Think of England

by Alice Elliott Dark

From the author of In the Gloaming and Fellowship Point , Alice Elliott Dark’s powerful and emotional debut novel traces one young woman’s reckoning with a childhood tragedy set during mid-1960s America and 1970s London.

Two cataclysmic events occur on February 9, 1964. The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show and later that night, nine-year-old Jane MacLeod's life changes forever. It has been said that children are good observers but poor interpreters and Jane's interpretation of the events of that evening shapes her life in ways she doesn't recognize.

Think of England follows Jane from an intense love affair in the ex-pat scene in punk-era London to working motherhood in New York to a family reunion in the country—and a reckoning with the ghost that has stood between her and her dreams of a happy family.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming Of Age

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2002

About the author

I have written four books of fiction, Naked to the Waist (1991), In the Gloaming (2000), Think of England (2002) and Fellowship Point (2022). I write everyday at least for a few minutes. I also teach in the English department and the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark. I have learned so much from teaching! I'm working on a new novel, a sequel to my short story "In the Gloaming." That story was made into two films, one by HBO (it's available on Amazon Prime) and one by Trinity Playhouse. I always have a cat or a dog or both sitting near me when I work.

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first attracted to this book because of the title (anything that mentions England attracts me). When I actually received the book I was slightly disappointed to learn it's about an American girl. I needn't have been--this was a wonderful story. As I finished it on the plane from San Antonio to Chicago, my eyes started tearing up (and I was seated between two men who I'm sure would never understand!) I loved the main character, Jane. I could identify with her being a serious child and a serious adult and how often that can be misinterpreted, until people get to know you well. I also loved the way the story unfolded. You don't always know for sure, or right away, what happened; the author just gives you hints. But she reveals all eventually. You grow to like the characters so much you just want to make sure things turned out OK for them. It's been a long time since I've read a book I've liked so much. After the disappointment of The Secret History, Alice Elliott Dark has restored my faith in contemporary authors.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

After absolutely loving Fellowship Point, I wanted to go back and read some of Dark’s earlier works. I agree with the New Yorker’s assessment of Think of England: “Everything in this book is a pleasure to read.” This is an almost perfect female coming of age story, complete with early tragedy, friends who become family, a doomed love affair, and the painful realization that a break in a seminal relationship will never be healed. Beautifully written, not too long and deeply satisfying.

[Ash HC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, this book felt like it needed a better editor. Having said that, it wasn't bad.
The only thing I felt strongly about was the fact I absolutely fucking loathed Clay, who is possibly one of the most unlikeable fuckers I've come across in fiction. The fact that he continued to play a role in Jane's life after she left him was absolutely devastating to me. Fuck that man.
But other than the absolute loathing I felt for him, I felt fairly neutral about this book. I enjoyed parts of it, which were diverting and interesting (mainly the first section and then the early part of her time in London) but the structure of the book I found kind of distracting when I think it was meant to make the story more engaging.
Why, for instance, do we have to wait so long to find out about Emlin? And why is it so ambivalent when we do? The constant allusions to it and the massive role it obviously played on Jane's life was just distracting. I also don't fully understand why the Beatles were so relevant in all this.
I also felt like Colette's storyline petered out with far too little ceremony. She was such a big part of the novel and then she's just dropped, with no resolution. So yeah, a better editor I feel was very much in order.

[Val Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ran across this book so serendipitously. I had read the author's Fellowship Point (set in Maine) and loved it. There's something about her writing that propels me to want more. I hadn't looked into other books by her, but as I was shelving in the library in which I work, I saw this title next to Fellowship Point. It had been mis-shelved and was actually supposed to be in compact shelving. Fellowship Point was published in 2022, Think of England in 2002. In 20 years, her writing is consistently fascinating, persistently compelling. This is a coming-of-age story with a bunch of hidden family trauma that unfolds slowly. I will be looking for more books by Alice Elliott Dark for sure.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting slant of story telling. The themes developed are valuable however... At first, a real page turner, and then... whatever happened in the first tragedy is dropped. A second subplot and third are developed and the same "dropped" technique which made resolution at the end feel facile and out of place.

[Katherine Kinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was engrossed in this novel from the first page.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sweet book which I enjoyed…very understated but quite lovely.

[Mawdi · Rating 3 out of 5]

quick read
SLOW.
held on til the very end

[Knedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing and character development. I love this author.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* A sweet short coming of age/family novel. She writes very well but the book was a bit thin.

[Andy Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Alice Elliott Dark's short story "In the Gloaming" years ago when it was included in the Best American Short Stories anthology. One of the best short stories I've ever read and every few years I've re-read it. On my last re-reading I decided to order another book and found "Think of England"
I think I was a bit disappointed because I had set a high bar based on her earlier work, but it was still a nice novel. It starts in 1964 when Jane's family gathers to watch the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. Her Uncle Francis encouraged the family gathering, he had seen the Beatles in their Hamburg days. Nine year old Jane is especially close to her dad, a successful doctor whose devotion to his work has caused not only a rift with his wife but also made Jane's younger siblings jealous of any time with him, during the evening, Jane's dad discovers that someone had taken the receiver off the hook so that the hospital could not call him. When he discovers this, he drives to the hospital and is killed in a car accident
The novel then jumps ahead to when Jane moved to England in 1979 shortly after she finished college. She is integrated into somewhat of a bohemian life in London that centered around a young wealthy gay man who had convinced Colette to marry him so as not to lose his family inheritance. Colette agreed because of the money knowing that her romances would be with other men. They also introduce Jane to a writer, those two fall in love. But this section of the novel ends in heartbreak for Jane and Colette.
The novel concludes years later at a birthday party for Jane's mom which is also the first true reunion of all of Jane's siblings. Jane never married but does a child thanks to a sperm bank. The family reunion turns to discussion of who left the phone off the book, the event that is blamed for Jane's father's death. In the midst of all this, Jane's ex-boyfriend's new book receives glowing reviews, he's now a famous writer and his dedication sparks Jane to read her old letters from him and adds to Jane's contemplation of life.
The interesting plot twists and characters too often give way to stilted dialogue and plot turns that you would expect to see in a romcom. But I did find myself wanting to find out what happens to the characters, and caring about what happened

