In the Sweep of the Bay

by Cath Barton

This warm-hearted tale explores marriage, love, and longing, set against the majestic backdrop of Morecambe Bay, the Lakeland Fells, and the faded splendour of the Midland Hotel. Ted Marshall meets Rene in the dance halls of Morecambe and they marry during the frail optimism of the 1950s. They adopt the roles expected of man and wife at the he the breadwinner at the family ceramics firm, and she the loyal housewife. But as the years go by, they find themselves wishing for more… After Ted survives a heart attack, both see it as a new beginning… but can a faded love like theirs ever be rekindled?

Genres: Fiction

93 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 23, 2020

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book with goosebumps and half a tear in my eye after reading the verse on the first page: the lyrics of 'Bring me Sunshine'. To many British people my age and older (and probably younger), that song will always bring to mind the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise - who I adored. The book begins in Morecambe bay, 2009, where Eric Morecambe's statue stands.

It's a clever little novella, the main thread of which appears, at first, to be a concise yet compassionate observation of a couple's long and mostly unhappy marriage - Ted and Rene. Gradually, other threads, which are subtly mentioned in the beginning, are introduced (in the form of other characters and viewpoints) before they are all neatly weaved and intertwined, culminating in a small but beautiful piece of handiwork.

I've been to Morecambe (a while ago now) and seen the Eric statue, so I did have that link in my mind as I was reading, which was nice.

I bought this little paperback direct from the publisher - www.louisewaltersbooks.co.uk

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Sweep of the Bay is an unassuming yet rather affecting novella, spanning half a century and reflecting on the course of an enduring but not entirely satisfying marriage, and takes place in the faded seaside town of Morecambe. The central focus of the novel is on Ted and Rene Marshall and the reader gets to hear both of their perspectives over the course of their marriage and the impossibility of bridging a divide in the face of a busy life of everyday routines, miscommunication and societal expectations.

Ted and Rene meet and marry in the 1950s and despite the lack of fireworks they soon settle down and enter into marriage with the same optimism and dreams of newlyweds everywhere. Ted works in the family ceramics business where he soon makes a name for himself painting vases whilst Rene gives up work to keep house and look after their two daughters, shrinking her world just as Ted’s is expanding. Over time the small pleasures to be had in life and shared moments of happiness coincide less and less and a familiar pattern sets in with Ted going quiet, Rene retreating to the kitchen and the distance between them widening. From temptation crossing Ted’s path at work to the frustrations on both sides and the missed opportunities to open their hardened hearts and attempt to find a way back to each other, this is a very clear-eyed one hundred pages.

Barton captures a number of unremarkable but telling moments across five decades which seem to sum up the exasperation, resentments and yearning on both sides and speak volumes about the Marshall marriage and without any heavy-handedness, manages to convey such emotional depth. It’s a remarkably accurate portrayal of the ups and down in any lengthy relationship, both honest and compassionate without being sentimental. The observations of Ted and Rene’s two daughters and granddaughter’s reveal how little outside observers, even close family, can ever know or understand about the inner workings of a marriage.

The journey of another character in Italian Vincenzo is woven throughout the novella where he crosses paths and visits the same locations as the Marshall’s, all whilst experiencing fresh starts and disappointments of his own and dwelling on the many might have beens along the way.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Morecambe, this bittersweet story of a half-century marriage and the figures on its margins – co-workers, children, even strangers – is both ambitious and intimate. Ted and Rene Marshall marry in the 1950s and soon drift into drudgery and traditional gender roles; “They forgot the happiness. Or rather, they pushed it away.” While Ted becomes a celebrated ceramics designer in the family company, Rene stagnates at home. It is not so much suspected infidelity as simply taking each other for granted that threatens their relationship. Barton moves through the decades and varies the perspective, letting us hear from one of the Marshalls’ daughters and giving kind attention to a gay couple. Strictly Come Dancing fans and those familiar with the northwest might take particular pleasure, but I enjoyed this quiet book reminiscent of Anne Tyler’s French Braid and (though less political) Jonathan Coe’s Bournville.

Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[Danielle's · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook which is beautifully read by Nicola F. Delgado. This isn’t my usual read but it was very enjoyable. It tells the story of Ted and Rene’s marriage through the ages. It’s set in Morecambe bay and shows the progression of friendship and love through the years.

