Book Reviews

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

This is a real page turner which keeps you up reading ‘just one more chapter’ until far too late at night! It is very easy to read and completely gripping from page 1. The story is well executed, and cleverly written with different chapters being written from different characters points of view so that the reader sees different sides to the story. The characters are well drawn and developed – some being more likeable than others!
Without giving too much away, I can say it is the story of three entangled families who live in a house in London with very dark secrets which gradually come to light.

This was the book chosen by Blackfen Library Coffee & Books Group to read and discuss last month. We meet on the 1 st Friday of each month to discuss a book which we have all read during the previous month. We read a wide variety of different books and if anyone is interested in joining us, we would make you very welcome.
Chris D

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

This book is both a gripping detective story and a haunting depiction of mental illness. It is heartwarming and captures the anxiety and bewilderment of those with dementia but is also darkly comic. It is easy to read and I believe it is a realistic portrayal of someone with dementia.
It is about Maud, an elderly woman, who is searching for her friend, Elizabeth, and is also remembering another disappearance from long ago. As the story progresses, her tenacity in searching for Elizabeth becomes strongly linked to her memories of searching for her sister. The past disappearance triggers thoughts of the present one, and vice versa, and that is why her missing friend sticks in her head.
Daily life is very confusing for Maud and the author puts the reader right inside Maud’s muddled mind, and somehow, enables her to tell a story that cleverly reveals exactly what happened.
I think the presentation of Maud’s dementia is very powerful. Repeated lines, scenes and thoughts make us share the bleakness of her situation and how frightening and unnerving her day-to-day life is. The narration is really clever, comical and at times heartbreaking as Maud forgets things and finds people around her getting frustrated, including her daughter and Elizabeth’s son.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would like an insight into what it must be like to suffer with dementia.

Chris D

All of these books and many more are available to borrow now at Blackfen Community Library. Come along, sit and have a read at our community hub and enjoy a fresh coffee from Rooted Coffee House, our in house coffee shop.

To enquire about the availability of these books you can login via your membership login or pop into the library and ask our team.