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The Last of the Greenwoods
The intriguing story of two eccentric brothers and a troubled young postwoman - three outsiders whose pasts resurface in a captivating novel about guilt and forgiveness.
In a field outside Bromsgrove, two elderly brothers live in adjoining railway carriages. No one visits and they never speak to each other. Until the day Zohra Dasgupta, a young postwoman, delivers an extraordinary letter - from a woman claiming to be the sister they thought had been murdered fifty years earlier.
So begins an intriguing tale: is this woman an impostor? If she's not, what did happen all those years ago? And why are the brothers such recluses? Then there's Zohra. Once a bright, outgoing teenager, the only friend she will see from her schooldays is laidback Crispin, who has roped her in to the restoration of an old railway line on his father's land. For which, as it happens, they need some carriages . . .
With wry humour and a cast of characters as delightful as they are damaged, Clare Morrall tells an engrossing story of past misdeeds and present reckoning, which shows that for all the wrong turnings we might take, sometimes it is possible to retrace our steps.
In a field outside Bromsgrove, two elderly brothers live in adjoining railway carriages. No one visits and they never speak to each other. Until the day Zohra Dasgupta, a young postwoman, delivers an extraordinary letter - from a woman claiming to be the sister they thought had been murdered fifty years earlier.
So begins an intriguing tale: is this woman an impostor? If she's not, what did happen all those years ago? And why are the brothers such recluses? Then there's Zohra. Once a bright, outgoing teenager, the only friend she will see from her schooldays is laidback Crispin, who has roped her in to the restoration of an old railway line on his father's land. For which, as it happens, they need some carriages . . .
With wry humour and a cast of characters as delightful as they are damaged, Clare Morrall tells an engrossing story of past misdeeds and present reckoning, which shows that for all the wrong turnings we might take, sometimes it is possible to retrace our steps.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 8, 2018
7 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Clare Morrall
22 books91 followersMan Booker Prize shortlisted Clare Morrall shot to fame in a true to life rags-to-riches story when her novel ‘Astonishing Splashes of Colour’ and her tiny, unknown publisher became front page news after the shortlisting. Later novels have featured on TV Book Club, Front Row and Woman’s Hour on Radio Four and Radio Three, along with the sale of film and foreign rights. She has been awarded an honorary Doctorate for Literature by Birmingham University and is a regular judge for the Rubery Book Award.
Based in Birmingham where she continues to teach music, she originally grew up in Devon. Her adult daughters are also novelists. Alex Morrall’s ‘Helen and the Grandbees’ is due for publication in 2020. Heather Morrall writes teenage novels. Clare spends her spare time gardening and on cryptic crosswords and sudoku.
*Portrait painted by award-winning artist Robert Neil, PPRBSA
Based in Birmingham where she continues to teach music, she originally grew up in Devon. Her adult daughters are also novelists. Alex Morrall’s ‘Helen and the Grandbees’ is due for publication in 2020. Heather Morrall writes teenage novels. Clare spends her spare time gardening and on cryptic crosswords and sudoku.
*Portrait painted by award-winning artist Robert Neil, PPRBSA
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 18, 2020
I wanted to like this book and there are many parts of it that I enjoyed and which resonated with me. The essential theme being life is for living. There are two main plotlines. This is well written, slow paced and has a good sense of place and it’s sort of a mystery novel as well. It is billed as a story of people on the margins and to an extent it is, but it is also full of tropes which are sometimes rather leaden and the focus on identity becomes rather trying. However, for me, there is a significant problem, more of that later.
The plot revolves around two brothers Nick and Johnny Greenwood. They live in a field in two adjacent railway carriages that their father furbished and set up with water and electricity. They haven’t spoken for a number of years. There is a tragedy in the past. Almost fifty years ago their older sister Debs disappeared along with her best friend Bev; Debs was 22 at the time. Only one body was found and this was identified as Debs because of a tattoo. However a letter arrives from Canada from someone claiming to be Debs and she is coming to visit and subsequently does.
The letter was delivered by the postwoman Zohra Dasgupta and here we have the link to the second plotline. Zohra belongs to a group that are renovating a railway line and steam train in the local area. Zohra lives with her parents who run a local shop. She is troubled by events which occurred just as she left school (A levels) a few years ago. She was the victim of a Facebook bullying campaign. There are a few twists to this which are revealed as the novel progresses. The railway station and line are on the land of a member of the aristocracy with an old decaying house; named Perry (where are all these decaying aristos? I never seem to meet them). His son Crispin is the driving force behind the restoration. There is also Nathan, who is portrayed as being very literal and emotionally immature. There is no real explanation but Morrall is clearly pointing towards the autistic spectrum. There is also Mimi and her husband Freddie who live on Zohra’s post round. Mimi is one of those who may or may not have been involved with what happened to Zohra. Add to this a romance that may be developing between Zohra and Crispin.
Morrall has good powers of description:
“The carriages, linked end to end on an old rusty track, are almost submerged by trees. Clearly, no one here is familiar with the concept of pruning: the trees are spreading wildly – up, out, down – embracing the carriages with passion, wrapping them in vigorous greenery. Branches tumble on the roofs, lean over the sides and take advantage of the light breeze to make their presence felt, tapping against the windows with a mischievous glee.”