Ted has world at his feet at the beginning of the story and I really enjoyed watching his life play out.

This is a romance of sorts but I enjoyed the life experience more than their connection which was strand at times.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

At just over 100 pages, this novella packs in so much story and emotion. Spanning the decades from the 1950’s until the new Millennium and beyond, it follows the marriage of Ted and Rene from when they first met at a Friday night dance in Morecambe in the 1950’s and how they adjust to the routines of family life.

Ted worked in the family ceramic business, whilst it was considered the norm for the wife to stay at home and look after the home and family. So whilst Rene had to give up her job, Ted did well for himself however for various reasons, he was never able to fully share that success with Rene.

Over the years, discontentment and bitterness are left to fester and somehow talking to each and simple acts of affection become lost amongst family responsibilities and duties. There is still love there but both Ted and Rene find it difficult to articulate their desires and unhappiness. I felt particularly sorry for Ted, Rene seemed a woman discontented with her lot and with a tendency to suck the joy out of life.

The story isn’t just about Ted and Rene; there are other characters that feature too, each with their own stories of love, chasing dreams and missed opportunities. It’s also a reminder of social history with references to popular TV personalities of the time and political events such as the miners strike.

This is a gentle and poignant read, beautifully written in an eloquent and understated way. There is no dramatic storyline, just a simple narrative with observations about life and marriage that lets you get close to the characters and feel for them. I felt a sadness for both Rene and Ted, for the love they had for each other, despite losing something of themselves along the way. It was a lovely read and one I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Fictionophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This moving and poignant novella was my very last read in the year 2020.  What a delightful way to end a great year of reading.

This spoke to my heart on a variety of levels. It made me think of my mother, it made me reflect on just how much society has changed in the past fifty years, it made me melancholy and joyful at the same time.  It spoke to the lives of every man and woman with thoughts on hope, love, and disappointments.

A novella, yet it had the heft of a much longer work. Enough heft that I would qualify it as 'literary fiction' which speaks to the heart. The characters were very realistically drawn, and the writing was outstanding.

[Diana Cambridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cath Barton's novella is quietly and simply written. It says something important about time, and about marriage. Do we pass through time, or does time pass through us? Why do we feel we missed something,something just out of sight, on the journey down? Rene Marshall feels she knows her partner Ted - they married in the 50s - less and less. They fall into a traditional domestic " script". She suspects him of having an affair: now they exchange fewer and fewer words. So what happened to the early optimism, the fresh glamour of their marriage? Where did it go? And is it something they can recapture? Barton writes with insight and poignancy. She suggests that the real magic is in cherishing life itself. A fresh, interesting work that offers intriguing questions about long partnerships. I'd like to read more of Barton's work.


diana@dianacambridge.co.uk

[Laura Besley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The gulls sitting on the freshly-painted blue railings flap into the morning sky as one, before peeling off on their individual journeys across the bay, riding the thermals here, swooping down on abandoned chip papers there. […] The gulls know their territory. They stay within the sweep of Morcambe Bay.” (p.7)

In the Sweep of the Bay, a novella by Cath Barton (Louise Walters Books, Nov. 2020), starts in 2009 in the village of Morcambe, Lancashire, where a statue of Eric Morcambe, the British comedian, has been erected. A retired street sweeper takes on the role of part-time cleaner. He watches people, he talks to the tourists and is happy to take their photos. He says: “People are something else; they open your eyes to things you’ve not thought of. They really do.” (p.6)

At the heart of the story is a married couple, Ted and Rene. Their story starts in The Fifties, where they meet at a dance, court for two years and then marry. “[H]is mother got hold of all sorts and put on a wonderful spread, such as they hadn’t seen for years.” (p.16) The language Barton uses easily conjures up the feel of a bygone era. Ted works for the family ceramics firm, first as an apprentice, but later designing beautiful hand-painted vases. Rene works until she marries, then stops to take care of her husband, the house, and later their two daughters.

In later chapters there are threads of the story told from different characters’ points of view: Dot and Peg (the daughters), Cecily (the granddaughter), Vincenzo and Henry (who live in Italy); Barton has woven the threads of these seemingly separate stories together so they intertwine and come full circle.

