get it! I don’t need this fact being rammed down my throat every few pages.
The storyline uses flashbacks, but these are not in chronological order, leading to a bitty confused timeline. I didn’t care about the story, the people in it or what happened to them. I only continued to read this wretched dire excuse because I didn’t have anything else available. I’m angry that I wasted money and time on this when I could have read something decent instead. Avoid this miserable thing like the plague.
The storyline uses flashbacks, but these are not in chronological order, leading to a bitty confused timeline. I didn’t care about the story, the people in it or what happened to them. I only continued to read this wretched dire excuse because I didn’t have anything else available. I’m angry that I wasted money and time on this when I could have read something decent instead. Avoid this miserable thing like the plague.
February 29, 2016
I received a copy of this title from PanMacmillan Australia for review.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Margaret, returned unwillingly to Edinburgh and her mother's cramped flat, takes a job searching out the identities of the city's indigent deceased. Her first case, unravelling the identity of one elderly Mrs Walker, will draw Margaret into a history she can never fully understand, but may have a personal impact on her own life.
Before we get into the meat of this review, let me just warn you that this is a story for which you will need your wits about you. If you are looking for a charming, uplifting, old-lady-meets-a-sorry-end-but-really-lived-a-full-and-extraordinary-life type of novel, you should probably move on right now, because this is a complex, layered story in which the sins of the father (and the mother as well, in this case) are most definitely visited upon successive generations.
The story begins with Margaret's unwelcome return to her mother's dingy Edinburgh flat, and her initial experience with the "indigent roster" - the rota of ladies from various church groups who take it in turns to attend the funerals of the city's unclaimed dead. From this experience, tagging along with her mother, the opportunity arises for Margaret to take on a job searching for the next of kin of unclaimed dead - and it is during her first case that Margaret is introduced to the late Mrs Walker. Margaret's investigations will take her from Edinburgh to London and back again, and will end up redefining much that Margaret thought about her own family, before an unexpected and satisfying ending.
The story is told in alternating perspectives between Margaret and her mother in the present, and the Walker family in the early 1930s to the Second World War and beyond. I can't say much about the content here, because all the players are linked and to discuss it would be to spoil much of the plot, but the atmosphere throughout the book is bleak, to put it bluntly. This is one of those books that can't necessarily be described as "enjoyable" due to the deliberate and pervading atmosphere of loss and the pits of everyday despair and/or chaos in which the characters find themselves. It can, however, be described as compelling, fascinating (in a slow-motion car wreck kind of way) and layered.
The Other Mrs Walker will appeal to those who love a character-driven mystery, where the death has already occurred and all that's left is to piece together the life that preceded it from a few dismal, throw-away clues. If you're looking for strong-willed, determined female protagonists, a diverse array of them are presented here, so you can take your pick of the style of strong-willed determination that takes your fancy. If you're looking for historical fiction that doesn't shy away from the social improprieties of the time, then you will find plenty of fodder to affirm your concept of the "bad old days" within these pages. And if you're looking for a mystery that will keep you puzzling until the end and then some, you should appreciate the flow of The Other Mrs Walker.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Margaret, returned unwillingly to Edinburgh and her mother's cramped flat, takes a job searching out the identities of the city's indigent deceased. Her first case, unravelling the identity of one elderly Mrs Walker, will draw Margaret into a history she can never fully understand, but may have a personal impact on her own life.
Before we get into the meat of this review, let me just warn you that this is a story for which you will need your wits about you. If you are looking for a charming, uplifting, old-lady-meets-a-sorry-end-but-really-lived-a-full-and-extraordinary-life type of novel, you should probably move on right now, because this is a complex, layered story in which the sins of the father (and the mother as well, in this case) are most definitely visited upon successive generations.
The story begins with Margaret's unwelcome return to her mother's dingy Edinburgh flat, and her initial experience with the "indigent roster" - the rota of ladies from various church groups who take it in turns to attend the funerals of the city's unclaimed dead. From this experience, tagging along with her mother, the opportunity arises for Margaret to take on a job searching for the next of kin of unclaimed dead - and it is during her first case that Margaret is introduced to the late Mrs Walker. Margaret's investigations will take her from Edinburgh to London and back again, and will end up redefining much that Margaret thought about her own family, before an unexpected and satisfying ending.
The story is told in alternating perspectives between Margaret and her mother in the present, and the Walker family in the early 1930s to the Second World War and beyond. I can't say much about the content here, because all the players are linked and to discuss it would be to spoil much of the plot, but the atmosphere throughout the book is bleak, to put it bluntly. This is one of those books that can't necessarily be described as "enjoyable" due to the deliberate and pervading atmosphere of loss and the pits of everyday despair and/or chaos in which the characters find themselves. It can, however, be described as compelling, fascinating (in a slow-motion car wreck kind of way) and layered.