I think Morrall was aiming at a sweet heartwarming story with unusual and quirky characters: but the writing does wander a little. The ending doesn’t have a lot of resolutions and that generally does not bother me: life is like that. However, for me, there is a serious problem with the ending which many reviewers seem to have ignored. Morrall introduces a generally positive character which what appears to be autism (the lack of character development means the reader has to put the pieces together) and some mental health difficulties. But then what does she do? With almost no warning the character becomes a monster, a villain with no feelings or concern for others. The condition is used to push the plot along in a negative way and the character becomes a total caricature. For me it ruined the whole thing.
The plot revolves around two brothers Nick and Johnny Greenwood. They live in a field in two adjacent railway carriages that their father furbished and set up with water and electricity. They haven’t spoken for a number of years. There is a tragedy in the past. Almost fifty years ago their older sister Debs disappeared along with her best friend Bev; Debs was 22 at the time. Only one body was found and this was identified as Debs because of a tattoo. However a letter arrives from Canada from someone claiming to be Debs and she is coming to visit and subsequently does.
The letter was delivered by the postwoman Zohra Dasgupta and here we have the link to the second plotline. Zohra belongs to a group that are renovating a railway line and steam train in the local area. Zohra lives with her parents who run a local shop. She is troubled by events which occurred just as she left school (A levels) a few years ago. She was the victim of a Facebook bullying campaign. There are a few twists to this which are revealed as the novel progresses. The railway station and line are on the land of a member of the aristocracy with an old decaying house; named Perry (where are all these decaying aristos? I never seem to meet them). His son Crispin is the driving force behind the restoration. There is also Nathan, who is portrayed as being very literal and emotionally immature. There is no real explanation but Morrall is clearly pointing towards the autistic spectrum. There is also Mimi and her husband Freddie who live on Zohra’s post round. Mimi is one of those who may or may not have been involved with what happened to Zohra. Add to this a romance that may be developing between Zohra and Crispin.
Morrall has good powers of description:
“The carriages, linked end to end on an old rusty track, are almost submerged by trees. Clearly, no one here is familiar with the concept of pruning: the trees are spreading wildly – up, out, down – embracing the carriages with passion, wrapping them in vigorous greenery. Branches tumble on the roofs, lean over the sides and take advantage of the light breeze to make their presence felt, tapping against the windows with a mischievous glee.”
I think Morrall was aiming at a sweet heartwarming story with unusual and quirky characters: but the writing does wander a little. The ending doesn’t have a lot of resolutions and that generally does not bother me: life is like that. However, for me, there is a serious problem with the ending which many reviewers seem to have ignored. Morrall introduces a generally positive character which what appears to be autism (the lack of character development means the reader has to put the pieces together) and some mental health difficulties. But then what does she do? With almost no warning the character becomes a monster, a villain with no feelings or concern for others. The condition is used to push the plot along in a negative way and the character becomes a total caricature. For me it ruined the whole thing.
March 24, 2022
Charming, strange and weirdly nostalgic. I have no idea really what genre this book settles in, there is too much going on to define it. I love the concept of someone living in an abandoned railway carriage, it sounds mysteriously wonderful. I loved the writing but feel strange now the last page has turned.
February 3, 2018
If ever I had the ability to write a book I'd really want it to be like this one. It takes a real talent to present such a unique story and absorb a reader so deeply. I was truly captivated by this delightful tale and built up such a clear picture of the characters and surroundings it was as if I was right there with them.
The Greenwood brothers haven't spoken to each other for years, despite the fact that they live alone in neighbouring railway carriages in a field. When postwoman Zohra has to deliver a letter there for the first time, she is intrigued by their situation, especially as she has a keen interest in the carriages and the brothers appear shocked about the letter. Then a stranger arrives, claiming to be the sister the Greenwood brothers thought had been killed years ago. Is this woman really their Debs, or an imposter? Zohra becomes interested in their story, but she is fighting a battle of her own, trying to move on from an event that threatens to rear itself again. Can what's happening now help them all heal from their past?
It's a little hard to say too much about the plot without giving things away and I wouldn't want to do that here. It's one of those books that you just need to savour as you go, enjoying all of the rich details and the interweaving story. I didn't put my Kindle down from the first page to the last and it's already on my favourites list for 2018. A fantastic read and I can't help thinking it would make for a great TV adaptation too!
*I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Greenwood brothers haven't spoken to each other for years, despite the fact that they live alone in neighbouring railway carriages in a field. When postwoman Zohra has to deliver a letter there for the first time, she is intrigued by their situation, especially as she has a keen interest in the carriages and the brothers appear shocked about the letter. Then a stranger arrives, claiming to be the sister the Greenwood brothers thought had been killed years ago. Is this woman really their Debs, or an imposter? Zohra becomes interested in their story, but she is fighting a battle of her own, trying to move on from an event that threatens to rear itself again. Can what's happening now help them all heal from their past?
It's a little hard to say too much about the plot without giving things away and I wouldn't want to do that here. It's one of those books that you just need to savour as you go, enjoying all of the rich details and the interweaving story. I didn't put my Kindle down from the first page to the last and it's already on my favourites list for 2018. A fantastic read and I can't help thinking it would make for a great TV adaptation too!