Cath Barton’s quiet style is perfectly suited to this narrative about a marriage, delicately exploring “[a]ll the sadness, and all of the love.” (p.104)

[Mandy Huggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving and honest portrait of a marriage, set against the backdrop of the wide sweep of Morecambe Bay. Cath Barton expertly captures the vagaries of the human condition in this insightful tale of love, loyalty and longing, of lost opportunities, of a relationship worn down at the heel by everyday life. Beautifully written, gentle and thoughtful, this slender novella is a must-read.

[Bronwen Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novella about a long marriage which began in the 1950's when many women in the UK gave up careers and stayed at home to look after children and husbands. The story is mostly told from the point of view of the two main characters - Ted, the husband, and Rene, the wife, and the story stretches out from the 50's to 2009.
I have met the author but I promise my recommendation is not based on friendship. This is a small joy of a book. Small but also large in scope. The characters are beautifully drawn. Ted is pitch perfect, as are the nuances of his relationship with Rene. For me a definite five stars.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

"... And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make."
-- The Beatles, 'The End' from the album Abbey Road

Cath Barton's new novella, as much as her debut The Plankton Collector , focuses on individuals and their relationships; as before, she presents her tale as a series of vignettes which invite us to observe without intruding, to sympathise while yearning for resolutions which may or mayn't come.

That she manages to offer us portraits which feel both authentic and honest is testament to her skill and makes the novella such a delight to read. What could have been an exercise in sheer nostalgia becomes a bittersweet reflection of hopes and dreams succeeding and failing, of love blighted by suspicion, and of truths both revealed and covered over.

This is the tale of a couple, Irene and Ted Marshall, who meet after the war at a dance, marry, have two girls, and live out their lives in Morecambe on the northwest coast. Theirs is the conventional life of their mid-century contemporaries, the man a breadwinner, the woman a homemaker; Ted designs for and runs the family ceramics firm while Rene, increasingly unhappy, falls into the role of a housewifely drudge. Naturally their lives interlace with others -- their daughters and granddaughter, a young female employee at work, an Italian who manages a nearby Art Deco hotel, a man who tends the statue of the late comedian Eric Morecambe -- in ways where even passing encounters have unforeseen and lasting effects.

The author gives us glimpses of key moments -- rather like snapshots in albums covering family life -- of chance meetings, worried glances, happy occasions, strained faces, intimacies and estrangements. There's a strong sense of place in which our characters are positioned, whether in the cafés of Morecambe or Milan, on fells in the Lake District or in the Blackpool Tower ballroom for a broadcast of Strictly Come Dancing. Our focus is mostly on Rene and Ted and their increasingly melancholy marriage, but we also follow their daughters Dot and Peg and their grandchild Cecily, and wonder about Vincenzo and his friends Henry and Sandra, and about Ted's young assistant Madge. Much hinges on what is not said as opposed to what is.

At times I was reminded of the work of author and illustrator Raymond Briggs, especially his creations Ethel and Ernest (based on his own parents) as well as Jim and Hilda Bloggs in When the Wind Blows: here was the same gentle evocation of past times and attitudes, of gradual or sudden changes that spelt promises but also uncertainties. In the Sweep of the Bay does a little more than that, however: the title suggests not just Morecambe Bay itself but also the chatty sweep who tends the statue, and time's broom sweeping the timelines of disparate strangers together, from the 1950s to the present. I particularly liked the subtle tonal contrasts, from the greys of the seascapes and skies to the bright lights of the ballrooms, the painted ceramics and the vivid red of a coat in a shop window.

Told from different perspectives, over succeeding decades and in varied voices, this novella manages to make the reader care very much about individuals. If I felt a little let down it was in the slightly anticlimactic final scene which almost felt not so much clumsy or trite but more like an afterthought, especially following so many powerful vignettes. Maybe, though, it was a deliberate decision to give a final twist to the tale, a reflection of real life which only rarely provides ready resolutions. In that at least it rang as true as what preceded it, in the images and incidents which I feel sweeps the reader along.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Sweep of the Bay is a quick read of just over 100 pages but my goodness it is chock full of life and is the perfect study of family life over the decades. The first line is one that had me intrigued straightaway:

"When they put up the statue in 1999, they advertised for someone to look after it."

