THIS BOOK!!! BEREFT by Chris Womersley (Scribe Publications 2010) has been on my TBR pile for many years and I can’t believe it took me this long to finally read it. If you love HAMNET by Maggie O’Farrell, then BEREFT will have the same emotional effect on you, particularly the poignant sibling relationship and the slight touch of magical realism. Lyrical language, a tender and heartbreaking plot, and characters who will stay with you long after the last page is turned.
Set at the end of World War One, with the Spanish flu epidemic vanishing millions of loved ones, Quinn Walker returns to the small town of Flint which he fled 10 years earlier after being accused of a heinous and unforgiveable crime. Has he returned to make amends? To clear his name? To take revenge? Or to save a girl?
Mysterious youngster Sadie Fox lives alone in the hills and fends for herself, with only the superstitious magic of her ancestors to help her. Wily, brave, feisty and vulnerable, Sadie awaits the return of her big brother who has gone to war.
But there are evil forces in Flint, malevolent people who will stop at nothing to keep their dark secrets hidden. Themes include justice, revenge, forgiveness, family, sibling bonds, yearning, Home, loneliness and survival. BEREFT is about those who go to war and don’t return, those who return irrevocably changed, and those who are forever left behind waiting.
This book is perfection in voice, narrative and tone. The touch of magical realism towards the end enhances the wise, poignant and tender-hearted story, ensuring the reader believes in magic – or at least the hand of fate. Absolutely hard recommend this beautiful novel. And remember, for an older release such as this one, ask your local bookseller to order it in for you, or grab a copy from the library. You will not be disappointed.