*I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2018
Plenty of themes going on here and plenty of action to link them. Good characterisation, too, and I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between the two estranged Greenwood brothers and between them and the woman who turns up claiming to be their long-lost sister, thought to have died 50 years ago. For most of the book, I expected the question of her identity to become central but it doesn’t really. What it does is link nicely with Zohra’s teenage experience with Facebook trolls - the question of not knowing if someone is actually who they say they are. If not, how do they know so much about you and what do they want from you? In the case of the Greenwoods, the reappearance of ‘Debs’ provides the impetus for them to mend fences with each other after decades of smouldering resentment over past events and, whether she turns out to be Debs or not, surely that can only be good? I had to restrain myself from racing through the pages to find out. We are also given a wealth of detail about steam locomotives and their restoration that largely went over my head, but introduced some entertaining characters and dialogue.
I’ve been a fan of Clare Morrall’s writing for many years. It seems like ages since her last book so this was a long-awaited treat for me.
With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton/Sceptre via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
I’ve been a fan of Clare Morrall’s writing for many years. It seems like ages since her last book so this was a long-awaited treat for me.
With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton/Sceptre via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
March 1, 2018
An enjoyable read and well-written novel with two interweaving storylines. In one strand we have the Greenwood brothers who coexist in adjoining railway carriages (yes you read that right!) but do not speak. Their uneasy existence is interrupted when the local postwoman delivers a letter suggesting that their dead sister is not in fact dead.
The second strand focuses on the postwoman herself. Zohra is effectively hiding from the world having had a traumatic experience in secondary school. Refusing to talk to anyone about it, her equally uneasy existence is interrupted when an old school friend moves back into town, into a house that is on Zohra's route.
I enjoyed reading this book, though I found it frustrating in places. I liked the characters and the premise was interesting, but I though that it didn't quite fulfil its potential. There was so much back and forth about Nick and Johnny that it started to get a bit wearing, so that by the end I almost didn't really care about what had gone on between them, though perhaps that was partly the point.
The last few chapters really revived my interest, it took a turn that I didn't expect, and I liked how the characters had developed by the end. The ending itself felt a little abrupt, which is what sealed my rating as 3 stars rather than 4 - really it's a 3.5 that I just couldn't quite round up! It's probably not the most memorable book, but I still think it was one I would suggest to other people if they were looking for an easy, but interesting read.
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
The second strand focuses on the postwoman herself. Zohra is effectively hiding from the world having had a traumatic experience in secondary school. Refusing to talk to anyone about it, her equally uneasy existence is interrupted when an old school friend moves back into town, into a house that is on Zohra's route.
I enjoyed reading this book, though I found it frustrating in places. I liked the characters and the premise was interesting, but I though that it didn't quite fulfil its potential. There was so much back and forth about Nick and Johnny that it started to get a bit wearing, so that by the end I almost didn't really care about what had gone on between them, though perhaps that was partly the point.
The last few chapters really revived my interest, it took a turn that I didn't expect, and I liked how the characters had developed by the end. The ending itself felt a little abrupt, which is what sealed my rating as 3 stars rather than 4 - really it's a 3.5 that I just couldn't quite round up! It's probably not the most memorable book, but I still think it was one I would suggest to other people if they were looking for an easy, but interesting read.
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
June 3, 2022
The story of two reclusive brothers living in old railway carriages and a young postwoman who delivers a letter that will change their lives.
I enjoyed this slowly unravelling character tale which fundamentally is about being haunted by the past, and isolating yourself physically or mentally as a result.
All but one character is well written (the one not well written being a pretty terrible depiction of a presumably autistic person) and the book is based just down the road from where I live.
Personally, I could have done without the out of place carbuncle of an ending, which almost throws plot and character out the window, but an enjoyable read up to the last chapter.
4 star read for most of the book, 2 star last chapter. I’ll average 3!
I enjoyed this slowly unravelling character tale which fundamentally is about being haunted by the past, and isolating yourself physically or mentally as a result.
All but one character is well written (the one not well written being a pretty terrible depiction of a presumably autistic person) and the book is based just down the road from where I live.
Personally, I could have done without the out of place carbuncle of an ending, which almost throws plot and character out the window, but an enjoyable read up to the last chapter.
4 star read for most of the book, 2 star last chapter. I’ll average 3!
July 15, 2023
A tale of two brothers and events that happened years ago and the impact on the present, set alongside other characters who are also dealing with their pasts. This is the second I've read by this author and I've enjoyed them both, always a slightly different angle on the lives of everyday people.
October 18, 2018
I was given this book as part of Newark Book Festival and went to a talk the author gave. I really enjoyed hearing her speak about this and her other books and was looking forward to reading this one. She likes writing characters who are different in some way, perhaps marginalised from society, and don’t fit a stereotypical idea of a ‘normal’ person.At first I found it a bit of a slow burner, and I wondered if I was actually going to get into it at all. However, the characters really are engrossing and she writes about people who are different from what we perceive as the norm very well indeed. These differences vary from someone suffering severe anxiety through to a recluse who has grown too used to his solitary life and now struggles to interact with others. The tragic story of the Greenwoods and Zohra’s guilt and shame that she’s carried around for years are really moving and dealt with in a very sensitive way. Themes of grief, bullying, and being treated unfairly because you are different are themes many readers will feel a connection with.
