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Misplaced Persons
From the author of the Costa Prize shortlisted The Good Guy
The Yardley family is fracturing.
Eighteen years since their move to Brussels and the future is clouded with uncertainty for Neil, a Brit, American Marcy and their three Belgian-born children. Wrapped up in their own worries, Neil and Marcy fail to see how much their middle child, Alec, is struggling. When Marcy offers shelter to a young Syrian refugee, it triggers an explosive train of events that affects every member of the family.
Against a backdrop of growing terror threats and Europe's worst refugee crisis since the Second World War, Misplaced Persons astutely explores miscues and misunderstandings, the strength of family bonds and the meaning of home.
The Yardley family is fracturing.
Eighteen years since their move to Brussels and the future is clouded with uncertainty for Neil, a Brit, American Marcy and their three Belgian-born children. Wrapped up in their own worries, Neil and Marcy fail to see how much their middle child, Alec, is struggling. When Marcy offers shelter to a young Syrian refugee, it triggers an explosive train of events that affects every member of the family.
Against a backdrop of growing terror threats and Europe's worst refugee crisis since the Second World War, Misplaced Persons astutely explores miscues and misunderstandings, the strength of family bonds and the meaning of home.
Hardcover
Published March 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 29, 2021
This story centres around the Yardley family who live in Brussels. British born Neil is having an affair with a work colleague and is separated from wife Marcy who teaches English, her career stalled by motherhood. She becomes concerned about the displaced people, especially from Syria, making the dangerous journey to Europe. Daughter Sasha is immersed in studies, sons Alec is brimming with teenage anger while young Jake builds with Lego. Into this family in crisis, Marcy brings home Syrian refugee Nizar which sets off a chain reaction. The story is told by Neil, Marcy and Alec.
I like the premise of the book with the exploration of the dynamics of imploding family relations with the background of critical political events 2015/16. The terror incident in the Bataclan Theatre in November 2015 and later terrorist incidents in Brussels in 2016 are portrayed well, showing the dangers and suspicion of the time. Tensions between Marcy and Neil are conveyed clearly as is the impact of Nizar’s appearance on the children which Alec especially finds hard. Some of the better sections concern Alec, his inertia with his studies and his subsequent actions make for thought provoking reading.
However, there’s nothing very different or earth shattering here so it doesn’t really pull you in throughout. The writing feels very impersonal and flat in places, some detail is mundane and dull as they are day to day. Neil in midlife crisis is a bit of a cliche, an angry teenager and a wife mulling missed career opportunities is nothing unusual and so doesn’t fully grab you. The characters feel a bit one dimensional with the exception of Marcy’s mother Joanna who is only in the book fleetingly but she does liven things up! The pace is stop, start - something happens that piques your interest and the next point of view interrupts that flow and so it stalls again. The Nizar angle could have gone a lot further and as a personality he is a closed shop but that may be intentional due to his life experiences.
Overall, this book has lots of promise, it’s an ambitious idea which doesn’t quite come off.
With thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the arc for an honest review.
I like the premise of the book with the exploration of the dynamics of imploding family relations with the background of critical political events 2015/16. The terror incident in the Bataclan Theatre in November 2015 and later terrorist incidents in Brussels in 2016 are portrayed well, showing the dangers and suspicion of the time. Tensions between Marcy and Neil are conveyed clearly as is the impact of Nizar’s appearance on the children which Alec especially finds hard. Some of the better sections concern Alec, his inertia with his studies and his subsequent actions make for thought provoking reading.
However, there’s nothing very different or earth shattering here so it doesn’t really pull you in throughout. The writing feels very impersonal and flat in places, some detail is mundane and dull as they are day to day. Neil in midlife crisis is a bit of a cliche, an angry teenager and a wife mulling missed career opportunities is nothing unusual and so doesn’t fully grab you. The characters feel a bit one dimensional with the exception of Marcy’s mother Joanna who is only in the book fleetingly but she does liven things up! The pace is stop, start - something happens that piques your interest and the next point of view interrupts that flow and so it stalls again. The Nizar angle could have gone a lot further and as a personality he is a closed shop but that may be intentional due to his life experiences.
Overall, this book has lots of promise, it’s an ambitious idea which doesn’t quite come off.
With thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the arc for an honest review.
July 27, 2021
“We’re not even a family anymore, just a bunch of misplaced persons. We don’t belong anywhere”
This book supported a good mix of content, making it both storyline and character driven in an almost even split. It also offered a real sense of time and place, making it an interesting and immersive journey for any ‘armchair travellers’ amongst you, however the many locations ( UK, US, Paris and Brussels), were only touched on briefly as an overview and in no great detail.