The Other Mrs Walker will appeal to those who love a character-driven mystery, where the death has already occurred and all that's left is to piece together the life that preceded it from a few dismal, throw-away clues. If you're looking for strong-willed, determined female protagonists, a diverse array of them are presented here, so you can take your pick of the style of strong-willed determination that takes your fancy. If you're looking for historical fiction that doesn't shy away from the social improprieties of the time, then you will find plenty of fodder to affirm your concept of the "bad old days" within these pages. And if you're looking for a mystery that will keep you puzzling until the end and then some, you should appreciate the flow of The Other Mrs Walker.
March 24, 2016
I received a copy of this book thanks to Goodreads Giveaway, the author and publisher.
It is Christmas 2010 Edinburgh and an elderly woman dies alone in a freezing flat. She leaves behind Brazil nut with the 10 Commandments etched on its shell, an emerald dress, a photograph and an orange full of holes.
New Year 2011 - Margaret Penny, in her 40’s returns to her childhood home from London where she led a disastrous life. Margaret has no job, no home and no money.
She goes to her mother’s flat seeking refuge. The relationship with her mother Barbara has never been close and Barbara resents her daughter’s temporary intrusion.
Margaret needs to find a job in order to be able to support herself. She secures employment gathering information in order to track down relatives of those who have died alone. Her first client is Mrs Walker, the lady who died at Christmas time in Edinburgh.
What follows is a journey of discovery spanning 80 years.
This is an exceptionally good debut novel. If you are looking for sunshine, love and happiness, you won’t find it within the pages of this book. You will discover hardship, deceit, neglect and abuse.
It took two attempts at reading. I had to abandon my first attempt not being in the frame of mind to appreciate the writing. I had just finished a novel about the holocaust and needed something more uplifting.
However I’m glad I returned to ‘The Other Mrs Walker’ as the writing is brilliant. The author draws the reader in there you remain until she is ready to let you go.
Highly deserving of 5* rating.
It is Christmas 2010 Edinburgh and an elderly woman dies alone in a freezing flat. She leaves behind Brazil nut with the 10 Commandments etched on its shell, an emerald dress, a photograph and an orange full of holes.
New Year 2011 - Margaret Penny, in her 40’s returns to her childhood home from London where she led a disastrous life. Margaret has no job, no home and no money.
She goes to her mother’s flat seeking refuge. The relationship with her mother Barbara has never been close and Barbara resents her daughter’s temporary intrusion.
Margaret needs to find a job in order to be able to support herself. She secures employment gathering information in order to track down relatives of those who have died alone. Her first client is Mrs Walker, the lady who died at Christmas time in Edinburgh.
What follows is a journey of discovery spanning 80 years.
This is an exceptionally good debut novel. If you are looking for sunshine, love and happiness, you won’t find it within the pages of this book. You will discover hardship, deceit, neglect and abuse.
It took two attempts at reading. I had to abandon my first attempt not being in the frame of mind to appreciate the writing. I had just finished a novel about the holocaust and needed something more uplifting.
However I’m glad I returned to ‘The Other Mrs Walker’ as the writing is brilliant. The author draws the reader in there you remain until she is ready to let you go.
Highly deserving of 5* rating.
November 7, 2019
“The Other Mrs Walker” written by Mary Paulson-Ellis, is a rather love it or hate it book and nothing in between. I adored it and was gripped from the very first page. You do need to read this book in a few sittings as possible due to the constantly shifting timelines, which if you don’t pay attention to the detail and timings could cause some confusion. This book was ideally a five star read for me but you do need to read between the lines and follow the characters intricately. It was because of this that I found a couple of things that I needed to seek out and clarify once I’d finished reading, so therefore I had to give it only four stars.
Fabulously written with fantastic metaphors and similes, this is a literary paradise. Unique, dark and very, very clever, it was like nothing I’ve ever read before or could compare it too. Albeit not for everyone, I personally loved it and will be seeking out the author’s recent publication “The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing” too.
4 stars
Fabulously written with fantastic metaphors and similes, this is a literary paradise. Unique, dark and very, very clever, it was like nothing I’ve ever read before or could compare it too. Albeit not for everyone, I personally loved it and will be seeking out the author’s recent publication “The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing” too.
4 stars
September 10, 2017
It’s lovely to read a book that offers up something fresh and Mary Paulson Ellis resoundingly met that brief for me with this tale that weaves a mystery from the past with family secrets. I got the feeling that many families although not having the exact same story, there are many that have similar skeletons lurking in cupboards which share some of the same elements.
Margaret Penny returns to Edinburgh after some thirty years away and returns to her mother’s home. She is not given a warm welcome, or even a proper bed but given that she feels she has no choice except to leave London, she has to take the scant comfort on offer.