April 22, 2018
I seem to be in the minority here - I found this book disappointing and not as good as Clare Morrall's previous books. It started well and I found the characters interesting but the middle section seemed to go on too long and I found the ending rather dramatic and silly. However, I do like Clare Morrall's writing and will continue to read her books as they come out.
June 6, 2019
I find I'm not clicking "read" on my books on Goodreads because I want to say things about them - my future self really loves it when she can remember what she actually thought of books - but my current self is really, really bad at writing things down. So anyway, I promise to try to do better. Maybe.
I discovered Clare Morrall when she was on the Booker shortlist a few years back (a quick search tells me my definition of "a few" is actually 16 and this realisation makes me realise that there are other places where I use the term "a few" where other people might use "quite a lot"). I found this one as a poor quality paperback hiding in among the mostly junk books in The Works. That's how it goes I guess, but I liked the story as much as I liked all her other books I've read.
The titular Greenwoods are a pair of rather dysfunctional brothers who live in adjoining railway carriages but haven't spoken for years, another major character is their postwoman who is also involved in restoring a steam railway. I read the book long enough ago that I don't want to start summarising the story in case I give away too much of the plot that isn't obvious in the beginning. I thought the characters were brilliantly drawn and it all felt perfectly English, in a very twenty-first century way. And there's a murder mystery of sorts here too (but it's not a mystery book). It just had so many elements that I liked and combined them in an esoteric but realistic manner.
I need to see whether I've missed any other of Clare Morrall's books, or maybe whether there are any other gems lurking in The Works.
I discovered Clare Morrall when she was on the Booker shortlist a few years back (a quick search tells me my definition of "a few" is actually 16 and this realisation makes me realise that there are other places where I use the term "a few" where other people might use "quite a lot"). I found this one as a poor quality paperback hiding in among the mostly junk books in The Works. That's how it goes I guess, but I liked the story as much as I liked all her other books I've read.
The titular Greenwoods are a pair of rather dysfunctional brothers who live in adjoining railway carriages but haven't spoken for years, another major character is their postwoman who is also involved in restoring a steam railway. I read the book long enough ago that I don't want to start summarising the story in case I give away too much of the plot that isn't obvious in the beginning. I thought the characters were brilliantly drawn and it all felt perfectly English, in a very twenty-first century way. And there's a murder mystery of sorts here too (but it's not a mystery book). It just had so many elements that I liked and combined them in an esoteric but realistic manner.
I need to see whether I've missed any other of Clare Morrall's books, or maybe whether there are any other gems lurking in The Works.
June 16, 2018
When Zohra delivers a letter to two brothers living in railway carriages it sets off a chain of events that brings the young postwoman and the Greenwood family into the same orbit. Although this involves the aftermath of a murder, it's quite a charming book and the chracters are entertaining and lifelike. I enjoyed this more than I expected to.
May 5, 2018
So enjoyed this story of dysfunctional brothers and other eccentric characters but I can’t lie, was disappointed with the ending. That aside the writing is so fluid and engaging and really drew me in
April 5, 2018
This was a real surprise read for me. I started thinking "hmmmm" and finished it going WOW! Little twists and turns in this one keep a simple story really interesting.
June 16, 2019
I'll start with what worked for me about this book.
-Clare Morrall is excellent at description. I could almost see myself in every scene she described.
-The parallel stories with a single moral: to what lengths would we go to hold on to the traumas we believe shaped us?
-Crispin is genuinely such a good guy. Mimi and Freddie are a sweet pairing that works great.
What did not work for me:
1. Clare Morrall is excellent at description, so most of the book became that. It felt like there was more stage setting than actual progression of the storylines.
2. This book started out really strong, and I was intrigued by it. But either the problem came in too soon, or the resolution too late. But what's for sure is that the journey was way too long between the questions and their answers. Take Debs and her brothers for instance. It took so long to go through the "Debs or Bev or impostor" arc, which all took part IN THEIR HEADS, never really translating to any tangible progress. Same goes for Zohra. The development takes so long to happen, that by the time the answers draw closer, I don't care about them anymore. Anyway, it's just as well I lost interest in the Debs/Bev/impostor arc, because no answer ever came. As for Zohra's past, I couldn't really get myself to care enough about her teen years. Mimi was introduced as one of Zohra's villains but I ended up loving Mimi over Zohra, because people typically grow out of who they were in high school.
3. Are we really never going to know why Johnny and Nick hated each other? Of course I wasn't expecting them to remember the ONE incident that made them estranged, but I at least expected an explanation for the origin of their rivalry. It all just seems surreal and childish. For kids/teens not to be speaking to each other makes sense; they are children. But two grown men, brothers, living in essentially the same house, to go years without speaking to each other... nay... seeing each other. I'm sorry, but I don't buy it.
4. Who is the main protagonist here, again? I found all three main characters really hard to like. Nothing in their current lives was remotely interesting. All they did was live below their potential, and fixate and play victim to their past. One could say the Wychington railway was in the present, but that part bored me because of all train talk (sorry I really couldn't be bothered 😂).
