Getting Away by Kate Sawyer:
It was a blog post that sent me to Kate Sawyer’s first novel The Stranding. It made me cry and then she did it again with her second This Family. Her third is the lives, loves, tragedies and ceremony of a family over almost a century, viewed through the prism of holidays. And yes it made me cry. Again.
In other hands, this could be dismissed as pile of romantic fluff. But as she is a writer that has shown progression with every novel, so let’s not even go there. This a beach of a novel that has the carefree style of a Summer read, but tread carefully - you might step on some glass.
If you’ve read her previous work, you’ll know she’s fantastic with structure - The Standing flashed back and forward to pre/post apocalyptic times, This Family had what looked like a prefect family with tragedy holding them together, pushing them forward. This has the family moving through history, with events breadcrumbed, reinterpreted, hinted at. She’s excellent at characters, even the worst ones in this book.
Underlying it though is a novelist who is hopeful about humanity. And at a time in history when we need reassurance that human decency and happiness will win out, that is to be celebrated. It’s published by Zaffre on July 3rd and I thank them for a preview copy. #gettingaway.