I won't divulge the subject of the statue but it forms a kind of marker for certain scenes in the book. The main characters are Ted and Rene, married in the 1950s when people were expected to gravitate towards a future husband or wife and stick with them. I found their story really rather moving and thought-provoking. There are other characters in the book who at times take centre stage, but it is Ted and Rene who form the mainstay of the tale.

Cath Barton has a really thoughtful and gentle writing style. She writes of relationships, commitments, the pull of family responsibility against happiness in life overall. This book is a mini social history following the characters over the decades and I loved how the author weaved together home life, work life and the events of the times so eloquently. Ted works for the family ceramics factory whilst Rene stays at home relying on his housekeeping money to run the home. Her dissatisfaction is palpable, a victim of her time, but I truly felt for Ted, a genuinely good man.

This is a wonderful read, both heart-warming and heart-breaking. I hope to read more of Cath Barton's intelligent and tender writing in the future.

[Julie Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. The characters are very likeable - and very believable. I like the way information about them is revealed gradually as the story progresses. Different characters take on the narrative voice, sometimes recalling the same incident so the reader sees it from different viewpoints. This works really effectively for this particular story. The writing style is quiet, understated and there is a gentleness to it which I really appreciated. It's a book I will read again.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the sweep of the Morecambe Bay, lives pass by. People living ordinary lives, but no life is ordinary here: each member of the cast is sketched in with compassion. There are little jewels of detail, so that while decades pass in this novella, time never seems to hurry, and people don't always get around to saying what they mean. Wistful, but life affirming, In the Sweep of the Bay reads like a string of intense pieces of flash fiction, each with its own mood. Wonderful writing, and I will certainly be seeking out more by Cath Barton

[Emma Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written novella about life, family and the connections we make, set in Morecombe Bay. It's a tale of loyalty and stoicism, making the best of things. In some ways I admired Ted, in others I was frustrated by him. A very honest, unromantised view of marriage in the second half of the 20th Century. A gentle book that nonetheless grips.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful portrayal of character, of relationship and of landscape. Cath Barton's novella sweeps across generations and decades but when you put the book down, you really feel that you know the characters.
I love Ted!

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely way to spend the afternoon, reading #InTheSweepOfTheBay.
Cath is a wonderfully storyteller who uses multiple viewpoints to excellent advantage. It’s a rich and emotional story about love and family bonds. Delightful.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melancholy, Morecambe, moving. A fantastic novella.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just 93 pages long – but if there was ever a read that deserved the definition of “small and perfectly formed”, this is it. And not only does it take your breath away by how much the author crams into such a small package – and it’s an entirely flowing and coherent whole – but its internal construction is extremely cleverly done too, a series of shorter stories, slices of life, linked by the characters, location, key motifs and developing themes. It’s quite beautiful – and I’ve honestly never read anything quite like it before.

Essentially, the book follows the lives of Ted and Rene from their marriage in the 1950s through to the present day, each glimpse providing insights into the attitudes and conventions of their times – a portrait of an unexceptional marriage where hopes and dreams become lost among the day-to-day ordinariness, and where love isn’t something expressed but still deeply felt. It examines society’s changing expectations by following too their daughters and granddaughter – along with some very different lives in Italy, through the family who have a vase made by Ted in pride of place in their home.

Every word is carefully chosen, and the emotion the author brings to the narrative is exceptional – there were key points when it made me quite tearful, but there are also many scenes that made me smile. As a child of the 50s, there was much about the relationship between Ted and Rene that reminded me forcibly of my own parents’ lives and relationship, acutely observed and authentically portrayed. I loved the small cast of well-developed characters and the way their lives and stories were intertwined, and I equally loved the recurring motifs and the way they were used – that Italian vase (and others made by Ted at the family’s ceramics factory), the red boucle coat with the fur collar, emotion in their every painted flower and stitched thread.

The book’s sense of place is quite wonderful too – the Eric Morecambe statue on the seafront anchoring the story, a focus for some of those wonderful “moments”, a symbol of joy and loss, along with the views of the Tower shimmering in the distance across Morecambe Bay.

A novella can sometimes leave me dissatisfied – usually wanting it to have been longer, for the story and themes to have been further and more fully developed – but the form here is a perfect match for the story it tells. This is a stunning piece of work by an exceptionally talented author – and I’ll really look forward to reading more from Cath Barton.

[Lynsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Sweep of the Bay is such a delightful wee book that follows the lives of Ted and Rene from the 1950s to present day. Part of their story and all the characters revolve around the above statute of the marvellous Eric Morecambe, which you can find in Morecambe.

The characters in this book were very human, you saw all their inner thoughts and fears laid out on the page with no filter. It was very open with people’s emotions, secret ideas and who they loved. I loved that all three generations of Ted and Rene’s family were involved and I must say I loved Meg their granddaughter.

Now I am a certain nerd of a show which comes to this area once a year and I adored the addition to the story of this! The narrative in general was right up my street. I love family histories and the social history that comes with it.

Don’t hesitate to read this book if you get the chance as it’s beautiful. I’m sure a lot of people would love to get it for Christmas. Hint hint!

[Diane]

Loved this wee book. Characters totally believable. Interesting story lines spanning generations and lifetimes.

[Clare Rhoden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a little gem of a book that perfectly captures the small and important moments in everyday lives. Fleeting emotions and lost opportunities, happy coincidences and sudden realisations, words unsaid and thoughts suppressed, a lifetime of quiet love, duty, and the essential spiritual isolation of each individual among many.
These themes are explored through the story of Ted and Rene, married in the momentary optimism of the post-war fifties, staying together in their traditional roles of wage-earner and home-maker through the rest of the century. Cath Barton has an exquisite eye for detail and a deft touch with words.
The layers of the story unpeel like an onion, each separate and perfect in its place and time, full of translucent beauty if only you can look at it the right way.
In the Sweep of the Bay is a touching and poignant novella, elegantly written in evocative language. In some ways the story is Austen-esque, not in the dry humour, but in the intelligent understanding of daily human relationships.
Readers of Elizabeth Strout Elizabeth Strout, Sally Rooney Sally Rooney, and Ann Patchett Ann Patchett will enjoy this flawless novella.

[Katharina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply and convincingly written. The effects of time on relationships, differing perceptions of them, all add up to each person's life, the happiness they feel, they forget, and find again. An absorbing read!

[Nigel Jarrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The curtailed genres of fiction – short stories and novellas – are at their most successful when the author has stopped writing at the correct point. The terminus of them all, unlike a novel (which is as long as it takes and exhaustive), reverberates for the reader with imagined possibilities and infillings. The essence suffices. Cath Barton's second book - like her first, The Plankton Collector, an award-winner and a novella too - is a further exploration of the connections within families.
The marriage of Ted and Irene Marshall is traced with a confident economy of means that manages also to evoke its Morecambe Bay/Lancashire background.
Ted runs the family ceramics firm in which he started as an apprentice, and the story of the marriage is told from a number of different viewpoints.
The characters who are not family but are affected by incidents in which its members are involved are kept to a minimum and neatly brought together in an assuredly-stitched narrative.
At the centre of the story is the sadness of wifely misfortune and how it is aggravated by possible misunderstanding. In our more forgivably hyperbolic moments we might describe it as a tragedy.
Cath Barton has the common touch and the skill to show how real it was and still is. She gets at its essence and stays focused. Every reader will recognise the situations she describes and sympathise with the characters who populate them.

[Karenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant illustration of how our lives in Britain have changed in the past 50 years. Characters you will relate with and understand because they are skilfully brought to life. A heartwarming story because these changes are clearly for the better. The recurring theme of Eric Morecambe cleverly links the characters and reinforces the story.

[Emma Rowson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered indie publisher, Louise Walters Books a couple of years ago and I really enjoy their releases - books which are often a little bit quirky, not quite mainstream, but brilliant!

In The Sweep of the Bay by Cath Barton is one I have been very much looking forward to. Having sampled Cath’s writing previously, I already had a fair idea that I’d enjoy the writing style, and the concept of this lovely novella appealed too.

An examination of marriage, of gender roles and how the pressures of a life together so often lead to distance. The pivotal couple, Ted and Rene meet and marry in the 1950s, with Rene in particular curtailing any thought of her own ambitions to take on the role of housewife and later, mother. As the novella progresses decade by decade, expectations and attitudes change at pace in the wider world, whilst children are added to their family along with resentment, suspicion and an ever widening gap.