5. The sudden unfounded decline of Nathan into the super villain that ruins everyone's day (but also becomes the resolution that fixes their stuck lives??) was not only outrageous, but also unfair. I guess the strangeness of it is what she was going for because he's...what? autistic therefore unpredictable? But to turn him into this super villain is just unfair. He's unwell, and I disliked that the author picked on the autistic kid to be more unforgivable than the presumed murderer (Debs/Bev), just because she has better people skills. If it was going to be an abrupt ending, should've been before having Nathan ruin everything. If she was going to do the Nathan and Enigma arc, then I think Nathan, who's been nothing but sweet the whole book, deserved more than for the book to end with him as the bad guy we'll all remember. He deserved a few more pages to be redeemed, I think.
This is my first book by Clare Morrall, so I wouldn't have anything to say about the author. That's just what I didn't like about the book. I may consider giving the author another chance with a different book, so if anyone wants to recommend something else she's done, I would like that.
-Clare Morrall is excellent at description. I could almost see myself in every scene she described.
-The parallel stories with a single moral: to what lengths would we go to hold on to the traumas we believe shaped us?
-Crispin is genuinely such a good guy. Mimi and Freddie are a sweet pairing that works great.
What did not work for me:
1. Clare Morrall is excellent at description, so most of the book became that. It felt like there was more stage setting than actual progression of the storylines.
2. This book started out really strong, and I was intrigued by it. But either the problem came in too soon, or the resolution too late. But what's for sure is that the journey was way too long between the questions and their answers. Take Debs and her brothers for instance. It took so long to go through the "Debs or Bev or impostor" arc, which all took part IN THEIR HEADS, never really translating to any tangible progress. Same goes for Zohra. The development takes so long to happen, that by the time the answers draw closer, I don't care about them anymore. Anyway, it's just as well I lost interest in the Debs/Bev/impostor arc, because no answer ever came. As for Zohra's past, I couldn't really get myself to care enough about her teen years. Mimi was introduced as one of Zohra's villains but I ended up loving Mimi over Zohra, because people typically grow out of who they were in high school.
3. Are we really never going to know why Johnny and Nick hated each other? Of course I wasn't expecting them to remember the ONE incident that made them estranged, but I at least expected an explanation for the origin of their rivalry. It all just seems surreal and childish. For kids/teens not to be speaking to each other makes sense; they are children. But two grown men, brothers, living in essentially the same house, to go years without speaking to each other... nay... seeing each other. I'm sorry, but I don't buy it.
4. Who is the main protagonist here, again? I found all three main characters really hard to like. Nothing in their current lives was remotely interesting. All they did was live below their potential, and fixate and play victim to their past. One could say the Wychington railway was in the present, but that part bored me because of all train talk (sorry I really couldn't be bothered 😂).
5. The sudden unfounded decline of Nathan into the super villain that ruins everyone's day (but also becomes the resolution that fixes their stuck lives??) was not only outrageous, but also unfair. I guess the strangeness of it is what she was going for because he's...what? autistic therefore unpredictable? But to turn him into this super villain is just unfair. He's unwell, and I disliked that the author picked on the autistic kid to be more unforgivable than the presumed murderer (Debs/Bev), just because she has better people skills. If it was going to be an abrupt ending, should've been before having Nathan ruin everything. If she was going to do the Nathan and Enigma arc, then I think Nathan, who's been nothing but sweet the whole book, deserved more than for the book to end with him as the bad guy we'll all remember. He deserved a few more pages to be redeemed, I think.
This is my first book by Clare Morrall, so I wouldn't have anything to say about the author. That's just what I didn't like about the book. I may consider giving the author another chance with a different book, so if anyone wants to recommend something else she's done, I would like that.
May 18, 2018
What to say about this book!! From reading the blurb this had the hallmarks of a great book and don't get me wrong, it started off really well but I just felt that it fizzled out the further on it went. I was expecting more from this but it seemed that the 'big reveals' were just washed over and fell flat with a particular point in the book descending into some kind of plot from an action movie. I can kind of see where the author was going here but I think this could have been handled in a different way.
There are two main strands to the story involving a post woman Zohra who delivers a mysterious letter to that of the Greenwood brothers, with the sender claiming to be their sister thought to have been murdered 50 years prior. Now all these characters are battling their own demons in some way or other and this builds throughout the book but the more I read the more dissatisfied I became.
Although I had misgivings about how the book ultimately finished it was well written, the characters are relatable, fleshed out and authentic with the author incorporating elements of humour throughout. What I did particularly enjoy was how the author reverted to flashbacks revealing a little more about the characters and how they became to be, but the mysterious elements of the book didn't work for me.
This isn't a negative review by any stretch of the imagination, my expectations from reality were completely different but overall nicely written with great characters but some parts just didn't work for me.
There are two main strands to the story involving a post woman Zohra who delivers a mysterious letter to that of the Greenwood brothers, with the sender claiming to be their sister thought to have been murdered 50 years prior. Now all these characters are battling their own demons in some way or other and this builds throughout the book but the more I read the more dissatisfied I became.
Although I had misgivings about how the book ultimately finished it was well written, the characters are relatable, fleshed out and authentic with the author incorporating elements of humour throughout. What I did particularly enjoy was how the author reverted to flashbacks revealing a little more about the characters and how they became to be, but the mysterious elements of the book didn't work for me.
