Vertrouw op mij

by Lucy Clare, Eny van Gelder (Translator), Lucy Woolley

Als de drie volwassen kinderen van Jack en Clattie Palmer na de begrafenis van hun vader in het ouderlijk huis bij elkaar komen, doet hun moeder een schokkende mededeling: Jack had een buitenechtelijke zoon, Titus, verwekt in het eerste jaar van zijn huwelijk. Aanvankelijk wil niemand iets met hem te maken hebben, maar dit verandert als Hugh, de jongste, hoort dat zijn halfbroer eigenaar is van een groot pand in een trendy wijk in Londen. Door samen te gaan werken met Titus zou hij zijn droom ' een eigen restaurant ' kunnen verwezenlijken. Moeder, broers, zuster, partners en al hun kinderen raken allemaal bij het project betrokken.
Titus en Hugh blijken echter heel verschillende opvattingen te hebben over het runnen van een bedrijf. Wantrouwen, jaloezie en koppigheid zorgen voor veel spanningen en verdriet. Uiteindelijk zijn het de vrouwen die een doorbraak forceren.
Deze tweede roman van Lucy Woolley lost de hooggespannen verwachtingen alleszins in. Ook nu beschrijft ze op ontroerende wijze hoe families met elkaar verkeren.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

287 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2002

About the author

See also Lucy Woolley

Reviews

[Suzanne Paschke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd duck book to me. There were parts I really liked, some I thought were okay and others I flat out wanted to put the book down and not pick it up again. As in ever again.

I really liked Clattie. Her character, her personal journey to happiness, and how much she clearly loves her children - flaws and all. And that ultimately was the thing that really brought this book down for me. The children.

What a bunch of selfish, gimme, gimme, gimme babies. Yes, babies. These are people who are (as I read it) mid forty-ish and acting like spoilt brats. Children and for most part, spouses also. At the start of the book I could accept it as I was getting to know the characters and of course, they are grieving. In grief you can do and say all sorts of things that you don't truly mean. So I expected a lot of growth from each of them which for some of them did happen, but not until the dying pages of the book. Pippa was constant in the book, but was such a minor character in the scheme of things.

Still, I enjoyed the book. It wasn't a happily ever after and I liked that fact. Life isn't always perfect and this book shone a torch on that and watched how the characters squirmed when the light was on them.

[Femke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit is een bibliotheekboek dat uit de collectie gehaald is en er hangt sticker op dat dit boek onder de categorie “romantiek” valt. Nu moet de persoon die deze categorie beslist heeft, echt een heel erg rare definitie hebben van het woordje “romantiek”. Dit is namelijk alles behalve een liefdesverhaal.

Het is een verhaal over dysfunctionele familierelaties. Na de begrafenis van een grootvader, beslist een grootmoeder om een familiegeheim te onthullen. De grootvader heeft nog een zoon van een andere vrouw. De kinderen ontmoeten hun halfbroer en willen er initieel niks mee te maken hebben. Tot op het moment dat één van de zoons beslist om samen met de halfbroer een restaurant te beginnen.

In het boek lees je hoe de verschillende personages omgaan met het verlies van hun (groot)vader en het nieuws dat ze hun hele leven voorgelogen zijn. De personages zijn erg goed opgebouwd en de auteur schept een mooie blik in de gecompliceerde relaties van deze familie.

Dit was dus best wel een goed boek, maar er gebeurt weinig in. Dus ik denk niet dat ik binnen pakweg een jaar nog weet over wat dit boek ging.

[Linda Moens · Rating 3 out of 5]

De verhaallijn is wel goed gevonden, maar het boek is véél te langdradig.

[Laura Rittenhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was basically about a disfunctional family full of some rather extreme characters. Though you mightn't relate to a single character, it's impossible to read this book without thinking about your own family, what your level of commitment to them is, to wonder about your friends and their families and to compare and contrast relationships you know.

I struggled at the beginning because the thrust of the whole book is about the death of the family patriarch and how his surviving family is thrown off balance as a result. Particularly with the discovery of a bastard son, his first born. I couldn't really figure out why anyone would be devastated by such a revelation, but then I often marvel at the reactions of people to things that seem no big deal to me. So I treated this bit of the story much like I would a book about robots with feelings - accept the premise and see how the story progresses - and I'm glad I did. The characters were all very consistent (if incomprehensible in their responses) and though some of them changed as the story moved on, many of their personality traits - both good and bad - remained the same at the end of the book.

This isn't a feel good story, its a realistic look at people, how we can make a mess of things and how much we can learn from our mistakes.

[Rusty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This easy to read book discusses a troubled family and how the members cope with crisis. Leaving his wife of more than 50 years, a man abandons children, including a son from another individual. Families have complex relationships with fragmented emotions but unknown and unexpected issues increase frustrations. How each member reacts depends on individual personalities. The wife he leaves needs to inform their children of their unacknowledged brother. Facing an uncertain future, working her way through financial problems and meeting a new family member, she struggles to keep the family together. Then she meets a new man who has just moved into the community who may be able to help.

The characters in this novel have been created carefully but it’s hard to relate to the selfishness many exhibit. Will they be able to work through thisscenario? Read Breaking the Trust for yourself and see for yourself. You may find yourself thinking about your own family and the relations among the various members.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did a good job of studying a family in crisis, but I didn't find any of the characters very likable at all which made for a difficult read. They were selfish or egotistical or self-absorbed or detached...not one "normal" person in the whole family to bring them all together. Perhaps that is the case in some families which is why I stuck with the book to the end, but it didn't make for an enjoyable read.

[Dottie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sounds like a lot of other storylines? Well, possibly. I've shelved it fluff -- but it has some weight behind it, too. Complicated relationships and emotions among interesting characters handled well by the author made it a good read.

[Tracey Wilde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really got a plot. More about families and relationships with the usual happy ending. An unrealistic ending in fact. I enjoyed it though. Not to demanding.

[Chrissi]

I didn't really feel interested in this book. The story didn't grip me and I found it quite hardgoing. Not sure I would pick up another of her books.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read but not particularly likeable characters.

[Bionic Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear. Middle class angst. Sort of sub-Iris Murdoch.