Margaret’s mother is part of a circle of women who attend funerals for those who have no-one else. This idea in itself can’t help but warm your heart although I may prefer to go it alone than to have some sour-hearted old woman turning up because she’s on a rota! Through this circle Margaret gets a temporary job locating family for those who are deceased, an odd job, but one that will ultimately save the council money as someone has to pay for the funeral.
Margaret’s first job is to locate a name for an elderly woman who died alone in a flat. In the cold flat with whisky pooling on the floor are a few belongings, including a beautiful green dress. With little in the way of paperwork Margaret embarks on a treasure hunt to find a name, and family for the deceased.
I loved the way this story was constructed. The story flips backwards and forwards with dates that range from 1930s to the present day, this is historical story-telling at its best; those small details so beautifully drawn, delighted me. Possessions are important to the Walker family and the handling of these often insignificant objects pervades their storyline. The descriptions of war-time London were outstanding and easily transported me to the era and the magical gift of an orange, its peel being one of the objects which links the episodes within this complex tale.
The characters were brilliantly drawn, three-dimensional with quirks that differentiate them easily but best of all we see many determined women who do not dwell on the past, or rail against the present, no, they are forever picking themselves up and forging onwards.
If you want a book to savour, one that is full of imagery despite being so dark that it is no wonder that the Walker family treasured their few flashes of colour with their oranges and jade green dresses, then you will enjoy this read. That said, because of the many themes along with the moving backwards and forwards in time, further complicated by the gaps in the timeline left to be filled by the reader’s imagination, it is a book to read when you can concentrate. I was lucky enough to read this in one hit and so got swept along in the storyline from London to snowy Edinburgh and from one claustrophobic household to another, and I loved every minute of it.
Margaret Penny returns to Edinburgh after some thirty years away and returns to her mother’s home. She is not given a warm welcome, or even a proper bed but given that she feels she has no choice except to leave London, she has to take the scant comfort on offer.
Margaret’s mother is part of a circle of women who attend funerals for those who have no-one else. This idea in itself can’t help but warm your heart although I may prefer to go it alone than to have some sour-hearted old woman turning up because she’s on a rota! Through this circle Margaret gets a temporary job locating family for those who are deceased, an odd job, but one that will ultimately save the council money as someone has to pay for the funeral.
Margaret’s first job is to locate a name for an elderly woman who died alone in a flat. In the cold flat with whisky pooling on the floor are a few belongings, including a beautiful green dress. With little in the way of paperwork Margaret embarks on a treasure hunt to find a name, and family for the deceased.
I loved the way this story was constructed. The story flips backwards and forwards with dates that range from 1930s to the present day, this is historical story-telling at its best; those small details so beautifully drawn, delighted me. Possessions are important to the Walker family and the handling of these often insignificant objects pervades their storyline. The descriptions of war-time London were outstanding and easily transported me to the era and the magical gift of an orange, its peel being one of the objects which links the episodes within this complex tale.
The characters were brilliantly drawn, three-dimensional with quirks that differentiate them easily but best of all we see many determined women who do not dwell on the past, or rail against the present, no, they are forever picking themselves up and forging onwards.
If you want a book to savour, one that is full of imagery despite being so dark that it is no wonder that the Walker family treasured their few flashes of colour with their oranges and jade green dresses, then you will enjoy this read. That said, because of the many themes along with the moving backwards and forwards in time, further complicated by the gaps in the timeline left to be filled by the reader’s imagination, it is a book to read when you can concentrate. I was lucky enough to read this in one hit and so got swept along in the storyline from London to snowy Edinburgh and from one claustrophobic household to another, and I loved every minute of it.
March 6, 2016
The Other Mrs Walker, by Mary Paulson-Ellis, is a story of family secrets, lives thwarted, and objects that speak from beyond the grave.
Margaret Penny, at close to fifty years old, returns to her elderly mother’s small flat in Edinburgh with no money, few possessions and fewer prospects. Her life has not turned out as she had hoped when she escaped to London without warning some thirty years previously. Her mother offers neither a welcome nor a rejection, she has never been one to share her thoughts. Her daughter learned young to follow her example: ‘tell no one’, ‘leave no trace’.
The two women attend the funeral of a local indigent where it is suggested that Margaret find work with the council tracing the family and assets of those who die alone that a funeral may be paid for. She is assigned an old woman, Mrs Walker, recently arrived in Edinburgh and found dead in her living room chair.
Margaret searches for clues as to who Mrs Walker was but all she finds are random objects in a freezing flat which reminds her of her mother’s home. She requires formal identification, paperwork, but has no hint of even a first name. She ponders her own nebulous past and uncertain future.