The writing invites you in, beckons you to observe the characters, their lives and muse over how things could have been so different. It’s a book I devoured within the day, and whilst short in length it is full to the brim of insightful observations that certainly had me nodding along, because there were people and moments I recognised throughout. It’s a wonderful read, and yet at times frustrating. Not bad frustrating, but the kind when you’re watching a quiz show and the answer seems so obvious that you find yourself on your feet shrieking like a banshee at a screen. I so badly wanted to bosh their heads together and lock them in a room, forcing them to talk. A lifetime of biting tongues leading, for them, to a stifling cloak of disappointment laid over their lives.

I also loved the offshoot stories which play out in the background and tie up neatly with the very first chapter, which is set in 2009. The tentative thread that serves to include Vincenzo, and his relationship with Henry, a reminder of just how small our world is at times, but also of how rapidly things have progressed within the lifetime of the main characters. There is also the ever present Madge, and later Rene and Ted’s daughters, Dot and Peg, and even later, their granddaughter Cecily. There are moments of joy and togetherness, but there’s an overwhelming sadness woven throughout the narrative, however for me it was a sadness which inspires introspection and action.

One of the things I was most impressed when reading was just how much the author managed to fit in to just over 100 pages. I so often find lulls and dips when reading full sized novels, my mind often wandering, and I absolutely adore reading well written novellas such as this. Whilst economic in length, nothing is lost in terms of place, characterisations, story or impact.

Gentle and yet intelligent in its perceptions, In The Sweep of the Bay is a beautifully written novella; an achingly human representation of life, love and regret.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute little gem of a novella!

This is primarily the story of Ted and Rene, from the time of their meeting in the 1950's, all the way through their lives... and beyond to the reflections of their children and grandchild. It's heavy with the all too fleeting pleasures, the weight of expectation and duty, the grind of everyday drudgery, and the secret disappointments held inside from of a long marriage that follows an emotional ebb and flow through the years, that is so typical of many couples from this era. A couple who were bound to each other for better or for worse in a partnership that is not without enduring love, but who have forgotten how to be happy together - no matter how devoted they appear to outside eyes.

Through the years, we get a glimpse of the changing times in the way Cath Barton compares the relationship of Ted and Rene with the experiences of their own daughters and granddaughter - and interestingly also with the experiences, and observations, of an eclectic cast of walk-on parts from other characters that find themselves washed up in the sweep of Morecombe Bay. Every interaction, every innermost thought has a part to play as the threads of the story spin out over the years - lives touching in seemingly casual ways, but with undertones that have significance later down the line.

As a child of parents who married in the 1950's there was a lot in this book that resonated with me - the feeling that so much was going on under the surface that was never spoken out loud was a big part of this, and the quirky way Eric Morecombe was worked into the story brought back so many happy childhood memories of Saturday night family TV viewing. If you are also of a certain age then you will find 'Bring Me Sunshine' is on a constant loop in your head for days after reading this!

Quite how Cath Barton manages to pack so much deep emotion into a novella that is only a smidge over 100 pages is a feat of beautiful writing, especially since this book covers such a wide time frame, but she chooses her words with such care that she wrings every ounce of feeling out of them - and trust me, you will feel every twang of the heartstrings with profound force.

This is another winner from the fabulous indie publisher Louise Walters Books, and one that I can particularly recommend to fans of the wonderful Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers, as it evokes many of the same poignant feelings. It's simply brilliant.

[Julie Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only a short novella, that took me a scant eighty minutes to read, but what a lot the author managed to pack in to the pages. Pretty much all of human life is here, as we explore the life of Ted and Rene over the course of half a century. From the dance halls of post-war Morecambe to the modern day, the book explores the nuts and bolts of the marriage of two ordinary people living in the confines of an isolated, seaside town.

The book does not run in a linear format, but dodges about through the relationship, between the perspectives of Ted and Rene and other important figures in their lives and the life of the town of Morecambe. Despite this, the book is not at all confusing, but works perfectly to illustrate the changing relationship and feelings that Ted and Rene have for one another over the course of fifty years.

This book is all about relationships, their complexities and mercurial nature, ever-changing over the course of a lifetime, as both internal and external factors but different pressures on them at different times. The feelings of the couple ebb and flow like the tides in Morecambe Bay, which provides the constant backdrop to their evolving lives, and the changing seasons and moods and fortunes of the town echoing the shifts in the moods of their marriage, the sadness coming from the fact that the times the two of them seem to be in synch are rare and fleeting.