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good coming-of-age story. On February 9, 1964, the night the Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, Jane's life is changed forever. We see her that night at age nine, fifteen years later in early 20's in London and back home again as a mother of a nine year old daughter many years later. Her relationships with her mother and father, uncle, grandparents and siblings shape her life (as they do with us all). Her nine year old interpretation of the events of that evening haunt her and affect her choices thereafter. Only years later does she find out the full story of that evening. I really enjoyed the story; I thought it was well written, very engaging - I loved Jane and her friends London friends Collette and Nigel.

[Cathi95 · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Fiction 2002)The book looks at Jane at three points in her life - first as a nine-year-old excited to see the Beatles on the television for their first American appearance, then at 23, and again at 47. She experiences much in her life, her father's death, growing up, spending time in England (she is American, despite the title's inference), and again as an adult with a daughter of her own. She is a very serious woman, but enjoys life. I think a main feature of the book is how the events of your early years shape the future, for better AND for worse, and sometimes one has to understand oneself in order to go forward. I enjoyed the book. It didn't end up all tied in a ribbon, just letting her go on to the next stage of her life, whatever that may be.

[J.M. Reinbold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent character study. Beautifully written. This is a literary novel; so those looking for strong, contemporary plotting will not find it here; however, the book is true to life in that not all situations are resolved by the end of the story, because, I believe, for the author, the story has not ended. My one criticism is the ending, which is an attempt to resolve a romantic crisis in Jane's (main character) past. It does provide some resolution, but that is cryptic, I think to allow the reader to imagine what might occur in the character's future, but in my opinion, it's not a strong enough ending.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I have not been updating my GoodReads at all. Blame my new hobby: knitting.

At any rate, I absolutely loved this book, and I would have loved it even if I didn't know and adore the author. It has a different feel than her short story collection In the Gloaming, but I liked it just as much. One great thing about this book is that I feel like it qualifies as both a just-for-fun read and a well-written work of literature. It's two for the price of one!

Don't take my word for it, though; read it yourself.

[Suzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent character study of a somewhat unusual person at three points in her life - child, young adult, mother. Unusual to start out with, as a young girl (during the first part she is as old as her daughter), she seems way too serious. She lightens up in the young adult section, although I thought her friends Collete and Nigel were kind of unlike her and that maybe she clung to them because she didn't have any other companions. In the third part she becomes an unusual adult, pretty friend and family less. I really enjoyed this book and wish the author hadn't quit writing.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is at once lush and spare in its language and storytelling. It follows the life of a daughter through almost four decades as she attempts to discover who she is, especially in relation to her family. While her experiences are not necessarily easy to relate to, her feelings are, and I often found myself nodding at sentences, wanting to write them down. "Think of England" is a rather quick read; perfect for evening reading before bed.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful and interesting writing - absolutely the best feature of this book. The main character, a careful, sensitive girl who matures into a careful, sensitive, and uptight woman during the course of the book, is a little annoying to live with at times. The middle section of the novel, which actually does take place in England, is the most satisfying.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written but, for me, an unsatisfying read. I felt sorry for Jane, she never seemed to evolve, paralyzed by the loss of her family as she'd hoped it would be. The middle section was the best, with good pace and lots of interesting interaction. The last section was so grim, I could barely stand the disconnects.

[Sean Kinch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janet MacLeod believes that an early family tragedy doomed her to a life of isolation and disconnection. What she learns is that everyone suffers loss and that what controls our destinies lies deeper than circumstances, even tragic ones.

A beautiful, moving, vital, thoughtful novel. My only question is, what happens to Colette?

[Kath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting family relationships story. The main character, Jane, grew up in a family that always said, "think of England," which meant to find a safe thought haven in the midst of turmoil or chaos.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely novel, a little darker than I prefer, but with a wonderful ending. It reminded me of "Brideshead Revisited," so I had to laugh when that novel was mentioned in this one. This is not a light read, but a story that stays with you.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this short novel and especially loved Jane as a 9 - year old girl reading the currents and tension between her parents. She remains that serious, self-aware girl even into her middle years as she navigates adult relationships.

[Becky Straub · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story follows a young girl from the death of her father while she is a child up through the joys of her own daughter. I liked the story, and like many abroad novels, it made me want to go live in England for awhile.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another downer. The characters were interesting and believable. However, the ending was not sufficient enough for me - nothing seemed to be resolved. I think I need something light-hearted next!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story.

[Mary Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, Alice Elliott Dark is a very good writer. I really liked her short story collection "In the Gloaming"

[Tami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many loose ends, but still managed to make me cry.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. Not as good as the title suggests. First part focuses on an interesting little girl. Second part is kind of a "Tales of the City," London.