The story moves backwards and forwards to various years between 1929 and 2011. Snapshots of key incidents in the lives of the Walkers and Pennys are offered. It becomes clear early on that there are familial links but what they are is a mystery to be solved.
It begins with a tragedy – the death of two beautiful twins. What follows involves much that is untoward. There is betrayal, abandonment, thievery of home, possessions and children. Times were hard and love scarce. Subsistence was secured by nefarious means.
The jumping around in time and the style of writing offers the reader jigsaw puzzle pieces, knowledge gleaned ahead of and in more depth than is uncovered by Margaret. Each episode narrated provides clues as to who the protagonists were and are, and to why the many secrets have been kept.
There is a sense of isolation in the lives lived, a depth of sadness in what is left behind be it people or things. The picture painted of humanity is mordant, yet the girls in the story retain an affecting hopefulness as each works to escape the incarceration of their circumstances.
This is not a book to be rushed and offers much to consider. An intelligent but never difficult read.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Mantle.
Margaret Penny, at close to fifty years old, returns to her elderly mother’s small flat in Edinburgh with no money, few possessions and fewer prospects. Her life has not turned out as she had hoped when she escaped to London without warning some thirty years previously. Her mother offers neither a welcome nor a rejection, she has never been one to share her thoughts. Her daughter learned young to follow her example: ‘tell no one’, ‘leave no trace’.
The two women attend the funeral of a local indigent where it is suggested that Margaret find work with the council tracing the family and assets of those who die alone that a funeral may be paid for. She is assigned an old woman, Mrs Walker, recently arrived in Edinburgh and found dead in her living room chair.
Margaret searches for clues as to who Mrs Walker was but all she finds are random objects in a freezing flat which reminds her of her mother’s home. She requires formal identification, paperwork, but has no hint of even a first name. She ponders her own nebulous past and uncertain future.
The story moves backwards and forwards to various years between 1929 and 2011. Snapshots of key incidents in the lives of the Walkers and Pennys are offered. It becomes clear early on that there are familial links but what they are is a mystery to be solved.
It begins with a tragedy – the death of two beautiful twins. What follows involves much that is untoward. There is betrayal, abandonment, thievery of home, possessions and children. Times were hard and love scarce. Subsistence was secured by nefarious means.
The jumping around in time and the style of writing offers the reader jigsaw puzzle pieces, knowledge gleaned ahead of and in more depth than is uncovered by Margaret. Each episode narrated provides clues as to who the protagonists were and are, and to why the many secrets have been kept.
There is a sense of isolation in the lives lived, a depth of sadness in what is left behind be it people or things. The picture painted of humanity is mordant, yet the girls in the story retain an affecting hopefulness as each works to escape the incarceration of their circumstances.
This is not a book to be rushed and offers much to consider. An intelligent but never difficult read.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Mantle.
August 21, 2016
This was a really engaging mystery. An old woman, known only as Mrs Walker, dies alone in a flat in Edinburgh around christmas time 2010. The following month another lonely woman, Margaret Penny, returns to Edinburgh after 30 years in London. It soon becomes Margaret's job to unravel the secrets of Mrs Walker's life and try find any relatives before she is given a paupers funeral. The Walker family history is revealed over decades as snippets of information begin to build a picture of the true identity of Mrs Walker. The revelations begin to impact on Margaret too as she ponders her own sense of identity and her fragile relationship with her distant mother.
September 22, 2017
This fits into the unwitting detective story that I can't abide. An unlikable flawed main character, too many moments where you have to suspend reason and some terrible writing. And a boring ending. Rant over.
October 26, 2019
I really, really disliked this book. As other reviewers have pointed out, one of the most frustrating things about it is the maddening level of "symbolic" repetition on almost every single page (and I do mean every single one). If you were to cut out each mention of orange peel, stolen coats, crumpled Technicolor photographs, apostle-headed spoons, jewelled glinting eyes, Thou Shalt Not - and I haven't listed even a third of the number of 'symbols' you are bludgeoned with! - you could shave a good 100 pages from this 400 page novel. Slightly interesting in the first few chapters, but by the end I felt I was being pummelled into a bloody mess by that (rather fittingly) metaphorical bludgeon.
I also disliked the writing in general, which was particularly upsetting for me as I absolutely loved the concept of the book when I picked it up. Crime fiction like this is my absolute favourite, namely cases which have been lost to time and require digging through history or fading memories to solve. But the writer handles it poorly, and I don't understand why or how it has gotten the praise it has.
It's almost as though the book was 'over-written', with wild and confusing metaphors stuffed into every moment of consequence. Stepping outside is three paragraphs of tedious, jarring imagery and countless allusions to the same few memories, over and over. Two-sentence conversations are wrapped in lines of engorged description and overly-depressing introspection, either from the protagonist or whomever's eyes we are looking through in the past.