This story opened at a rather desolate and sad time for the Yardley family, as they were in the midst of being torn apart by a crisis with potentially far-reaching consequences. The downwards trend of their personal relationships, continued to affect their lives for much of the storyline. The air was constantly full of a tension which was palpable and I could almost feel the stresses and strains through the words on the pages, which made me quite nervous about the eventual outcome. There was just a glimmer of hope to hang my hat on by the end of the saga, although tentative olive branches were no measure of successful change just yet … so I was left only with the desire for ongoing reconciliation and understanding for the family.
The complex storyline is well structured and nuanced, making it deceptively multi-layered if you look closely beneath the veneer of self-reliance, which each member of the family has built around themselves. They are all busy trying to come to terms with their individual slices of the angst and vulnerability pie, effectively shutting each other out and isolating themselves from the relief that sharing their problems might bring to the table. For when those worries and doubts eventually bubble to the surface and overflow, which they inevitably do, no one really has the capacity, or even the will, to pick up the pieces quickly enough to avoid the potential disaster which almost overwhelms not only them, but the Brussels community in which they live and the country of Belgium they now call home, when terrorists strike at its very heart, following the Bataclan Massacre in Paris.
The adults seem so intent on espousing their own woes, that none of them notice the strain this is placing on the children and the toll it is taking on their health, especially the eldest son Alec, who feels obliged to keep his father’s secret, for fear of upsetting his mother even more and tipping her over the edge emotionally. Neil, their British father, is busy trying to keep his much younger ‘fling’ happy, whilst trying to work out how he can avoid becoming responsible for a toddler at his time of life. Marcy, their American mother, seems to have lost all sense of reason and logic and is barely holding things together for her three children on a daily basis. Very early on in this unfolding saga, she also makes a very random, knee-jerk, ill-considered decision, which piles even more pressure on the totally disturbed Alec. Whilst their daughter Sasha appears to be the strongest individual in this fractured family, everyone seems to be ignoring the most vulnerable member, Jake, who is failing in his early years education and is busy building a LEGO world around himself!
At this time of great uncertainty and suspicion, when refugees are coming increasingly under the spotlight, Marcy, despite all the problems she has within her own family, decides that taking in a young homeless Syrian male, is a really good idea. This is done without thought nor care for what her children may think and I can only assume that this is included to highlight Marcy’s near total health breakdown, as there seems little synergy between the two storylines otherwise. When Nizar’s strange behaviour only alerts Alec to even more potential discord and upset, I really did begin to feel sorry for him and was waiting for one of his parents to stop thinking only of themselves and step up for their family. On a purely personal note however, the descriptions of the charity warehouse which supported the refugee camp were very realistic and mirrored my own experiences of volunteering in a retail charity shop, in support of my local hospice. For me that added an angle to this part of the story, I could relate to and didn’t make it quite so unconnected.
Some nice length, well signposted chapters, kept the storyline seamlessly fluid, although I felt there was a lot of latent potential to have expanded and opened up the narrative considerably, without damaging its integrity, especially in light of the confident ease and assured style of writing, which author Susan Beale demonstrates, together with the genuine ‘heart’ I could tell she had injected into her work.
Susan has created an emotionally starved and complex cast of characters, all searching for a sense of belonging, which made them difficult to connect with or invest in, although within their own limitations and vulnerabilities, they were extremely well defined and developed. She has captured wonderfully a sense of realistic and authentic family dynamics, which although not particularly engaging or comfortable to watch, is raw and passionate, genuine and believable.
I really wanted this storyline to go places, as it had great potential from the start, which only increased as the extra twists and turns were added along the way. Whilst it didn’t lose too much impetus during the telling, I definitely felt it rather lacked that overall ‘Wow! I never saw that coming’ factor. Hence my 4 stars, rather than the 5 I had anticipated awarding.
However, what makes reading such a wonderful experience, is that with every story, each reader is taken on a unique and individual journey. So I recommend you read this one for yourself and see where it leads you!
To connect with the author and to share some selected extracts from the book, visit..
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
This book supported a good mix of content, making it both storyline and character driven in an almost even split. It also offered a real sense of time and place, making it an interesting and immersive journey for any ‘armchair travellers’ amongst you, however the many locations ( UK, US, Paris and Brussels), were only touched on briefly as an overview and in no great detail.
This story opened at a rather desolate and sad time for the Yardley family, as they were in the midst of being torn apart by a crisis with potentially far-reaching consequences. The downwards trend of their personal relationships, continued to affect their lives for much of the storyline. The air was constantly full of a tension which was palpable and I could almost feel the stresses and strains through the words on the pages, which made me quite nervous about the eventual outcome. There was just a glimmer of hope to hang my hat on by the end of the saga, although tentative olive branches were no measure of successful change just yet … so I was left only with the desire for ongoing reconciliation and understanding for the family.
