When needs must, they can bring unlikely friendships

Synopsis

‘A lovely book about two feisty and at times funny women, who stole my heart and had me rooting for them from the very beginning. A heartwarming, uplifting read that would be perfect for book clubs or just curling up with in the garden on a sunny afternoon. Utterly, utterly fabulous!’ Faith Hogan

A gripping and uplifting new novel by the author of BA Book of the Month and LoveReading Debut of the Month Patience.

Connie Darke is trying to run away from the traumas in her past, and it’s led her home, to the small rural council estate she left almost 20 years earlier.

Matilda Reynolds has spent most of her long life in the Worcestershire village of Stonecastle, and she’s content there, with her animals and her solitude. Until a fall lands her in hospital, and Matilda has to turn to her strange young neighbour Connie for help looking after her home.

Out of their tentative arrangement, each woman gains a new sense of community. But before long, that community comes under threat when the council decides to sell the estate, to make way for expensive developments.

Connie and Matilda are determined to fight for their home, whatever it takes…

My review

After her troubled residence in London, Connie has returned back home in the village of Stonecastle, trying to overcome her trauma. But her experience has made her wary of everything and everyone, and she finds it difficult to trust.
She prefers staying away from people and takes very early walks.
When her neighbour Matilda Reynolds has a fall and is in the hospital, it’s up to Connie to look after the animals.
The animals are the reason Matilda and Connie form an unlikely friendship, which only strengthens when their homes are under threat.
Suddenly the whole community comes together to save the homes. Will they manage to stay out of greedy hands?
And will all these new friendships last when some secrets of the past are revealed?

This story is a wonderful story about community and friendship. But it’s also a difficult story, in the sense that both main characters, Connie and Matilda have been through rough patches and are still carrying around their secrets.

Connie returned to live back to her mother after troubled years living in London.
It’s not easy to like Connie from the start, I have to admit. But that’s only because we don’t know her whole story.
Of course it’s clear that she is struggling with starting again. When we learn about her struggles, initially it made me frown a little bit, as I couldn’t understand what actually happened to her. It all seemed so strange, and I couldn’t figure out what actually happened.
But even if she escaped London, she isn’t having an easy time. And slowly we get to learn that there is more going on that initially thought.

So that made it beautiful to read how Connie finds comfort while taking care of Matilda’s animals. Initially wary of especially the goats, we see how Connie feels more at ease with them. And not only that, but the animals also are a way for Connie to get (re)acquainted with the community. And most important, a way to befriend Matilda.

While Connie was not that easy to immediately warm to, for Matilda I immediately felt sorry. She is of an older age, and has absolutely nobody…
And her being alone with her memories for sure showed in the way she is living. She is also wary of people, she just want to be left alone.

It absolutely saddened me to see how people are left on their own, having no one having an interest in their wellbeing…
So it’s not a surprise that Matilda ended up in the hospital, and has to rely on strangers to look after her beloved animals.

Once back home, is the point where Connie and Matilda become friends. But not without some clashing. I could understand why Matilda was acting like she did, and why Connie felt heartbroken when her services were ‘no longer required’.
Yet it was heart – warming to read that these two women actually need each other, not only for being looked after, but also for just having someone that cares about them, and perhaps understands them better than they may initially think.

Up till now I already liked the story, but it’s the addition of the common enemy for the community that elevates this story even higher.

I truly found it inspiring to see how what people can achieve when they join forces. What starts as a way to keep their homes, we see so much more. Because just like Connie, we see that everyone has their own fights to fight. And it’s easy to have an opinion over someone, even when we don’t know that person.

We see how all the residents become a community, in the real sense of the word. They learn they can rely on each other, and help each other. And help each other in overcoming the demons.
And how real friends, because that’s what everyone has become, are not judging you for your past, but try to help you to look forward into a bright future.

I also liked it how the author addresses some difficult topics, showing us that not being well, both mentally and physically, is not something to be ashamed of. There is no need to hide those bits of you, as they are part of you.

This was truly a heart – warming story, about two broken characters finding an unlikely friend in each other, making it possible to speak out about what is haunting them, making it possible to close those infected wounds.
And it’s about how strong people can be, when forces are joined. Every one of us has a strength that is needed, even when we don’t think we do.
It’s also about the beautiful power of a community, where you can be who you are, without any prejudice or pointed fingers!