Yes, the past - we time-travel quite frequently. Each chapter alternates between the present and the past, with 'past' chapters revealing clues to the reader which constantly keep us ahead of our protagonist in the present. I enjoyed this mechanic, which is why this review is two stars instead of one.
That being said? The world which the story's main family inhabits in the past is a horrifyingly dark one, to the point of this darkness erring on the side of unrealistic. One character in particular seems to suffer misery almost every waking moment of her life, with every person who interacts with her destroying her further and further, . It was as though the author genuinely enjoyed forcing this character through tragedy, and it came off as sadistic on the author's part.
Speaking of men to love,
There is a lot more I could go into, but in short I honestly wouldn't recommend this and hugely regret picking it up. An interesting premise let down by poor, poor writing and the author's own strange fixations.
I also disliked the writing in general, which was particularly upsetting for me as I absolutely loved the concept of the book when I picked it up. Crime fiction like this is my absolute favourite, namely cases which have been lost to time and require digging through history or fading memories to solve. But the writer handles it poorly, and I don't understand why or how it has gotten the praise it has.
It's almost as though the book was 'over-written', with wild and confusing metaphors stuffed into every moment of consequence. Stepping outside is three paragraphs of tedious, jarring imagery and countless allusions to the same few memories, over and over. Two-sentence conversations are wrapped in lines of engorged description and overly-depressing introspection, either from the protagonist or whomever's eyes we are looking through in the past.
Yes, the past - we time-travel quite frequently. Each chapter alternates between the present and the past, with 'past' chapters revealing clues to the reader which constantly keep us ahead of our protagonist in the present. I enjoyed this mechanic, which is why this review is two stars instead of one.
That being said? The world which the story's main family inhabits in the past is a horrifyingly dark one, to the point of this darkness erring on the side of unrealistic. One character in particular seems to suffer misery almost every waking moment of her life, with every person who interacts with her destroying her further and further, . It was as though the author genuinely enjoyed forcing this character through tragedy, and it came off as sadistic on the author's part.
Speaking of men to love,
There is a lot more I could go into, but in short I honestly wouldn't recommend this and hugely regret picking it up. An interesting premise let down by poor, poor writing and the author's own strange fixations.
July 7, 2016
Oranges
Disclosure: The author is my cousin once removed. I am reviewing her book to plead for it to be available in the US also. I will try to give as objective a verbal account as I can, though my position makes it impossible to give a numerical rating that will be meaningful.
Why oranges? The fruit is a recurring motif throughout the book, dating from the wartime years when to a child an orange was a rare treat. But it is also not a bad image of the novel's construction. There is the bright peel—shall we say the author's polished and attractive writing. There is the slight difficulty of opening it up; this is not a novel that gives up its secrets easily. There is the division of the fruit into segments; the novel is segmented too, alternating between chapters in 2011 and flashbacks from the Second World War and the years immediately following. And there are the pips—little nuggets of surprise that crop up in unexpected places, facts that don't fit in, hints of mystery that may not immediately be explained.
For the book itself has the form of a mystery, without actually being one in the usual sense. Fiftyish Margaret Penny returns to cold and secretive Edinburgh after some unspecified failures in London. She camps in the box room of her mother, who is not especially glad to see her. She takes a dead-end job looking for information to identify indigents who die without relatives or documentation. Her first "client," an old woman found frozen to death in an unheated flat, intrigues her, and before long her search has taken her back to London. Margaret's persistence, and the extent of the resources expended on this one death, is the main thing in the book that never quite convinced me. But it is necessary to accept it if the search, which is the main point of the novel, is to have any meaning.
The reader will soon realize that Margaret's research into "Mrs. Walker's" background is intimately connected with her own family history. Given authorial omniscience, the basic fact is fairly obvious. But Margaret herself doesn't see it, and Mary Paulson-Ellis rather cleverly offers many conflicting hints that deliberately confuse the reader too. There are at least two possibilities for exactly who that old woman might have been, for example, with yet another surprise to be revealed at the end. Meanwhile, by jumping around in her flashback sections, and suggesting an almost Dickensian family history involving madwomen in the attic, a nefarious family business, illegitimate children, crooked lawyers, nude paintings commissioned by a rich patron from a dying artist, and the strange appearance and disappearance of a ruby brooch, Paulson-Ellis keeps her readers guessing.
And her characters too. I cannot say that everything is ever clearly acknowledged even by the chief people in the story, and the reader is bound to be left with several loose ends. Yet the author still plays fair; by connecting the dots, you can eventually work it all out. While I personally found few of the characters especially likable, and would have preferred an orange that was a little sweeter, there will be many readers who revel in the tangy intricacy of segments and pips that Paulson-Ellis handles so well. Mary's novel surely deserves to be published over here for these readers to experience it for themselves.
Disclosure: The author is my cousin once removed. I am reviewing her book to plead for it to be available in the US also. I will try to give as objective a verbal account as I can, though my position makes it impossible to give a numerical rating that will be meaningful.
Why oranges? The fruit is a recurring motif throughout the book, dating from the wartime years when to a child an orange was a rare treat. But it is also not a bad image of the novel's construction. There is the bright peel—shall we say the author's polished and attractive writing. There is the slight difficulty of opening it up; this is not a novel that gives up its secrets easily. There is the division of the fruit into segments; the novel is segmented too, alternating between chapters in 2011 and flashbacks from the Second World War and the years immediately following. And there are the pips—little nuggets of surprise that crop up in unexpected places, facts that don't fit in, hints of mystery that may not immediately be explained.
For the book itself has the form of a mystery, without actually being one in the usual sense. Fiftyish Margaret Penny returns to cold and secretive Edinburgh after some unspecified failures in London. She camps in the box room of her mother, who is not especially glad to see her. She takes a dead-end job looking for information to identify indigents who die without relatives or documentation. Her first "client," an old woman found frozen to death in an unheated flat, intrigues her, and before long her search has taken her back to London. Margaret's persistence, and the extent of the resources expended on this one death, is the main thing in the book that never quite convinced me. But it is necessary to accept it if the search, which is the main point of the novel, is to have any meaning.
The reader will soon realize that Margaret's research into "Mrs. Walker's" background is intimately connected with her own family history. Given authorial omniscience, the basic fact is fairly obvious. But Margaret herself doesn't see it, and Mary Paulson-Ellis rather cleverly offers many conflicting hints that deliberately confuse the reader too. There are at least two possibilities for exactly who that old woman might have been, for example, with yet another surprise to be revealed at the end. Meanwhile, by jumping around in her flashback sections, and suggesting an almost Dickensian family history involving madwomen in the attic, a nefarious family business, illegitimate children, crooked lawyers, nude paintings commissioned by a rich patron from a dying artist, and the strange appearance and disappearance of a ruby brooch, Paulson-Ellis keeps her readers guessing.
And her characters too. I cannot say that everything is ever clearly acknowledged even by the chief people in the story, and the reader is bound to be left with several loose ends. Yet the author still plays fair; by connecting the dots, you can eventually work it all out. While I personally found few of the characters especially likable, and would have preferred an orange that was a little sweeter, there will be many readers who revel in the tangy intricacy of segments and pips that Paulson-Ellis handles so well. Mary's novel surely deserves to be published over here for these readers to experience it for themselves.
January 16, 2018
This book was such a disappointment!
The premise was actually quite good: an old lady dying alone in bleak Edinburgh, a woman with nothing to lose set to dig up her past, a story of deceit and exchanged identities that dates back to more than fifty years before.
I really enjoyed that the truth was revealed in small snippets, through a series of flashbacks that travel back and forth between the thirties and the present.
The story is complex and full of deceit and the reader is forced to pay a good deal of attention in order to get all the twists and turns, which was actually a satisfying challenge.
What I absolutely disliked - and completely spoiled the book for me - was the writing style which is basically unbearable.
Paulson-Ellis is really trying too hard here, aiming for depth and symbolism and achieving only the total boredom of the reader.
The prose is overwrought, full of turns of phrase which should create drama but are only too heavy; moreover the author insists on the same details over and over throughout the novel until you are just sick of all these repetition and you mentally beg her to go along with the story already.
As in Kate Atkinson's novels, here the mystery is not the actual purpose of the novel but mainly a mean to explore one or more themes.
Paulson-Ellis sheds the light on the reality of loneliness in modern life, especially the one that is so common in old age and that leads to so many people dying alone.
The theme is painfully true and justifies the general bleakness of the novel and of the characters but the complete inability of the author to create at least one simpathetic trait in the main characters pushes the reader away, inspiring irritation instead of empathy.
All the protagonist are at best dysfunctional, when not completely horrible, and you just can't care for them so,in the end, the only reason you drag yourself to the last page is just to unravel the mystery of the dead woman.
So the two stars are only for the author's ability to create an enticing enigma but I suspect that her main motives completely eluded me.
The premise was actually quite good: an old lady dying alone in bleak Edinburgh, a woman with nothing to lose set to dig up her past, a story of deceit and exchanged identities that dates back to more than fifty years before.
I really enjoyed that the truth was revealed in small snippets, through a series of flashbacks that travel back and forth between the thirties and the present.
The story is complex and full of deceit and the reader is forced to pay a good deal of attention in order to get all the twists and turns, which was actually a satisfying challenge.
What I absolutely disliked - and completely spoiled the book for me - was the writing style which is basically unbearable.
