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Beyond the Margin
Is living on the edge of society a choice? Or is choice a luxury of the fortunate? Joe, fighting drug addiction, runs until the sea halts his progress. His is a faltering search for meaningful relationships. 'Let Luck be a friend,' Nuala is told but it had never felt that way. Abandoned at five years old, survival means learning not to care. Her only hope is to take control of her own destiny.The intertwining of their lives makes a compelling story of darkness and light, trauma, loss and second chances.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2019
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Jo Jackson
3 books6 followersI describe my novels, 'Too Loud a Silence' and 'Beyond the Margin' as contemporary literary fiction. I began writing when I retired. My career was as a nurse and midwife before becoming a systemic family therapist.
It has been my privilege to work with people, often when they were at their most vulnerable. I hope my books pay tribute to their courage and fortitude.
It has been my privilege to work with people, often when they were at their most vulnerable. I hope my books pay tribute to their courage and fortitude.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 20, 2020
Write what you know – and this author does that.
Her novel may strike a chord with anyone who has experienced or has experience of vulnerable people. People who have been abused, abandoned, placed in inadequate foster caring, succumbed to substance abuse. People whose lives have spiralled out of control for reasons out of their control.
This hasn’t been a novel I could read quickly. The characters haunted me, I cared about them, and I needed time to digest what was happening to them. The story is well drawn, and there is some lovely imagery around Ireland and weather.
Her novel may strike a chord with anyone who has experienced or has experience of vulnerable people. People who have been abused, abandoned, placed in inadequate foster caring, succumbed to substance abuse. People whose lives have spiralled out of control for reasons out of their control.
This hasn’t been a novel I could read quickly. The characters haunted me, I cared about them, and I needed time to digest what was happening to them. The story is well drawn, and there is some lovely imagery around Ireland and weather.
January 24, 2020
This is a moving and absorbing story of two people who lived 'beyond the margin'. The two main characters experience abusive and challenging events in their lives. They are are vividly and sensitively portrayed and the author's compassion for them permeates the book. Jo Jackson recounts the life-journey of each of her main characters with insight and conviction. As a reader I connected deeply with their stories and shared their hurt, pain and courage. I was gripped by the account of the challenges they faced and the courage they showed. The story telling is skilful; the reader can't help but turn the next page. The ending is particularly intriguing! The novel is set in Ireland and the physical landscapes are described in an illuminating, poetic detail which helps to establish the atmosphere for the story.
I thoroughly recommend this book.
I thoroughly recommend this book.
February 3, 2020
This is a book of life on the edge; both in reality and in emotional terms. Joe is a man who has been about as low as possible and now lives on the edge of the land, and Nuala is always on the edge of disaster. This is a book which features the difficulties and the tremulous joys of life as it describes days when the natural world offers so much, as well as days when people are at their most challenging. This book depicts the problems and inadequacies of the child care system in contemporary Britain and its effects on children and young people. It also deals with small agricultural communities on the edge of subsidence farming. It is an undoubtedly powerful book about the intertwining of two people, two fates, two lives. Difficult subjects are tackled head on, but in a basic and brilliantly observed way. Dealing with subjects such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and domestic abuse, it also looks at positive views of life. It looks at how certain people can look beyond the outer appearance to see the real person beneath. This sensitive and skilfully written book is an impressive and weighty book in many ways, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review it.
Two lives intersect when a man offers a lift to a teenage girl in the pouring rain. She is awkward, needy but also fiercely independent. The scene then changes to a young woman who remembers scenes from her childhood, her life in care, her dismay over her abandonment. Life has been difficult and she reacts by seeking her freedom in a new setting, away from the tearing tragedies that have beset her.
A young man has had a hard life, a nearly impossible childhood, teenage years full of challenges. He has truly lost so much, but is haunted by a child that he cannot forget, he cannot outrun, and his guilt and pain pushes him further and further away. It is only when he gets to the edge of the land that he stops, nervous of a large animal but forced into action. His thoughtfulness and kindness give him a slight hope of a new start, but one that is tenuous, dependent on different people from any he has met before. He must confront his past life and discover a new way forward.
This is a mature book full of detail about potential problems in contemporary life. It also shows huge insight into the thought processes and instinctive reactions of a child and teenager, the sensitive approach of some adults which has an effect, the twists of fate that can change lives. The world of subsistence farming is beautifully described and sensitively worked out. This is a powerful book which has much to say about the nature of life and the pain of separation, the search for a child and the parent figure that is so necessary to a young person’s sense of self. I found this a profoundly moving book that I would recommend as a searing insight into difficult lives, combined with the genuinely positive input that can be made by relative strangers. There is hope, love and genuine concern in this book, and altogether it is an uplifting read.