The book felt so honest to me, so truly reflective of so many people’s lives, full of disappointment and compromise, with small moments of joy and shared triumph, but all the same looked back on through rose-tinted spectacles when it is over and viewed very differently by outsiders than those living within it. Right from the beginning, we see through the individual thoughts of Ted and Rene that they have not entered this marriage on the back of a grand passion, and this somewhat sets the tone. Their life is not filled with terrible disasters, but small sorrows, the like of which we all suffer, made sadder by their inability to address them from the same page. Overall, the feeling for me is one of melancholy, and I wonder how many people go through their lives in this way – probably many more than we realise.

This was a really beautiful story, told with understanding, tenderness and a deep empathy. I found the writing really moving, and I came away from the book feeling like I had read something profoundly truthful and illuminating. Triumphal.

[J Fearnley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, beautifully written and tells a tale of a young couple, Ted and Rene, and their married life over several decades.

It is charming and heartwarming yet realistic and honest in it’s telling of the couples inability to communicate and be open with each other. They had been brought up and lived through a period when it was expected of women to be in the home and the men to provide.

A time when it was considered wrong to express any needs beyond those that kept the family fed and clothed, kept house, kept your children clean, safe and well. This might be enough, was enough for some, perhaps for many.

However, for those who wanted something a little different, had perhaps had it briefly only to have it snatched away or tried to grasp it but never quite managed to hold on to it, there could be a sense of loss such that the ability to love wholeheartedly, to feel completely, was seemingly impossible.

Yet for Ted and Rene events came along that might turn things around but would they?

The story begins at the statue of Eric Morecambe where the paths of two strikingly different couples briefly cross with the man who is responsible for maintaining the statue. Years later two of those four return.

We will learn as Cath Barton intertwines these lives over the intervening years what happens to them and why the two return to the bay.

With prose that are both succinct and yet as spacious and sweeping as the bay in which the story is set. Cath Barton, in the precise art of the novella, captures the mood, the setting, the time and characters beautifully in this evocative and touching tale.

I would certainly highly recommend in the sweep of the bay a book which, for me, conjured up wonderful, happy memories of my childhood, youth and of my parents. Who, in different ways, made sacrifices, worked incredibly hard (as only the men – and women – of Lancashire know how) in order to make the best and most loving home for me and my siblings.

I enjoyed this wonderful book so much that I have bought the authors first novella The Plankton Collector and am about to read that. (N.B.: read and is another wonderful read).

[Ellie Hawkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I have actually read all that many novellas, and certainly not recently, so I was very excited to read this one. The first thing to say is that Cath Barton has chosen her form perfectly. The narrow, specific location works extremely well in a book of this length, and the sweep of years it covers are given more space to breathe than they would be in a short story. Time is extremely well-handled in this book – it feels neither rushed nor too slow, rather an expertly judged dipping in and out of the lives of the characters, which just so precisely matches the beautiful cover image – the very structure of the story really did conjure up a feeling of swooping gulls dipping their beaks into an ocean, skimming and tasting, giving us glimpses of lives that feel full and realistically drawn.

The framing device of the narrator worked really well for me, and I grew very fond of the characters very quickly. Ted and Rene’s story is resonant with simple, quiet dignity and sadness. This is an elegant story, evoking an old-fashioned and yet timeless quality. It reminded me of Clare Chambers’ book Small Pleasures, which I read earlier this year – a careful, detailed rendering of the small, important things in life. The links between the characters are satisfying and add to the sense of completeness and roundness.

Cath Barton’s writing is wonderful. Parts of the book, particularly the natural descriptions, are lyrical and poetic, creating a soothing rhythm that washes over you. The dialogue feels real, and the little details added to descriptions are finely judged, never overdone. There is a quiet confidence bubbling beneath the surface of this gentle book, and also a delicious sense of humour that peeks through the poignancy. It is a delight to read, and I reached the end with regret, but nevertheless pleasantly sated by the experience of reading this story.

All in all, this is a perfectly formed novella. It is gentle yet poignant, expertly crafted and delicately gilded with the aches of love and disappointment. It feels true and beautiful, and I was deeply moved by it. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more by Cath Barton in the future.