The complex storyline is well structured and nuanced, making it deceptively multi-layered if you look closely beneath the veneer of self-reliance, which each member of the family has built around themselves. They are all busy trying to come to terms with their individual slices of the angst and vulnerability pie, effectively shutting each other out and isolating themselves from the relief that sharing their problems might bring to the table. For when those worries and doubts eventually bubble to the surface and overflow, which they inevitably do, no one really has the capacity, or even the will, to pick up the pieces quickly enough to avoid the potential disaster which almost overwhelms not only them, but the Brussels community in which they live and the country of Belgium they now call home, when terrorists strike at its very heart, following the Bataclan Massacre in Paris.
The adults seem so intent on espousing their own woes, that none of them notice the strain this is placing on the children and the toll it is taking on their health, especially the eldest son Alec, who feels obliged to keep his father’s secret, for fear of upsetting his mother even more and tipping her over the edge emotionally. Neil, their British father, is busy trying to keep his much younger ‘fling’ happy, whilst trying to work out how he can avoid becoming responsible for a toddler at his time of life. Marcy, their American mother, seems to have lost all sense of reason and logic and is barely holding things together for her three children on a daily basis. Very early on in this unfolding saga, she also makes a very random, knee-jerk, ill-considered decision, which piles even more pressure on the totally disturbed Alec. Whilst their daughter Sasha appears to be the strongest individual in this fractured family, everyone seems to be ignoring the most vulnerable member, Jake, who is failing in his early years education and is busy building a LEGO world around himself!
At this time of great uncertainty and suspicion, when refugees are coming increasingly under the spotlight, Marcy, despite all the problems she has within her own family, decides that taking in a young homeless Syrian male, is a really good idea. This is done without thought nor care for what her children may think and I can only assume that this is included to highlight Marcy’s near total health breakdown, as there seems little synergy between the two storylines otherwise. When Nizar’s strange behaviour only alerts Alec to even more potential discord and upset, I really did begin to feel sorry for him and was waiting for one of his parents to stop thinking only of themselves and step up for their family. On a purely personal note however, the descriptions of the charity warehouse which supported the refugee camp were very realistic and mirrored my own experiences of volunteering in a retail charity shop, in support of my local hospice. For me that added an angle to this part of the story, I could relate to and didn’t make it quite so unconnected.
Some nice length, well signposted chapters, kept the storyline seamlessly fluid, although I felt there was a lot of latent potential to have expanded and opened up the narrative considerably, without damaging its integrity, especially in light of the confident ease and assured style of writing, which author Susan Beale demonstrates, together with the genuine ‘heart’ I could tell she had injected into her work.
Susan has created an emotionally starved and complex cast of characters, all searching for a sense of belonging, which made them difficult to connect with or invest in, although within their own limitations and vulnerabilities, they were extremely well defined and developed. She has captured wonderfully a sense of realistic and authentic family dynamics, which although not particularly engaging or comfortable to watch, is raw and passionate, genuine and believable.
I really wanted this storyline to go places, as it had great potential from the start, which only increased as the extra twists and turns were added along the way. Whilst it didn’t lose too much impetus during the telling, I definitely felt it rather lacked that overall ‘Wow! I never saw that coming’ factor. Hence my 4 stars, rather than the 5 I had anticipated awarding.
However, what makes reading such a wonderful experience, is that with every story, each reader is taken on a unique and individual journey. So I recommend you read this one for yourself and see where it leads you!
To connect with the author and to share some selected extracts from the book, visit..
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
April 1, 2021
Misplaced Persons is a terrific contemporary novel that starts off as a domestic novel about an acrimonious divorce between Neil and Marcy but soon becomes more complex and poignant. Marcy is a non-conformist, empathetic, tolerant person who reacts to the refugee crisis by inviting Nizar an 18 year old Syrian into their home. Neil has left Marcy for the younger work colleague Chloe leaving Marcy with the three children and money problems. The family is a melting pot with Neil from England and Marcy from America living in Brussels with their Belgium born children. Two of the children Jake (the youngest) and Sasha accept Nizar into their home whilst Alec (the eldest) is more suspicious and less trusting of him.
In the background the horrors of terrorist attacks take place while family bonds are stretched. All the characters are fully developed in this carefully paced novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel which I found rich and complex with a satisfying conclusion.
In the background the horrors of terrorist attacks take place while family bonds are stretched. All the characters are fully developed in this carefully paced novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel which I found rich and complex with a satisfying conclusion.
March 4, 2021
In"Misplaced Persons" by Susan Beale, we revisit the Europe of five years ago through the eyes of a typical middle-class family whose matriarch chooses to host a young Syrian refugee to forget her impending divorce.
General Impressions
In the Europe of "Misplaced Persons" Brexit is unimaginable, Trump is still campaigning, there are terrorist attacks every week and the refugee crisis is permanently on the news. All of these are at times background, at times real problems in the main characters' minds, competing against unrequited crushes, work drama, extramarital affairs and school exams.
I liked the writing, the pacing and the careful and nuanced way most themes were discussed. This book presents us with a very accurate look at the European entitlement and racism coexisting with the beauty of European culture and diversity.
Most of the testimony about the war in Syria and the refugee crisis came from Nizar's comments and presence. Nizar was such a wonderful character, not because he was supposed to show the reader through a sad story that what happened to him could happen to anyone but because he feels real in how flawed and insecure he is, how much pressure there is for him to assimilate in order to become less threatening, less "foreign" to European eyes and how he is permanently seen as "other", no matter what. (There's a section at the end with some spoilers about Nizar and another character).
Divorce and gender
Unexpectedly, my favourite and perhaps the part that affected the most in this book though was how divorces affect not only a family but women in particular, which was something I had never saw discussed anywhere else before.
When out of nowhere, Neil informs Marcy that he is moving out and wants a divorce, after two decades together, Marcy suffers a small breakdown. In a single moment, she becomes unmoored, meaningless, powerless: every choice she had made for the last twenty years was focused around supporting the same husband that informed her he was leaving in a single conversation. Suddenly I realized that feminism hadn't come that far, not when it came to motherhood.
Women are not outright forbidden from doing anything anymore, it's a lot more insidious: when you are a mother, you sacrifice. When a couple decides to have children together, the women are the ones that carry them, sacrifice their bodies and health and have to get time off from work so often sacrifice their careers as well. Eventually, women stop having ambitions of their own and start managing everyone else's and all the while the husbands become their jobs, working all the time and climbing the corporate ladder, unable to waste their precious time being fathers.
Neil didn't act out of maliciousness only of dissatisfaction with his own life: he loves Marcy and he loves his children but when he decides to leave, he is a hero in his own head, pursuing what he wants, laughing in the face of conventions and no one ever blames him. Instead, they focus on how Marcy has "let herself go" so she, in turn, spends much of the book trying to regain control not only of her life but the world around her by couponing, donating her family's belongings, volunteering and offering Nizar a place to stay.
And after all of that, everyone involved in this ugly situation is punished except for Neil. Neil, that at one point tried to take Marcy to court to keep her from having access to the children out of spite and a hero complex, suddenly realizes (after his mistress leaves him) that he had it good all along, and his family takes him back as if nothing happened.
Conclusions
I started this book prepared to DNF it after a couple of chapters and ended up spending a sleepless night, not being able to put it down.
It's not always an easy read but I found it a very realist and interesting portrait not only of Europe but of our time. It felt raw and poignant and you could see the author not only knew the significance of her work but understood the world she was writing about.
I look forward to whatever Susan Beale gifts us with next.
Thank you to John Murrays for sending me this proof.
(TWS with spoilers)
I only have two big problems with this book and both relate to the teen boys in it.
Once Marcy finds out about her husband's affair, she is shocked to discover that both her eldest children already knew. While her daughter is disrespectful and insulting both to her face and back, Marcy has this big inner monologue about the kind of mother she decided to be and makes her case, shaming her daughter by pointing at her cruel and childish behaviour. When she finds out that Alec, her middle child knew of the affair and hid it afraid that she would have another breakdown, she slaps him. Not only she hits her child but that is shown as part of her healing journey, in a way that hitting a girl certainly wouldn't have been and wasn't.
This was also the second book about the refugee crisis where the main character was a young gay man. While a part of me is happy for the representation, particularly when it comes to POC, I can't help but fear a trend where the only way, a Muslim character and Muslim men, in particular, are seen as good and worthy of respect is when they are not a danger or a potential love interest to a white European girl...
General Impressions
In the Europe of "Misplaced Persons" Brexit is unimaginable, Trump is still campaigning, there are terrorist attacks every week and the refugee crisis is permanently on the news. All of these are at times background, at times real problems in the main characters' minds, competing against unrequited crushes, work drama, extramarital affairs and school exams.
I liked the writing, the pacing and the careful and nuanced way most themes were discussed. This book presents us with a very accurate look at the European entitlement and racism coexisting with the beauty of European culture and diversity.
Most of the testimony about the war in Syria and the refugee crisis came from Nizar's comments and presence. Nizar was such a wonderful character, not because he was supposed to show the reader through a sad story that what happened to him could happen to anyone but because he feels real in how flawed and insecure he is, how much pressure there is for him to assimilate in order to become less threatening, less "foreign" to European eyes and how he is permanently seen as "other", no matter what. (There's a section at the end with some spoilers about Nizar and another character).
Divorce and gender
Unexpectedly, my favourite and perhaps the part that affected the most in this book though was how divorces affect not only a family but women in particular, which was something I had never saw discussed anywhere else before.
When out of nowhere, Neil informs Marcy that he is moving out and wants a divorce, after two decades together, Marcy suffers a small breakdown. In a single moment, she becomes unmoored, meaningless, powerless: every choice she had made for the last twenty years was focused around supporting the same husband that informed her he was leaving in a single conversation. Suddenly I realized that feminism hadn't come that far, not when it came to motherhood.
Women are not outright forbidden from doing anything anymore, it's a lot more insidious: when you are a mother, you sacrifice. When a couple decides to have children together, the women are the ones that carry them, sacrifice their bodies and health and have to get time off from work so often sacrifice their careers as well. Eventually, women stop having ambitions of their own and start managing everyone else's and all the while the husbands become their jobs, working all the time and climbing the corporate ladder, unable to waste their precious time being fathers.
Neil didn't act out of maliciousness only of dissatisfaction with his own life: he loves Marcy and he loves his children but when he decides to leave, he is a hero in his own head, pursuing what he wants, laughing in the face of conventions and no one ever blames him. Instead, they focus on how Marcy has "let herself go" so she, in turn, spends much of the book trying to regain control not only of her life but the world around her by couponing, donating her family's belongings, volunteering and offering Nizar a place to stay.
And after all of that, everyone involved in this ugly situation is punished except for Neil. Neil, that at one point tried to take Marcy to court to keep her from having access to the children out of spite and a hero complex, suddenly realizes (after his mistress leaves him) that he had it good all along, and his family takes him back as if nothing happened.
Conclusions
I started this book prepared to DNF it after a couple of chapters and ended up spending a sleepless night, not being able to put it down.
It's not always an easy read but I found it a very realist and interesting portrait not only of Europe but of our time. It felt raw and poignant and you could see the author not only knew the significance of her work but understood the world she was writing about.
I look forward to whatever Susan Beale gifts us with next.
Thank you to John Murrays for sending me this proof.
(TWS with spoilers)
I only have two big problems with this book and both relate to the teen boys in it.
Once Marcy finds out about her husband's affair, she is shocked to discover that both her eldest children already knew. While her daughter is disrespectful and insulting both to her face and back, Marcy has this big inner monologue about the kind of mother she decided to be and makes her case, shaming her daughter by pointing at her cruel and childish behaviour. When she finds out that Alec, her middle child knew of the affair and hid it afraid that she would have another breakdown, she slaps him. Not only she hits her child but that is shown as part of her healing journey, in a way that hitting a girl certainly wouldn't have been and wasn't.
This was also the second book about the refugee crisis where the main character was a young gay man. While a part of me is happy for the representation, particularly when it comes to POC, I can't help but fear a trend where the only way, a Muslim character and Muslim men, in particular, are seen as good and worthy of respect is when they are not a danger or a potential love interest to a white European girl...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2022
I started the novel dubious, tore through the middle engrossed, only to be disheartened again by the ending. First, the good stuff. The sense of place and time is fantastically captured. We’re in Brussels, 2016, the year of the terrorist bombings. Descriptions of the cobbled streets, the tall balconied houses, the art deco cafes, put you perfectly in situ. And the interesting personal stuff - after twenty five years together, a marriage is falling apart. Neil, the solidly decent bean-counter, is having an affair with a younger woman and feels reborn. His American wife Marcy is - not blissfully, exactly - unaware, and hopes that his moving out is a phase, an almost-to-be-expected midlife crisis that together they’ll get over. In the meantime she’s going to focus on their children, and open their home up to… a Syrian refugee, the inscrutable and mysterious Nizar. Add to this a hugely likeable, quietly tortured-soul Alec, their middle son, and it should add up to a fantastic read. The problem I initially had was with the frankly unsympathetic Neil, and the obviousness of the unsuitability of his doomed affair. Then, the unbearable goodness of Marcy, who accepts personal sacrifice and the pain of abandonment with infuriating calm. When she finally realises what’s going on, her rage is awakened and there is a heady period in the novel where everything works - the writing is witty and pithy, the danger of bombs grows, reflecting the minefield of their personal landscape, and it looks as though Neil will get his just desserts. So I was bitterly disappointed with the novel’s ending, which I felt was both hurried and unrealistic.
February 26, 2021
Review copy via NetGalley.
I was drawn to the idea of this book as it's set in Brussels, a place I visited in 2019 and found fascinating (Travel, remember that!?).
The book takes the format of a multiple third person POV and starts with a man who is in the midst of an affair and a marital break-up. I found the first part of this book somewhat tedious. There is a lot of expositon about the family and their situation, and there's too much 'tell' and not enough 'show'.
The other element of the book is the backdrop of terror attacks in France and Belgium around 2016 and the introduction of Nizar, a Syrian refugee that comes to live with the family. Ultimately, I don't think this side of the book was that well explored, although the subject matter is tough and interesting. Nothing is done that is new or different with the affair/seperation thread and the two sides don't compliment each other or offer a new perspective.
The characters mostly fall flat and rely on archetypes (angry teen, mid-life crisis, crass American). I found it difficult to root for any of them.
I was a bit disappointed with the lack of exploration of the setting. I really wanted this book to take me back to Brussels, but I didn't really get a sense of place. The writing and plot does pick up in the last third of the book, but I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to.
I was drawn to the idea of this book as it's set in Brussels, a place I visited in 2019 and found fascinating (Travel, remember that!?).
The book takes the format of a multiple third person POV and starts with a man who is in the midst of an affair and a marital break-up. I found the first part of this book somewhat tedious. There is a lot of expositon about the family and their situation, and there's too much 'tell' and not enough 'show'.
The other element of the book is the backdrop of terror attacks in France and Belgium around 2016 and the introduction of Nizar, a Syrian refugee that comes to live with the family. Ultimately, I don't think this side of the book was that well explored, although the subject matter is tough and interesting. Nothing is done that is new or different with the affair/seperation thread and the two sides don't compliment each other or offer a new perspective.
The characters mostly fall flat and rely on archetypes (angry teen, mid-life crisis, crass American). I found it difficult to root for any of them.
I was a bit disappointed with the lack of exploration of the setting. I really wanted this book to take me back to Brussels, but I didn't really get a sense of place. The writing and plot does pick up in the last third of the book, but I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to.
March 13, 2021
This is the story of the Yardley family. English father Neil, American mother Marcy, and their three children, Sasha, Alex and Jake. Being bought up in Belgium has left Alec feeling like he doesn't really belong anywhere - not really American, not really English and not considered Belgian by his classmates.
When we meet the Yardley family they are fractured. Neil has set up house with his new girlfriend - something he has neglected to tell his wife and children. Marcy appears to have come apart at the seams following Neil's departure and has been giving the furniture away to a refugee charity....that is until she brings home Nizar, a young Syrian refugee waiting for his permanent residency to come through. Alec is suspicious, why does his mother think more of Nizar than she does of him and just why is Nizar acting so suspiciously.
Set against the backdrop of the terrorist attacks in Paris and the subsequent manhunt in Belgium this is a fascinating read that challenges your perceptions. It demonstrates how quickly people jump to conclusions and how those conclusions are very often wrong.
I really enjoyed this novel and couldn't put it down. It's a fascinating, if slow, read but one not to be missed.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When we meet the Yardley family they are fractured. Neil has set up house with his new girlfriend - something he has neglected to tell his wife and children. Marcy appears to have come apart at the seams following Neil's departure and has been giving the furniture away to a refugee charity....that is until she brings home Nizar, a young Syrian refugee waiting for his permanent residency to come through. Alec is suspicious, why does his mother think more of Nizar than she does of him and just why is Nizar acting so suspiciously.
Set against the backdrop of the terrorist attacks in Paris and the subsequent manhunt in Belgium this is a fascinating read that challenges your perceptions. It demonstrates how quickly people jump to conclusions and how those conclusions are very often wrong.
I really enjoyed this novel and couldn't put it down. It's a fascinating, if slow, read but one not to be missed.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2021
Not my cup of tea.
I was so looking forward to reading this book after the fantastic blurb given by the publishers. It’s just a shame that they managed to make a mountain out of a molehill.
The plot should have flowed well. Man hits a midlife crisis. Has affair with a younger, beautiful woman. Wife gave up everything to raise children. Now works as an English teacher for those wanting to learn English. Perfect daughter. Difficult teenage son. Exuberant happy seven-year-old. The mother bereft after losing her husband decides to take in a refugee.
This could have been a great book. A moral tale of how divorce can affect not just the immediate family but extended family and friends. Midlife crises create huge problems as do teenagers. Add fostering a refugee amidst the terror attacks in Europe and this really should have been a truly excellent book. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The characters didn’t ring true. They had no depth, except maybe the refugee. He was the only one I could pity.
Bluebell
Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.
I was so looking forward to reading this book after the fantastic blurb given by the publishers. It’s just a shame that they managed to make a mountain out of a molehill.
The plot should have flowed well. Man hits a midlife crisis. Has affair with a younger, beautiful woman. Wife gave up everything to raise children. Now works as an English teacher for those wanting to learn English. Perfect daughter. Difficult teenage son. Exuberant happy seven-year-old. The mother bereft after losing her husband decides to take in a refugee.
This could have been a great book. A moral tale of how divorce can affect not just the immediate family but extended family and friends. Midlife crises create huge problems as do teenagers. Add fostering a refugee amidst the terror attacks in Europe and this really should have been a truly excellent book. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The characters didn’t ring true. They had no depth, except maybe the refugee. He was the only one I could pity.
Bluebell
Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.
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February 7, 2021Misplaced Persons follows a family living aboard in Brussels when divorce hits them, prior to this divorce they had been living the life of what appeared to be luxury and bliss. However, good things can’t last forever and the Father begins to start an affair with a younger woman, leaving the rest of the family distraught and broken. The mother on the other hand decides to make a large life changing decision and starts assisting with the refugees before eventually taking one into her home.
This sounded like the type of novel that I could of really gripped my teeth into, however it was an extremely slow paced book and took me significantly longer than normal to complete. The concept of the book is interesting and something that I believe can do well, however unfortunately the way it was presented didn’t attract me and I kept losing interest. I wish the author all the best with this book when It is published in March as it has all the features to become a best selling plot.
This sounded like the type of novel that I could of really gripped my teeth into, however it was an extremely slow paced book and took me significantly longer than normal to complete. The concept of the book is interesting and something that I believe can do well, however unfortunately the way it was presented didn’t attract me and I kept losing interest. I wish the author all the best with this book when It is published in March as it has all the features to become a best selling plot.
February 19, 2021
Misplaced Persons is a wonderfully rich and complex tale about family, about betrayal, about feeling lost and misunderstood.
Neil and Marcy have split up after twenty five years together. For Marcy, being alone makes her see how shallow and meaningless all the material goods they have accumulated are, and she culls ruthlessly, donating bags and bags to a nearby refugee centre. Helping out at the centre leads to her offering Nizar, a young refugee, a place to stay, much to her ex-husband's horror.
Meanwhile Neil is realising that he has made a huge mistake, one that is having an impact on their three children, sixteen year old Alec in particular.
Set in Brussels against the backdrop of a series of terrorist attacks, this is a timely and interesting read, as we start to consider events from more than one point of view.
There is tragedy in this novel, but also optimism and a wonderfully uplifting conclusion.
Neil and Marcy have split up after twenty five years together. For Marcy, being alone makes her see how shallow and meaningless all the material goods they have accumulated are, and she culls ruthlessly, donating bags and bags to a nearby refugee centre. Helping out at the centre leads to her offering Nizar, a young refugee, a place to stay, much to her ex-husband's horror.
Meanwhile Neil is realising that he has made a huge mistake, one that is having an impact on their three children, sixteen year old Alec in particular.
Set in Brussels against the backdrop of a series of terrorist attacks, this is a timely and interesting read, as we start to consider events from more than one point of view.
There is tragedy in this novel, but also optimism and a wonderfully uplifting conclusion.
January 15, 2021
This book is a timely reminder of how one selfish act can impact on a family.
The story is set in Belgium with the potential of terrorism in the forefront of everyone’s mind .
The book describes the life of Marcy and Neil and their three children, we see the ups and downs of family life and how life changes when Neil leaves the family home.
I enjoyed the characters they are pleasant and genuine in their nature. The fractured family life takes its toll on all members of the family but the story is mostly from the perspective of Marcy , Neil and Alec.
The writing is free flowing and easy to read and digest . An intuitive story and an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for this arc copy.
The story is set in Belgium with the potential of terrorism in the forefront of everyone’s mind .
The book describes the life of Marcy and Neil and their three children, we see the ups and downs of family life and how life changes when Neil leaves the family home.
I enjoyed the characters they are pleasant and genuine in their nature. The fractured family life takes its toll on all members of the family but the story is mostly from the perspective of Marcy , Neil and Alec.
The writing is free flowing and easy to read and digest . An intuitive story and an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for this arc copy.
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March 10, 2021Subtle in its storytelling, Misplaced Persons is a quietly poignant book that I enjoyed.
I’ve not read many books which are set against the backdrop of both the refugee crisis and the terror attacks on Belgium in 2016, but here Susan Beale has deftly explored some major themes such as prejudice, betrayal, the importance of family, and what ‘home’ really means.
As somebody who has a personal connection to Belgium, I recognised and celebrated the mentions of familiar places, foods, and the way things work there. The pace of the book wasn’t particularly quick, but I actually thought this helped demonstrate the reality of the topics that are covered.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
I’ve not read many books which are set against the backdrop of both the refugee crisis and the terror attacks on Belgium in 2016, but here Susan Beale has deftly explored some major themes such as prejudice, betrayal, the importance of family, and what ‘home’ really means.