Two lives intersect when a man offers a lift to a teenage girl in the pouring rain. She is awkward, needy but also fiercely independent. The scene then changes to a young woman who remembers scenes from her childhood, her life in care, her dismay over her abandonment. Life has been difficult and she reacts by seeking her freedom in a new setting, away from the tearing tragedies that have beset her.
A young man has had a hard life, a nearly impossible childhood, teenage years full of challenges. He has truly lost so much, but is haunted by a child that he cannot forget, he cannot outrun, and his guilt and pain pushes him further and further away. It is only when he gets to the edge of the land that he stops, nervous of a large animal but forced into action. His thoughtfulness and kindness give him a slight hope of a new start, but one that is tenuous, dependent on different people from any he has met before. He must confront his past life and discover a new way forward.
This is a mature book full of detail about potential problems in contemporary life. It also shows huge insight into the thought processes and instinctive reactions of a child and teenager, the sensitive approach of some adults which has an effect, the twists of fate that can change lives. The world of subsistence farming is beautifully described and sensitively worked out. This is a powerful book which has much to say about the nature of life and the pain of separation, the search for a child and the parent figure that is so necessary to a young person’s sense of self. I found this a profoundly moving book that I would recommend as a searing insight into difficult lives, combined with the genuinely positive input that can be made by relative strangers. There is hope, love and genuine concern in this book, and altogether it is an uplifting read.
February 1, 2020
Beyond the Margin by Jo Jackson was a truly exceptional read.
The story follows the journeys of Michael Joseph (Joe) McCurdy and Nuala who live their lives generally shunned and misunderstood by society - one through choice, and the other because of circumstance.
The story is told via alternating chapters narrated by the two main characters, Joe and Nuala. The author writes with wonderful clarity. I loved the descriptions of the places, nature, countryside, coast, animals and lifestyle where the main characters lived, particularly in the case of Nuala, during her time at the farm cottage in rural Ireland, in the first part of the story.
Both Nuala and Joe were vividly and sensitively portrayed, and all of the characters were varied and real, each with their own recognisable personality.
Although there was tragedy, grief, loss and death aplenty, this was balanced by events which were somewhat more uplifting. I adored the arrival of collie puppy Clemmie in Joe's life, and for Nuala, for whom reading was a pleasure, there was the beginnings of a heartwarming bond between her English schoolteacher, Mrs Leafe.
Beyond the Margin was definitely a page-turner, desperate as I was to learn the fates of Nuala and her father. This could easily have been a deeply depressing novel but within this story there was also hope and redemption. Jo Jackson created characters who I could not help but care about.
Elegantly and maturely written, I would recommend Beyond the Margin to anyone looking for a good read about families. A fulfilling cocktail of raw, punchy, and captivating delight!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my request, from Rachel’s Random Resources and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
The story follows the journeys of Michael Joseph (Joe) McCurdy and Nuala who live their lives generally shunned and misunderstood by society - one through choice, and the other because of circumstance.
The story is told via alternating chapters narrated by the two main characters, Joe and Nuala. The author writes with wonderful clarity. I loved the descriptions of the places, nature, countryside, coast, animals and lifestyle where the main characters lived, particularly in the case of Nuala, during her time at the farm cottage in rural Ireland, in the first part of the story.
Both Nuala and Joe were vividly and sensitively portrayed, and all of the characters were varied and real, each with their own recognisable personality.
Although there was tragedy, grief, loss and death aplenty, this was balanced by events which were somewhat more uplifting. I adored the arrival of collie puppy Clemmie in Joe's life, and for Nuala, for whom reading was a pleasure, there was the beginnings of a heartwarming bond between her English schoolteacher, Mrs Leafe.
Beyond the Margin was definitely a page-turner, desperate as I was to learn the fates of Nuala and her father. This could easily have been a deeply depressing novel but within this story there was also hope and redemption. Jo Jackson created characters who I could not help but care about.
