The Legacy of Mr Jarvis

Full Text: While not a thriller book, there are lots of twists and turns throughout the story. As you delve into Mary Foster's family secrets, you will become familiar with ordinary people who suffer from the good, the bad, and the ugly. They are real people with real issues. The presentation of a family with second chances and hope is moving. The author does a great job of drawing you into the story and allowing you to have strong feelings for the characters. You will discover a strong compassion for them that will touch you. My heart aches for Mary as she deals with caring for her aging father and her mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's. There are secrets and lies and Mary tries to figure out the pieces of the puzzle and find the answer. It was an interesting read.

11 year old Mary and her family suddenly move from bustling London to a seaside town on the south coast. She quickly teams up with Eva and they become firm friends. Over the years they share many experiences and Mary enjoys the more luxurious and relaxed home life of Eva. We follow the girls as they grow up and start to become young women in the vibrant 1960s. In a parallel thread we see Mary grown up with elderly parents and trying to make sense of things in the past. Why did they move so suddenly and why did their lodgers behave so strangely? I did enjoy this book with its beautifully crafted characters. The descriptions are excellent & I could relate well to their characters. The story itself doesn't move along at any great speed. It is a definite amble. To be fair, there isn't a particularly strong storyline in the sense of many books. There are a couple of "reveals" but they were quite apparent to the reader for a while before Mary discovers them. There isn't a plot but rather a series of small events with Mary seeking to understand them. The ending of this book is excellent. By that I mean the very last couple of pages where the author leaves the reader to arrive at their own conclusions. There is a lot in this book in the way of observations and descriptions but not much in the way of action and in depth plot. However I do feel that there would be much to discuss if this were to be a book group choice.

The author has given us a beautifully written book that is complex in it's telling, but the book is very readable. Sometimes we need to trust ourselves and our ability to remake ourselves and trust in a possible future. This book was different than the cookie cutter plots we often see, and I found that refreshing.

The author has given us a beautifully written book that is complex in it's telling, but the book is very readable. Sometimes we need to trust ourselves and our ability to remake ourselves and trust in a possible future. This book was different than the cookie cutter plots we often see, and I found that refreshing.

At first I couldn't see where this book was going but as the story unfolds in a relaxed meandering way you crack the mystery. Not a fast moving edge of the chair reading more of a well written nice story of friendship and changing morals, interesting how acceptable behaviour has change from the 60's through the following decades.