Paulson-Ellis is really trying too hard here, aiming for depth and symbolism and achieving only the total boredom of the reader.
The prose is overwrought, full of turns of phrase which should create drama but are only too heavy; moreover the author insists on the same details over and over throughout the novel until you are just sick of all these repetition and you mentally beg her to go along with the story already.
As in Kate Atkinson's novels, here the mystery is not the actual purpose of the novel but mainly a mean to explore one or more themes.
Paulson-Ellis sheds the light on the reality of loneliness in modern life, especially the one that is so common in old age and that leads to so many people dying alone.
The theme is painfully true and justifies the general bleakness of the novel and of the characters but the complete inability of the author to create at least one simpathetic trait in the main characters pushes the reader away, inspiring irritation instead of empathy.
All the protagonist are at best dysfunctional, when not completely horrible, and you just can't care for them so,in the end, the only reason you drag yourself to the last page is just to unravel the mystery of the dead woman.
So the two stars are only for the author's ability to create an enticing enigma but I suspect that her main motives completely eluded me.
April 22, 2019
"Compelling", "Absorbing" & "Intriguing" says the front cover & I can't disagree with any of those comments having polished it off in well under twenty-four hours. As is so often the way, the narrative jumps between two timelines: Margaret's investigations of the old woman's death in 2011 & the past (now the past events aren't chronological & might hop, for example, from 1953 to 1961 then back to 1944 but as the dates are on the chapter headings it prevents confusion!)
As Margaret delves into the life of the dead woman, fragments of the past lives of the Walker family are slowly revealed. I don't want to give anything away as there are some lovely twists but I did wonder at much that I felt was being implied. I suppose that's intended to keep the reader guessing (it did) & hooked (I was) but I'm not good at reading between the lines so at times thought I might be assuming things I shouldn't!
While the ending had me bemused at first, I can't really give this book anything less than five stars as it had me gripped from start to finish. An accomplished debut to my mind & look forward to the author's next offering.
Quote that I'll remember:
"Her mother was just her mother, after all, not someone who had deserved attention until it was all too late."
And my only gripe, which is a (very) petty one...as much was made of the green dress with the sequined hem, why couldn't the dress on the cover match it?!
As Margaret delves into the life of the dead woman, fragments of the past lives of the Walker family are slowly revealed. I don't want to give anything away as there are some lovely twists but I did wonder at much that I felt was being implied. I suppose that's intended to keep the reader guessing (it did) & hooked (I was) but I'm not good at reading between the lines so at times thought I might be assuming things I shouldn't!
While the ending had me bemused at first, I can't really give this book anything less than five stars as it had me gripped from start to finish. An accomplished debut to my mind & look forward to the author's next offering.
Quote that I'll remember:
"Her mother was just her mother, after all, not someone who had deserved attention until it was all too late."
And my only gripe, which is a (very) petty one...as much was made of the green dress with the sequined hem, why couldn't the dress on the cover match it?!
March 26, 2016
The Other Mrs Walker is the accomplished debut novel from Mary Paulson-Ellis. I don't often compare authors but I was reminded of Kate Atkinson's writing, with a similar ability to weave mystery, suspense and family secrets.
I found this to be a very intriguing read, cleverly written. There are so many glimpses into the lives of the Walkers and Pennys at various points in time as the story moves from Margaret's investigations in the present, back to the London of the 1920s and onwards. As the reader starts to find out with Margaret the little that she can glean from the sparse clues Mrs Walker has left behind, simultaneously we find out first hand what was happening with the family. The fragments of the story are carefully pieced together as the narrative moves from present to past and back again. This is a complex read, very absorbing and an impressive debut from a writer I will be keen to read more from in the future.
4.5 out of 5 stars
I found this to be a very intriguing read, cleverly written. There are so many glimpses into the lives of the Walkers and Pennys at various points in time as the story moves from Margaret's investigations in the present, back to the London of the 1920s and onwards. As the reader starts to find out with Margaret the little that she can glean from the sparse clues Mrs Walker has left behind, simultaneously we find out first hand what was happening with the family. The fragments of the story are carefully pieced together as the narrative moves from present to past and back again. This is a complex read, very absorbing and an impressive debut from a writer I will be keen to read more from in the future.
4.5 out of 5 stars
July 31, 2020
I don’t normally write reviews but I am compelled to do so for this book. It is obvious that we all like different styles of writing and our enjoyment of books is different...I loved this book. I have to admit that I listened to the audiobook but that is still reading I feel!! I wished I had read this one before The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing as they are linked, (not in an exclusive way). I don’t understand the negative comments, maybe the narrator’s use of character voice helped, maybe I’ll have to read the book...maybe I will...I just don’t want people to give up on this author; I for one can’t wait for more output from her! Well done and thank you Mary Paulson-Ellis! P.S,I think I am irritated that this book is getting bad reviews and other books that I feel may be sensationalist rubbish requiring little effort to read are receiving rave reviews...book snob 101!