Elegantly and maturely written, I would recommend Beyond the Margin to anyone looking for a good read about families. A fulfilling cocktail of raw, punchy, and captivating delight!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my request, from Rachel’s Random Resources and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
February 1, 2020
Nuala is abandoned to starve and die as a five-year-old. Her experiences as a child and in care define her character and choices, which aren't always the right ones. Both Nuala and her choices are driven by her fear of abandonment, the fury about being powerless and the confusion she feels about her father. Love is mixed in equal measures with anger and longing.
Joe is a drug addict running away from his past and his life in general. He stumbles upon an elderly couple, who live an isolated life on an island. They recognise a young man in need of support. Joe struggles with inner demons - the call of the drugs that help him forget, and with his own difficult childhood.
Jackson has her finger on the pulse when it comes to the emotional depth and rawness of her characters. There is no sugar-coating of the truth or over-hyping of the same. It's just out there - to be accepted or not. It's uncomfortable, but the truth often is when it isn't being hidden or glossed over. Our care systems are inadequate and children fall through the huge cracks all the time, and yet colour us surprised when they grow up to become the criminals, addicts and vulnerable adults of our societies. Children in care are jobs to over-worked, understaffed, and desensitised social workers who also lack the resources to help them when they need it the most.
It's an emotional hard-hitting contemporary read. To some it might highlight the fact that we shouldn't give up so easily on those who struggle or are difficult and don't fit into the norm society dictates. Second chances can be given, but are often rejected because it's hard to believe someone could actually care enough when those who are supposed to didn't or weren't capable of doing so.
This book will be going on my stand-outs of the year list. Jackson writes with such compassion and brutal honesty - the result is a breathtakingly down-to-earth and compelling read.
*I received a courtes copy*
Joe is a drug addict running away from his past and his life in general. He stumbles upon an elderly couple, who live an isolated life on an island. They recognise a young man in need of support. Joe struggles with inner demons - the call of the drugs that help him forget, and with his own difficult childhood.
Jackson has her finger on the pulse when it comes to the emotional depth and rawness of her characters. There is no sugar-coating of the truth or over-hyping of the same. It's just out there - to be accepted or not. It's uncomfortable, but the truth often is when it isn't being hidden or glossed over. Our care systems are inadequate and children fall through the huge cracks all the time, and yet colour us surprised when they grow up to become the criminals, addicts and vulnerable adults of our societies. Children in care are jobs to over-worked, understaffed, and desensitised social workers who also lack the resources to help them when they need it the most.
It's an emotional hard-hitting contemporary read. To some it might highlight the fact that we shouldn't give up so easily on those who struggle or are difficult and don't fit into the norm society dictates. Second chances can be given, but are often rejected because it's hard to believe someone could actually care enough when those who are supposed to didn't or weren't capable of doing so.
This book will be going on my stand-outs of the year list. Jackson writes with such compassion and brutal honesty - the result is a breathtakingly down-to-earth and compelling read.
*I received a courtes copy*
February 2, 2020
At first, I wondered if the profound impact that this book had on me was because it was so very different from the books I usually choose to read. But no – its impact was all down to the fact that it’s a stunning piece of writing. It explores the lives of two people, and their stories and viewpoints alternate.
Young Nuala, after the death of her drug addict mother and her abandonment by her father, moves through the care system, searching for a place where she can belong: its failings are many, and the repeatedly dashed hopes of a vulnerable child are incredibly difficult to read. I say “read”, but this is a book that portrays the full depth of her experience with exceptional authenticity, that makes you cry with frustration at the failings of the system as she moves into adulthood, severely damaged by the twists and turns of her life.
Her father Joe runs away, haunted by loss and guilt, and finds himself on the edge of civilisation as he tries to heal himself. He experiences the exceptional kindness of strangers, who are surviving through farming the wilderness: and he begins to remake his life, drawing on reserves of kindness and humanity his difficult life had failed to eradicate.
The writing is simply wonderful – every word carefully chosen, the natural world vividly described and detailed, atmospheric and full of striking images, reflecting the emotional turmoil of the characters. Every shared thought and feeling, as life throws its slings and arrows, is never anything but wholly real, conveyed with exceptional insight and a sensitivity that is deeply affecting.
And while it’s difficult to look away from Nuala and Joe, the supporting characters are also superbly drawn – the elderly couple who provide Joe’s lifeline to emotional recovery while struggling with their own tragic loss, the community who pull together, the relationship that gives him hope for the future, the hard-pressed social workers who fail to provide the service they should, the acts of kindness that enrich Nuala’s sad life for those fleeting moments.
