I’m a massive fan of Hilary Mantel’s work and am assiduously working my way through everything she’s published – so far I haven’t been disappointed.
This is not a book like ‘Wolf Hall’ and those hoping for a repeat won’t find it here. What is here, as in all her books, is a quality of writing that is rare, a clarity that is beautifully crafted, a mastery of words, characterisation and situations that is skilful and subtle. Mantel is a brilliant storyteller.
Ralph and Anna Eldred raise their children in an atmosphere of doing good and charity, helping the ‘good souls and sad cases’ that come their way. But their good deeds hide a secret that is eating away at them and at their relationship; a secret tragedy from their time as missionaries in South Africa, a tragedy that threatens the stability, faith and peace that they have striven to provide for their children and for those other waifs and strays that they welcome into The Red House.
The tragedy (the nature of which is not revealed until fairly far on in the book) creates fissures between them that spread out though their family and friends. And when their son falls in love with local girl Sandra, Ralph also sees an opportunity for happiness, or at least for forgetting. However, his actions bring all the resentments, grief and sadness that has been hidden away to the surface and the family finds itself at crisis point.
The characters in this book are portrayed with huge sympathy – Mantel has a real knack of getting right under her characters’ skins. The everyday is drawn as skilfully as the unusual, with both Norfolk and South Africa coming to life – the claustrophobia of a dismal, drab rainy England as real as the oppressive heat of an African day.
Different to Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, but just as wonderful.
Alison Williams Writing 
Not read any of her work yet, but her books are on my book list.
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Well you know I’m obsessed! Her writing can be quite polarising though – I know a couple of people who absolutely hate her books (my mother-in-law included), so I hope you do like then when you get to them.
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I’ve read both Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies and loved them (massive history fan especially the Tudors), I tried another of her books Beyond Black (https://rebeccasmart21.wordpress.com/2015/04/08/beyond-black-hilary-mantel/) and really didn’t enjoy it. I found that the plot wasn’t sustained throughout. I have seen this one on the shelves of local bookshops but haven’t picked it up as I am afraid of her fiction. I may give this a try after your review.
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Your review of Beyond Black is really interesting – and I do agree with it to some extent. ‘Beyond Black’ is probably my least favourite of her books so far, but I think it’s saved by the brilliant characterisation. Do try a few more – and if you like her historical novels then ‘A Place of Greater Safety’ is wonderful (better even then Wolf Hall imho).
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Same here, she is on my to read list.
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I definitely recommend her Suzanne. I think she’s also a fantastic writer for writers to read although sometimes she makes me depressed because I know I’ll never be able to write the way she does!
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Thanks for the reminder of this novel which I read some years ago. I’m quite a fan of Mantel’s early writing which I much prefer to Wolf Hall etc
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Interesting to hear a completely different viewpoint – it’s usually the other way around 🙂 She’s certainly a talented writer.
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Loved Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, also her recent collection of short stories, so thanks for this review.
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Loved those short stories – keep meaning to write a review so thanks for the reminder 🙂
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Thank you for this. While I found Wolf Hall immensely satisfying reading, I warmed much more to Mantel’s autobiographical ‘Giving up the Ghost’. I cannot face another does of medieval torture so Bring up the Bodies remains unopened by my bedside, but I think A Change of Climate sounds really interesting.
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‘A Place of Greater Safety’ is wonderful too – and often overlooked. Very long though.
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