This isn't a negative review by any stretch of the imagination, my expectations from reality were completely different but overall nicely written with great characters but some parts just didn't work for me.
October 16, 2018
Morrall is a good writer, who tells a good tale. This story involves two estranged brothers, and a young woman, a postal worker, who hasn't lived up to her early promise. It should have absorbed me, had me eagerly turning the page. But it didn't. It hung heavy, and it took me well over a week to finish it. I really don't know why. Perhaps I'll return to this review once the dust has settled.
March 2, 2019
Never judge a book by its cover. I did. I.found this a little forced, disjointed and failed to.see the point in the storylines ' relationships. Unsatisfying and disconnected. Oh.well, serves me right. Good cover though...
June 25, 2018
Clare Morrall is so good at writing about people on the margins. In ‘The Last of the Greenwoods’, Johnny and Nick Greenwood are estranged brothers who live separately in two abandoned, adjacent railway carriages; with shared kitchen and bathroom. They are adept at avoiding each other.
Nick lives in Aphrodite on the right, Johnny in Demeter on the left. Aphrodite has horizontal blinds at the windows, open at a slant so someone inside can look out but no-one outside can see in. Demeter’s windows are unknowable with permanently drawn curtains. The carriages sit amidst trees and shrubs, hidden from the main road in Bromsgrove, West Midlands. They have been the brother’s world since they were boys. Until one day, into the lives of these emotionally separated but geographically close brothers comes a letter which reignites haunted memories. “The floor is vibrating under his feet, there’s a sensation of motion, as if the train has started to move. What’s happening? Is he slipping backwards, losing his place in the present and tumbling back to the past? How can this be?”
The letter is from their older sister, Debs; the sister who was murdered when the boys were children. As the brothers consider whether the letter is real, a fake, or a joke we learn more about their background via Zohra, the postwoman who delivered the letter. Zohra has a past of her own which she tries to forget. What brings together these seemingly disparate story strands? Trains? And what effects change in the lives of the Greenwoods and Zohra? Trains.
Slowly, with exquisite and often humorous detail, Morrall unravels the mysteries of the past, building a picture of these people’s lives. They are ordinary people but in telling their story she makes them extraordinary, reminding us that the life of each of us has a story to tell and that elements of life can be repetitive. “Are they doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again – play, replay, round and round on an endless loop?”
Running throughout is the question of verifiable identity: the woman who returns could be Deb, or Deb’s friend Bev pretending to be Debs; and who are the girls who harassed Zohra on social media, did they use their real names or not? The brothers consider how they can accept Debs, do they need evidence, DNA proof, or can they trust their instincts? And why are the two brothers not talking?
Another masterful Morrall novel.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
Nick lives in Aphrodite on the right, Johnny in Demeter on the left. Aphrodite has horizontal blinds at the windows, open at a slant so someone inside can look out but no-one outside can see in. Demeter’s windows are unknowable with permanently drawn curtains. The carriages sit amidst trees and shrubs, hidden from the main road in Bromsgrove, West Midlands. They have been the brother’s world since they were boys. Until one day, into the lives of these emotionally separated but geographically close brothers comes a letter which reignites haunted memories. “The floor is vibrating under his feet, there’s a sensation of motion, as if the train has started to move. What’s happening? Is he slipping backwards, losing his place in the present and tumbling back to the past? How can this be?”
The letter is from their older sister, Debs; the sister who was murdered when the boys were children. As the brothers consider whether the letter is real, a fake, or a joke we learn more about their background via Zohra, the postwoman who delivered the letter. Zohra has a past of her own which she tries to forget. What brings together these seemingly disparate story strands? Trains? And what effects change in the lives of the Greenwoods and Zohra? Trains.
Slowly, with exquisite and often humorous detail, Morrall unravels the mysteries of the past, building a picture of these people’s lives. They are ordinary people but in telling their story she makes them extraordinary, reminding us that the life of each of us has a story to tell and that elements of life can be repetitive. “Are they doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again – play, replay, round and round on an endless loop?”
Running throughout is the question of verifiable identity: the woman who returns could be Deb, or Deb’s friend Bev pretending to be Debs; and who are the girls who harassed Zohra on social media, did they use their real names or not? The brothers consider how they can accept Debs, do they need evidence, DNA proof, or can they trust their instincts? And why are the two brothers not talking?
Another masterful Morrall novel.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
April 15, 2024
Would have been 4 if it hadn't been for the ending. A difficult one to review as I felt the ending really let it down - as has been expressed by other reviewers.
The descriptive writing was often rather beautiful but the characters and storylines felt a bit contrived and weren't properly expanded on.
In the Last of the Greenwoods we have separate storylines that converge:
1. Zahra, a young postperson who is not fulfilling the expectations of great things that others had of her when she was young (more on this is revealed as the story progresses):
2. Nick and Johnny, an elderly pair of brothers who live in an even-more-elderly pair of railway carriages. The brothers are feuding, though it's never made clear why. They've had a tragic life and never really recovered from events in their childhood, but someone claiming to be their long-lost sister changes that;
3. Shabby aristocrat Perry and his son Crispin, who befriends Zahra in sixty form and sticks by her when others don't. They're working, with Zahra and many other enthusiasts, to bring an abandoned railway on the estate back into service.