And I really loved the story’s construction – the intriguing prologue that I’d almost forgotten (and re-read at the end), the uplifting and unexpected ending, the way it left me with real hope for the future. Without question, this will be one of my books of the year.
Young Nuala, after the death of her drug addict mother and her abandonment by her father, moves through the care system, searching for a place where she can belong: its failings are many, and the repeatedly dashed hopes of a vulnerable child are incredibly difficult to read. I say “read”, but this is a book that portrays the full depth of her experience with exceptional authenticity, that makes you cry with frustration at the failings of the system as she moves into adulthood, severely damaged by the twists and turns of her life.
Her father Joe runs away, haunted by loss and guilt, and finds himself on the edge of civilisation as he tries to heal himself. He experiences the exceptional kindness of strangers, who are surviving through farming the wilderness: and he begins to remake his life, drawing on reserves of kindness and humanity his difficult life had failed to eradicate.
The writing is simply wonderful – every word carefully chosen, the natural world vividly described and detailed, atmospheric and full of striking images, reflecting the emotional turmoil of the characters. Every shared thought and feeling, as life throws its slings and arrows, is never anything but wholly real, conveyed with exceptional insight and a sensitivity that is deeply affecting.
And while it’s difficult to look away from Nuala and Joe, the supporting characters are also superbly drawn – the elderly couple who provide Joe’s lifeline to emotional recovery while struggling with their own tragic loss, the community who pull together, the relationship that gives him hope for the future, the hard-pressed social workers who fail to provide the service they should, the acts of kindness that enrich Nuala’s sad life for those fleeting moments.
And I really loved the story’s construction – the intriguing prologue that I’d almost forgotten (and re-read at the end), the uplifting and unexpected ending, the way it left me with real hope for the future. Without question, this will be one of my books of the year.
February 24, 2020
Beyond the Margin by Jo Jackson is moving, poignant, and absorbing, while maintaining themes of hope and redemption.
The story follows two characters, Joe and Nuala, who live on the outside of society. Alternating between chapters narrated by each character, Jo Jackson crafts realistic people that I couldn’t help but care about.
As I said early, hope and redemption are major themes in this story. Though there is a lot of despair, the novel maintains balanced uplifting moments as well. What could have easily been depressing, became an elegant story of inspiration.
Beyond the Margin was a page-turner. This novel had me very connected with the characters and I think it will stay with me for a while. Highly recommended.
Rating:
5/5☆
*I recieved a free copy of this book from Rachel's Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
The story follows two characters, Joe and Nuala, who live on the outside of society. Alternating between chapters narrated by each character, Jo Jackson crafts realistic people that I couldn’t help but care about.
As I said early, hope and redemption are major themes in this story. Though there is a lot of despair, the novel maintains balanced uplifting moments as well. What could have easily been depressing, became an elegant story of inspiration.
Beyond the Margin was a page-turner. This novel had me very connected with the characters and I think it will stay with me for a while. Highly recommended.
Rating:
5/5☆
*I recieved a free copy of this book from Rachel's Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
January 30, 2020
This is a book that will stay with you.
Joe and Nuala, father and daughter, live separate lives. They are separated from each other as well as from society. Joe is a man with weaknesses who leaves his young daughter because he struggles to take care of himself. Nuala is left to live with various strangers in the foster care system. With very little (but some) love thrown her way, she stifles her feelings and tries not to care, about anyone, including herself.
The novel is saved from despair by the honest depiction of those who live on the edge of society. They do care, no matter how hard they try not to. Both characters develop and change, and the reader grows very attached to them.
It’s hard to write about this book without giving too much away. Joe finds a home of sorts, and learns to forgive himself. Nuala is touched by love, and the small kindnesses she finds in her lonely struggle will be her saving grace.
Read this book. It is poignant and very real. I worked with this population of children for a number of years, and this book depicted the plight of a child from a broken home with rare insight and honesty. You will not always have soft feelings for Nuala – she really does try to turn everyone away and you will feel that as a reader. But she is part of a lovely story and she perseveres, as though she knows somewhere in the back of her mind, that she indeed belongs somewhere.
Joe and Nuala, father and daughter, live separate lives. They are separated from each other as well as from society. Joe is a man with weaknesses who leaves his young daughter because he struggles to take care of himself. Nuala is left to live with various strangers in the foster care system. With very little (but some) love thrown her way, she stifles her feelings and tries not to care, about anyone, including herself.