As somebody who has a personal connection to Belgium, I recognised and celebrated the mentions of familiar places, foods, and the way things work there. The pace of the book wasn’t particularly quick, but I actually thought this helped demonstrate the reality of the topics that are covered.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
February 16, 2021
Neil, Marcy and their children Sasha, Alec and Jake, are living in Brussels, although Neil and Marcy are separated. Neil is having an affair with young, attractive Chloe, and whilst he's off living the high life and acting like the pathetic, love struck man that he is, he has absolutely no idea about the realities his family are going through until Marcy brings a Syrian refugee into the family home and a chain of events starts to happen.
The blurb sets out what should make for a really exciting read, but the story itself falls well short and I actually felt a bit short changed.
The blurb sets out what should make for a really exciting read, but the story itself falls well short and I actually felt a bit short changed.
September 16, 2021
I was in 2 minds about this book but it was still a good read.
It is about the Yardley family who go through the trails and tribulations of divorced and a broken home. It goes through the process of repairing and rebuilding a new home and 3 children. When one parent decides to foster a refugee set in the background of terrorists attacks. It did highlight how assumptions are made and the detrimental effect they can have
I felt the characters just required a bit more depth and I wanted to be drawn in but it didn't happen for me. I still finished the book as it was good.
It is about the Yardley family who go through the trails and tribulations of divorced and a broken home. It goes through the process of repairing and rebuilding a new home and 3 children. When one parent decides to foster a refugee set in the background of terrorists attacks. It did highlight how assumptions are made and the detrimental effect they can have
I felt the characters just required a bit more depth and I wanted to be drawn in but it didn't happen for me. I still finished the book as it was good.
February 14, 2021
A well-written novel of a Syrian refugee coming to live with a family in crisis. It was interesting idea but I was unfortunately not gripped by the story. I found some of the characters quite unlikable which made it hard to sympathise with them.
I would have liked to have seen some chapters from Nizar’s point of view to deepen the story and our understanding of his life.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for a review.
I would have liked to have seen some chapters from Nizar’s point of view to deepen the story and our understanding of his life.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for a review.
February 21, 2021
This is a story of a fractured family life. Neil, an Englishman, married to American Marcy and their three children live in Brussels. Add to the mix Nizar, a Syrian refugee ,Chloe a work colleague of Neil's and the backdrop of topical terrorism in Brussels and the scene is set. It was a slow story but I felt it was entertaining and easy to read.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an arc of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an arc of this book.
June 2, 2021
I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, John Murray Press, and the author Susan Beale.
This book is a very good reminder to appreciate what you have, and your lot in life.
The Yardley family experiences one disaster and misunderstanding followed by another, and honestly it was all a little bit depressing. However, it was very well written and involving, and had a satisfying conclusion. 3 stars.
This book is a very good reminder to appreciate what you have, and your lot in life.
The Yardley family experiences one disaster and misunderstanding followed by another, and honestly it was all a little bit depressing. However, it was very well written and involving, and had a satisfying conclusion. 3 stars.
March 6, 2021
Found this a quick and easy read. I am very used to there being a life lesson or a whodunnit in the books I usually choose so this book was a bit of a puzzler for me when I finished it. The writing is good and the characters are relatable which is why I’ve given a good rating but I think overall this wasn’t really the kind of book I would pick again.
March 2, 2021
Lots of big issues in this book but none of them covered particularly well. The characters were interesting on the whole but somewhat stereotypical particularly the errant husband with younger lover.
March 31, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book, but I wasn't sure what to expect. However, Beale's novel is a thoughtful exploration of family, prejudice and relationships set against the backdrop of the Bataclan attack in Paris in 2015. My only reservation is that I would have liked more insight into Nizar and for that perspective to have been explored further. However, as a snapshot of a white family coming to terms with adultery and their own prejudice, it was a good read.
I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book, but I wasn't sure what to expect. However, Beale's novel is a thoughtful exploration of family, prejudice and relationships set against the backdrop of the Bataclan attack in Paris in 2015. My only reservation is that I would have liked more insight into Nizar and for that perspective to have been explored further. However, as a snapshot of a white family coming to terms with adultery and their own prejudice, it was a good read.
March 31, 2021
A real family domestic saga. A fractured family, an affair, a scorned wife. All set in the days of high level terror in Belgium and other European cities. A real thought provoking read.
June 1, 2021
So well written.
August 1, 2021
Interesting topic and story, but such a slow burner. It only got really interesting at the very end....
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