I was enjoying the book well enough, though I found the (probably autistic) character of Nathan a little bit stereotypical. And then there was the ending. Really not happy with that and feel quite cross that I wasted hours of my life reading something that ended in such a way. Felt almost pantomime like and the character development of Nathan felt far too extreme.
The descriptive writing was often rather beautiful but the characters and storylines felt a bit contrived and weren't properly expanded on.
In the Last of the Greenwoods we have separate storylines that converge:
1. Zahra, a young postperson who is not fulfilling the expectations of great things that others had of her when she was young (more on this is revealed as the story progresses):
2. Nick and Johnny, an elderly pair of brothers who live in an even-more-elderly pair of railway carriages. The brothers are feuding, though it's never made clear why. They've had a tragic life and never really recovered from events in their childhood, but someone claiming to be their long-lost sister changes that;
3. Shabby aristocrat Perry and his son Crispin, who befriends Zahra in sixty form and sticks by her when others don't. They're working, with Zahra and many other enthusiasts, to bring an abandoned railway on the estate back into service.
I was enjoying the book well enough, though I found the (probably autistic) character of Nathan a little bit stereotypical. And then there was the ending. Really not happy with that and feel quite cross that I wasted hours of my life reading something that ended in such a way. Felt almost pantomime like and the character development of Nathan felt far too extreme.
May 7, 2024
An interesting tale of two sides of the same coin. The Greenwood brothers refuse to speak with each other or branch out, and Zorah refuses to breech her comfort zone.
Nick and Johnny Greenwood lost their sister Debs 43 years ago. The Greenwood brothers live in the same home, an old set of train carriages, but never speak. Debs was murder and their life slowly collapsed after her death followed by their relationship with each other. The story is more complicated than that when one day Zorah delivers a letter that is seemingly from a sister though long dead.
Zorah six years ago broke under the stress and the constant harassment she faced in her last year of highschool. Leading her life to suddenly halt until she becomes the post woman and starts working on restoring an old train and railway in her free time.
The Greenwoods carriages would be perfect for the renovation. However the interactions and process between all of the characters slowly breaks their story down and leads to a way they can heal.
Overall this story was fairly well written. It leaves you slightly confused at the beginning because you don't know why things are how they are. But as time goes and you see into their past things start clicking and it leans into their development and healing. If you're patient enough to wade through the first bout of confusion you will find a rewarding story. However the ending falls a bit flat for my liking and it feels it could use with one more chapter.
Nick and Johnny Greenwood lost their sister Debs 43 years ago. The Greenwood brothers live in the same home, an old set of train carriages, but never speak. Debs was murder and their life slowly collapsed after her death followed by their relationship with each other. The story is more complicated than that when one day Zorah delivers a letter that is seemingly from a sister though long dead.
Zorah six years ago broke under the stress and the constant harassment she faced in her last year of highschool. Leading her life to suddenly halt until she becomes the post woman and starts working on restoring an old train and railway in her free time.
The Greenwoods carriages would be perfect for the renovation. However the interactions and process between all of the characters slowly breaks their story down and leads to a way they can heal.
Overall this story was fairly well written. It leaves you slightly confused at the beginning because you don't know why things are how they are. But as time goes and you see into their past things start clicking and it leans into their development and healing. If you're patient enough to wade through the first bout of confusion you will find a rewarding story. However the ending falls a bit flat for my liking and it feels it could use with one more chapter.
May 10, 2018
There is a lot going on in this seemingly 'cosy' British novel. There are the two brothers, living in adjoining railway carriages for so many years, yet never communicating. There is the mystery surrounding the murder of their sister when they were teenagers. There is Zohra, a young postwoman, who is grappling with a trauma from high school. And then there is a restoration of an old railway line.
Clare Morrall cleverly links these stories together, and slowly the reader is drawn into the histories of these characters, and how they came to be so damaged.
So yes, this is a novel about the damage done, particularly in our youth, that if not dealt with immediately, festers and does more and more damage. But it is also a novel about the redemptive power of love and forgiveness. Oh, and it's also about the love of steam locomotives!
I gobbled this book up in a couple of days, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Clare Morrall cleverly links these stories together, and slowly the reader is drawn into the histories of these characters, and how they came to be so damaged.
So yes, this is a novel about the damage done, particularly in our youth, that if not dealt with immediately, festers and does more and more damage. But it is also a novel about the redemptive power of love and forgiveness. Oh, and it's also about the love of steam locomotives!
I gobbled this book up in a couple of days, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 4, 2018
'No further resurrections will be required. I never died. I'm here, ready to go, awaiting instructions.'
Clare Morrall's 2018 novel 'The Last of the Greenwoods' engages with our complex relationship with the past. The elderly Greenwood brothers are prisoners of their past, a past that fixed them at a point in time, 1969, the year their sister died. Can they eventually be free of this defining incident and the toxic feud that remains between them? Not on their own. Crisis and external intervention is needed to bring renewal.
Morrall's novel skilfully uses mirroring and doubling to show how the past is not only always with us but has a tendency to recur and repeat unless we deliberately make the break, assume an agency that has previously been absent.