The novel is saved from despair by the honest depiction of those who live on the edge of society. They do care, no matter how hard they try not to. Both characters develop and change, and the reader grows very attached to them.
It’s hard to write about this book without giving too much away. Joe finds a home of sorts, and learns to forgive himself. Nuala is touched by love, and the small kindnesses she finds in her lonely struggle will be her saving grace.
Read this book. It is poignant and very real. I worked with this population of children for a number of years, and this book depicted the plight of a child from a broken home with rare insight and honesty. You will not always have soft feelings for Nuala – she really does try to turn everyone away and you will feel that as a reader. But she is part of a lovely story and she perseveres, as though she knows somewhere in the back of her mind, that she indeed belongs somewhere.
February 6, 2020
From the first chapter, this book just had me. I need say nothing much about the plot other than what you see in the synopsis because Beyond the Margin is all about the way it makes you feel.
I found it both captivating and strangely, perhaps even inexplicably, calming. It’s raw and honest and visceral but is told with such skill that, despite the pity and the pain, it becomes beautiful, warm and uplifting. I was compelled by Joe’s journey. Near isolation makes him face himself; his spinning merry-go-round of regret and guilt is slowed sufficiently by the wonderful couple who both need him and show faith in him, for him to get off and start to heal.
Nuala is so blameless and broke my heart many times on her journey. Luck is no friend to her, until it is. Good people in her life are transient and so often out of reach. Trying to make it on to the main page when your life is lived out beyond the margins may never be an available option, but she shows a resilience which is borne of her traumatic experiences, with an added strength of character and intelligence that maybe even she doesn’t see.
An exceptional piece of writing, characters to treasure and remember. I didn’t want this to end; very emotional. I now have a book hangover that I don’t have time for! Wouldn’t swap it for the world though – can’t recommend this highly enough.
I received a copy of the book as part of a book tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources in exchange for my views as a reader.
For more, please visit https://doublestackedshelves.com
I found it both captivating and strangely, perhaps even inexplicably, calming. It’s raw and honest and visceral but is told with such skill that, despite the pity and the pain, it becomes beautiful, warm and uplifting. I was compelled by Joe’s journey. Near isolation makes him face himself; his spinning merry-go-round of regret and guilt is slowed sufficiently by the wonderful couple who both need him and show faith in him, for him to get off and start to heal.
Nuala is so blameless and broke my heart many times on her journey. Luck is no friend to her, until it is. Good people in her life are transient and so often out of reach. Trying to make it on to the main page when your life is lived out beyond the margins may never be an available option, but she shows a resilience which is borne of her traumatic experiences, with an added strength of character and intelligence that maybe even she doesn’t see.
An exceptional piece of writing, characters to treasure and remember. I didn’t want this to end; very emotional. I now have a book hangover that I don’t have time for! Wouldn’t swap it for the world though – can’t recommend this highly enough.
I received a copy of the book as part of a book tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources in exchange for my views as a reader.
For more, please visit https://doublestackedshelves.com
December 5, 2020
This was a wonderful read.
Jo Jackson has created two characters who seem so real that it feels like you know them.
While reading this book I found myself wanting the best for the characters and forgiving their mistakes, Jo writes in such a way that the connection to the characters is there from the start.
This book is a story of hope, it shows that things can change, you can make your life better and no matter how low you sink you can pull yourself back up.
TW - Drug Abuse, Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse.
Jo Jackson has created two characters who seem so real that it feels like you know them.
While reading this book I found myself wanting the best for the characters and forgiving their mistakes, Jo writes in such a way that the connection to the characters is there from the start.
This book is a story of hope, it shows that things can change, you can make your life better and no matter how low you sink you can pull yourself back up.
TW - Drug Abuse, Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse.
April 9, 2020
THANKS TO THE AUTHOR,PUBLISHER AND RACHEL FROM RACHEL’S RANDOM RESOURCES FOR THIS BOOK IN RETURN FOR MY OWN HONEST REVIEW
This is a very moving and absorbing story of two people who lived “Beyond the margin”. The main characters experience abusive and challenging events. These are vividly and well written and sensitively portrayed throughout the book.
I was gripped by the account of challenges each character faced and the courage they showed.
This is a very moving and absorbing story of two people who lived “Beyond the margin”. The main characters experience abusive and challenging events. These are vividly and well written and sensitively portrayed throughout the book.
I was gripped by the account of challenges each character faced and the courage they showed.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews