Rough Music by Patrick Gale (Fourth Estate)
THE dynamics of family relationships are put under acute examination in this expertly crafted tale.
Author Patrick Gale invites the reader along on two parallel journeys as we see a young married couple and their eight year old son embark on a two-week holiday at a picturesque beach cottage in Cornwall and then again witness the same family revisit the house some 30 odd years later.
In the earlier story, young Julian finds his cosy world disrupted by the unexpected arrival of an American relative and his young tomboy daughter.
Years later the boy, now approaching his 40th birthday, finds himself again holidaying with his parents, now both trying to cope with the ravages of time. Again the arrival of a third party, this time his brother-in-law, serves as a catalyst for a dramatic encounter.
Gale superbly intertwines the two narratives and along the way we discover their relevance to each other.
This is heart-warming exploration of childhood, ageing and forbidden love. There are some tragic moments along the way and even though there is a uplifting finale it is by no means a cop-out.