This is a quiet, thoughtful novel from an author that deserves to be widely read.
Clare Morrall's 2018 novel 'The Last of the Greenwoods' engages with our complex relationship with the past. The elderly Greenwood brothers are prisoners of their past, a past that fixed them at a point in time, 1969, the year their sister died. Can they eventually be free of this defining incident and the toxic feud that remains between them? Not on their own. Crisis and external intervention is needed to bring renewal.
Morrall's novel skilfully uses mirroring and doubling to show how the past is not only always with us but has a tendency to recur and repeat unless we deliberately make the break, assume an agency that has previously been absent.
This is a quiet, thoughtful novel from an author that deserves to be widely read.
October 26, 2020
'The Last of the Greenwoods' by Clare Morrall draws us into the lives of two eccentric brothers who continue to live in neighbouring railway carriages which formed their family home well into middle age, and a young postwoman, Zohra, who has retained one friend from school days, Crispin, a railway enthusiast. Zohra's academic ambitions were shattered in her final year at school, and she has struggled to forge a life for herself since. Zohra delivers a letter from Canada to the brothers from someone claiming to be their sister, Debs. They believed Debs had been murdered. Her re-appearance leads them to re-examine their earlier lives and, finally, to move on. The novel is emotionally engaging. After a rather slow start, I found myself concerned about the future lives of the characters.
September 16, 2018
There are two stories that collide at the end. One is the story of two brothers who live in run down railway carriages and receive a letter from their sister who they thought had died as a teenager. The woman who delivers the letter is Zohra and it is her story that I found the most interesting. She was once expected to have a future that involved university and great achievements but she has been damaged by bullying in social media at school. This story is told very sympathetically and you really feel for her. Joining the two tales is the project Zohra and her friends get involved in - to rebuild an old disused railway line. As with Clare Morrall’s other books, there is a sense of healing and hope for many of the characters at the end.
February 16, 2018
I chose to read this book because of its blurb: elderly brothers live in adjoining railway carriages. No one visits and they never speak to each other. Until the day Zohra Dasgupta, a young postwoman, delivers an extraordinary letter - from a woman claiming to be the sister they thought had been murdered fifty years earlier. And this didn’t disappoint. Two strong storylines which ran parallel then intersected at certain points, believable characters and good quality writing all made this a very enjoyable book which will appeal to many readers. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.
November 16, 2018
Really godawful, two stars until the end where it actually creates and so deservedly receives 1 star.
A couple of crimes this book commits: 1) spoils the ending of another book, 2) Crispin calls a mentally challenged character a "dog" at one point... I think (I hope) it was with affection, but it left a really bad taste in my mouth, and 3) has a character with expert skills in computers, 20 years of experience, Google-badly, which is just like insulting. Morrall has all of these acknowledgments in the book to people who helped her with trains and train terminology... coulda used a techie, or you know, anyone who's actually used a computer.
A couple of crimes this book commits: 1) spoils the ending of another book, 2) Crispin calls a mentally challenged character a "dog" at one point... I think (I hope) it was with affection, but it left a really bad taste in my mouth, and 3) has a character with expert skills in computers, 20 years of experience, Google-badly, which is just like insulting. Morrall has all of these acknowledgments in the book to people who helped her with trains and train terminology... coulda used a techie, or you know, anyone who's actually used a computer.
October 18, 2020
40 or 50 years on would you recognize an older sibling you had not seen since you were 15? Challenging to think about. It is one of the themes of this book, and the most interesting one. Frustratingly, it is not explored in as much depths as I was wanting. Nevertheless this novel about steam train enthusiasts, high school bullies and the lifelong trauma of family tragedies and dysfunction had me looking forward to my nightly reading session. Flawed in some ways but still a good page turner and thoroughly enjoyable.
December 12, 2022
it's funny, I had very mixed feelings about this book - I grew up in and around Bromsgrove, so it was weird - the themes blended together well, but I couldn't feel any sympathetic feelings towards the characters for a while. Well, face it, how many people do you know who live in a railway carriage? But then, they started to make more sense and while i could see some of what was ahead, I couldn't put it down (I've noticed this with Ms Morrall's books; it's something they have in common). Good strong characters, storylines that make you reach for google, and a nice tidy ending. Good stuff.
February 5, 2018
I really liked the story of the two brothers in the railway carriages,who live along side each other,sharing some spaces,yet not speaking for seven years.
That was great,as was how they looked back on the past.
However the postwomans story felt like so.e teenage melodrama and the possible sister back from the dead... not sure on that one.
I'd have been happier with just one of the threads I think.
That was great,as was how they looked back on the past.
However the postwomans story felt like so.e teenage melodrama and the possible sister back from the dead... not sure on that one.
I'd have been happier with just one of the threads I think.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2018
This was an impulse buy to support a small local bookshop - I'm so glad this was the book I chose!
The two intertwined storyline were carefully crafted; written with care and understanding of the complex issues we encounter and keep hidden from the outside world.
I will be seeking put other books from this author.
The two intertwined storyline were carefully crafted; written with care and understanding of the complex issues we encounter and keep hidden from the outside world.
I will be seeking put other books from this author.
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