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A review by andrew61
There Were No Windows by Norah Hoult
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Claire Temple is an elderly lady who is slowly losing her memory. She lives on her own in a London home during the blitz with only her feisty Irish cook Kathleen for company. The house is at boiling point as Claires' memory causes increasing frustration, and Claire believes her cook is trying to harm her.
However, Claire is also ascerbic in her wit, cruel in her comments and disinhibited in her memories when she over the following chapters meets various visitors from friends, former secretaries, and most wittily Francis Maitland an artistic man about town with whom Claire shares gossip about the great and good of early 20thc literature and art.
When a new companion, Mrs Jones, is employed to help out, things go from bad to worse.
This was a very enjoyable and unique piece of writing that combined humour with poignancy as an obviously once vibrant and brilliant woman slips into the torment of dementia. A big thanks to persephone for bringing these forgotten pieces of work back to life.
However, Claire is also ascerbic in her wit, cruel in her comments and disinhibited in her memories when she over the following chapters meets various visitors from friends, former secretaries, and most wittily Francis Maitland an artistic man about town with whom Claire shares gossip about the great and good of early 20thc literature and art.
When a new companion, Mrs Jones, is employed to help out, things go from bad to worse.
This was a very enjoyable and unique piece of writing that combined humour with poignancy as an obviously once vibrant and brilliant woman slips into the torment of dementia. A big thanks to persephone for bringing these forgotten pieces of work back to life.