Page 26 - Phonebox Magazine September 2015

Book Review
Thelma Shacklady
Daughter by Jane Shemilt
The Malcolms appeared to be the quintessential happy, normal suburban family; mother a GP, father a successful neurosurgeon at the local hospital, twin eighteen-year old boys, each with his own interest – and Naomi, at fifteen the star of the school production of
‘West Side Story’. But then, after the penultimate performance of the musical, Naomi failed to return home and the seemingly perfect facade crumbled, to reveal the secret lives each one of them had been hiding.
This is actually indicated at the beginning of this debut novel, which was awarded the Lucy Cavendish Fiction prize, with its heading ‘One year later’. Jenny is alone with her regrets, sketching memories of her daughter, beginning with the outline of two black, high-heeled shoes lying on their sides, long straps tangled together.
The story continues, with the author shifting between one year and the next – the disappearance and its consequences. Both Jenny and her husband consider the possibility that Naomi has been abducted as an act of revenge against one or other of them; because of a misdiagnosis or an operation which went wrong. Guilt is felt not only by them, but also their sons, regretting what they might have done and failed to do. The novel is both a well-written, beautifully crafted account of every mother’s worst nightmare – the abduction of a child and the analysis of a family which falls apart as a result. It is told from the viewpoint of the mother, Jenny, hence the title, and as an afterword there is an interview with the author in which she explains how much of her own experience she has used to expand the plot, including setting it in Bristol, where she and her family live. Her comments add an extra dimension to what is one of those books which the reader just cannot put down!
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Debbie Taylor
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
Firstly, I would like to say that Nick Hornby is one of my favourite authors. ‘High Fidelity’ and ‘Juliet Naked’
are two of the best novels I have read in the last 20 years. Hornby obviously loves the slightly nerdy music lovers who are depicted in these two novels. I was quite looking forward to reading this new book, ‘Funny Girl’, especially as it had been chosen by Richard and Judy for their summer reads. It turns out that, although this is a good read, it is not without its faults.
The main character is Barbara, who wins ‘Miss Blackpool’ in 1964. She immediately hands it back and moves to London to become the British version of Lucille Ball. She talks her way into a lead role in a BBC comedy and we then are taken through her whole career and personal life which is inextricably linked to her work. The book is a tribute to that golden age of British BBC Sitcoms, how they were written, made and what impact they had on the nation. However, I don’t feel the connection
with the lead female character that I had with the lead male characters in the previously mentioned novels. There are other characters that are more interesting, like the gay writer, Bill, but they are under-used, merely as a way of showing how society is changing through the ‘60s, or to show how ridiculous the BBC intelligentsia can be.
What is wrong for me is that it doesn’t have the heart or soul of the other books. I laughed out loud (much to the amusement of my fellow passengers on the train to Staines!) at parts of ‘High Fidelity’, I have known ‘completists’ as the main character in ‘Juliet Naked’, I felt nothing for any of these characters.
I think that Nick Hornby has difficulty in writing really interesting female protagonists. He does, however, bring this particular time in London to life and shows us how important it was to the cultural life that we have now. It’s just not as good, or as moving, or satisfying as ‘High Fidelity’ and ‘Juliet Naked’.
26 Phonebox Magazine