September 10, 2017
This was a shame, I really thought the book held promise, and the ratings haven't been bad. But let me tell you that from the first few chapters, it was clear that the book was disjointed, and the characters so deeply flawed (and also strangely private about their lot in life) that you can't find anyone worth wanting to know more about.
Too many jumps from past to present, so many names and people that it was annoying to go to and fro. When you finally get to the end it's such a relief that the abrupt end can be forgiven.
Too many jumps from past to present, so many names and people that it was annoying to go to and fro. When you finally get to the end it's such a relief that the abrupt end can be forgiven.
August 1, 2017
I think the author tried to be too clever here, attempting to make a complex issue more complex and intriguing. What I read was contrived, repetitive and a bit of a drag to read to be honest. I only read it to the end to see if my hunch was right ..... It was.
September 1, 2017
OMG my favourite book of 2017. Amazing well orchestrated plot. full review to come :-) :-) :-) :-)
June 23, 2018
Some reviewers compared this debut author to Kate Atkinson and Sarah Waters, both of whose writing I love. I was delighted to find that the comparison was apt. Margaret Penny finds out her lover is married. She wallows in grief and self-pity until all her money runs out. She then flees London and heads north. Margaret's mother, Barbara, lives in Edinburgh so Margaret shows up with only the clothes on her back (including a red, stolen coat) and a tiny bit of money. Margaret and her mother have barely spoken in 30 years and Barbara is not exactly thrilled to see Margaret at her door. Barbara serves on the indigent mourner rota for the many churches she belongs to. This means that she is called to funerals where the deceased have no family or friends that have claimed them. Margaret tags along and Barbara's friend, Mrs. Maclure, says she might have a job for Margaret. A woman has died in the district and the Office of Lost Persons needs someone to try to identify the woman. Since the death wasn't suspicious, the police don't have the time to follow up. Thus begins an odyssey that weaves back and forth in time through the history of the Walker family. Objects -- a coronation penny, a china cherub missing an arm, a Brazil nut carved with the text of the Ten Commandments--appear in vignettes stretching back in time and between various characters. Who was the woman who died in a cold Edinburgh flat? And why are there so many coincidences between her life and Margaret's? It was a great read, with lilting language and repeated phrases that give clues to what really happened. It's called a detective story without a detective but it's really up to the reader to figure out the clues.
September 2, 2016
I remember the way we were taught how to write an essay in school. Draft your beginning, middle and ending. If you use themes and elements, make sure they all pull through and that all lose ends are connected. Make sure that all your i's are dotted and your T's are crossed.
Mary Paulson-Ellis got this all down perfectly. Too perfectly. This was a great and intriguing story that was presented rather too well. Personally, I think it robbed the story from a few elements of surprise and mystery that would have made this a definite 5 star read.
I struggled to get the "feel" of the novel and I hardly felt any connection with any of the characters. They were wonderfully described and portrayed in the novel, but for me they just never stepped off the pages and became "real".
Still, not a bad read at all! Worth giving it a try.
Mary Paulson-Ellis got this all down perfectly. Too perfectly. This was a great and intriguing story that was presented rather too well. Personally, I think it robbed the story from a few elements of surprise and mystery that would have made this a definite 5 star read.
I struggled to get the "feel" of the novel and I hardly felt any connection with any of the characters. They were wonderfully described and portrayed in the novel, but for me they just never stepped off the pages and became "real".
Still, not a bad read at all! Worth giving it a try.
April 2, 2018
The premise of this novel was good, yet the execution of it was so bad. The narrative was fragmented and all over the place, which often left me feeling lost whilst reading it, and the use of unnecessary information in brackets every other page was irritating. The worst thing, however, was the repetition: the repetition of motifs, symbols, words and phrases that made me wonder whether Paulson-Ellis had short-term memory loss whilst writing this book, and made me doubt that this book had even been touched by an editor. Embarrassing and disappointing writing.
March 6, 2020
It is painfully irritating to read a book where the audience knows everything and the protagonist is clueless. I don't even think when the book ended Margaret knew what had happened. I'm not sure why I stuck with reading it, though the last 2 chapters were pretty good. Still, reading The Other Mrs Walker is like slouching towards Bethlehem to be born, if you know what I mean. I'm glad I'm done.
May 18, 2017
Hugely promising bittersweet debut, about the way families can fracture, and people can fall through the cracks in society. I'll review it fully very soon on crimeworm - but it's a book I'd highly recommend.
June 14, 2017
Generally an enjoyable read, but not always clear to follow or didn't seem to coherently join up at times. A page turner but I managed to work out the identity of Mrs W quite quickly.
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