MORE INNOCENT TIMES by IMOGEN PARKER

MORE INNOCENT TIMES

BY IMOGEN PARKER

THE BLURB:-

Gemma is ready for a change of scene. Her self-imposed exile in America worked for a while, but now she's returning to England for a fresh start. A new job, new house, new life beckons; but there are old problems too, the same painful, raw problems she ran away from ten years ago.

Daisy stole Oliver from her. Her beloved sister just walked off with the love of her life. They never talked about it. They haven't talked about anything since.

This is the story of two pairs of sisters- Gemma and Daisy, their mother Estella and her sister Shirley. It tells of love and passion, jealousy and secrets, and follows a family mystery back to its origins in the 1950s- to more innocent times.

THE REALITY:-

It was nice for someone without a sister, like myself, to read this book and try to understand how this complex relationship works. It is enlightening to see how a lack of communication in any relationship can cause severe problems.

It is full of interesting, bohemian characters, but also maddening- you want to kill Estella (who kills herself) for her stupidity in the reasoning behind carrying out that very act. You also have to ask the question; what the hell do Gemma and Daisy see in Oliver? He doesn't seem that great to me- a bit of a pig at times would be closer to the truth.

The letters between Estella and Shirley offer a lovely highlight to the novel, as do Shirley's intimate conversations with Gemma, discussing her life in her seaside town.

Fast paced, lively and modern, with people and situations you can really believe in, this would be a lovely summer read.