Christmas on the remote Scottish island of Mure is bleak, stark - and incredibly beautiful.
It's a time for hunkering down, getting cosy in front of whisky barrel wood fires, and enjoying a dram with the people you love - unless, of course, you're accidentally pregnant to your ex-boss, and don't know how to tell him. In what should be the season of peace and goodwill on earth, will Joel think Flora is a bearer of glad tidings?
Meanwhile Saif, the doctor and refugee from war-torn Syria is trying to enjoy his first western Christmas with his sons - but without his missing wife. Can the little family possibly find comfort and joy?
Many thanks to Little Brown UK via NetGalley for my copy of An Island Christmas to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
How I wish that Jenny Colgan would never stop writing this simply brilliant, heart-warming and wonderful series set on the remote Scottish island of Mure. Every time I finish one of these stories I am gutted to leave the setting, the characters and their lives behind until the next time. You do so hope there will be a next time and thankfully Jenny this festive season has brought us An Island Christmas, with such a stunning cover to match another exciting and emotive read between its cover.
Usually I would say a book within a series can be read as a standalone and the author does help with this as she normally provides one or two pages of back-story at the beginning of each new book. But honestly to really understand the true essence of Mure and its residents, and why myself and so many others simply adore everything about it, I suggest you begin with the first book, A Very Distant Shore, and work your way up to this the most recent story. So many threads and strands flow from book one and nothing is resolved and tied up all nicely by the end of each story. That's what makes it natural, it's not forced at all with the author rushing to bring everything to a neat and tidy conclusion. Instead sometimes we are left with a cliffhanger with regard to certain things and most certainly I am always left wanting more, more and more.
Once again right from the very first page the tiny island of Mure and all the very varied characters welcome you back as if you have never been away. This really is the ideal Christmas read, for Mure is isolated and windswept and at this time of year the darkness falls quickly and it is like everyone battens down the hatches to prepare for the onslaught of the winter season. The weather and Christmas of course but also for all the personal events which arise and some of which are ongoing.
I can't say the story centres around any particular one character but if I had to choose, Flora Mackenzie would be the backbone of the series and in her own unique way a main stalwart of the community too. She runs the Seaside Kitchen on the main street. Well Mure really consists of one street but the café has been a focus and meeting point for so many and Flora and her employees will always provide you with a warm welcome, a hot and drink and a delicious treat. Flora has matured so much since she first arrived back on the island. She had to grow up a lot when tasked with keeping the family home going after the death of her mother. Her father and brothers are farmers and household work is not their forte. Coming back to the island was the best decision Flora could have made both for her personal and professional life but still she treads rocky waters when it comes to romantic entanglements.
Flora has been through so much and I feel like I have been with her every step of the way but now perhaps her biggest challenge is just around the corner and how she deals with it will set the tone for many years to come. Flora for the most part is happy in her relationship with Joel Binder, her former boss, but he still works away from the island for long periods helping with Colton's overseas project. Colton is a multi millionaire who has set up home on the island with the hopes of opening a mega impressive hotel but in the process he fell for Flora's brother Fintan.
As for Joel, he still remains a character who I think we have never really gotten truly inside his head. We have been given glimpses into his past and supplied with some reasons as to why he acts the way he does when it comes to personal business and when things get a bit too heavy too quickly for him. But still I feel he takes Flora for granted and doesn't appreciate what a good thing he has with her. At times he is blind to the worry she may be feeling. They deeply love each other but on Joel's part I still think he is holding back and not willing to fully let go and embrace the happiness that he and Flora can experience on the island. Flora has a conundrum in this book and what is meant to be a happy occasion is fraught with worry and anxiety because she fears how Joel will react. It ate her up for most of the book and really I just wanted her to be brave and come out with it as keeping things close to ones chest instead of sharing the load would certainly do her no favours particularly in this situation.
The island of the Mure may provide peace, tranquillity and beauty but for the people that live there although they do appreciate this there is also so much more going on in their personal lives. I love how Jenny achieved the balance between this. She highlighted how exceptional and beautiful the island was but just because you may live in a special place does not mean you are immune to everyday problems. Issues and tensions will always come knocking at your door even in the run up to the most wonderful time of year. Yes there is lots of fun and laughter throughout this book and Flora's niece Agot certainly provides us with this. She is just so brilliant and I think I could easily read an entire book solely focused on her.
But contrasting this are more serious issues as Fintan nurses Colton through the cancer that he kept secret for so long but is now ravaging his body. This was just so heartbreaking to read about as Fintan is distressed, upset and angry that having found the love of his life he will be taken so cruelly and then a person from Colton's past makes a reappearance. It’s funny how people crawl out of the woodwork when they get wind of something monumental about to happen and from which they may gain something. But I loved how this strand of the story was dealt with with such sensitivity, tact and respect. It was fitting given how I think so many readers have come to admire Fintan and Colton and truly the last few chapters were just so beautifully written and a tribute from the island to a special person.
As for local school teacher Lorna McLeod, god when will this girl get the break she deserves. She is dedicated to her job and her pupils but on a personal level, I really think she has been pining and suppressing love for local doctor Saif for several books now and isn't it about time she gets the joyous moment of realisation, acceptance and love that she deserves. This is one relationship that I desperately want to work out but it seems things just continue to conspire against Lorna being allowed to embrace love. She is a character to be admired because she is putting the needs of Saif and his two young sons before hers but really I want to see something positive happen now, she does truly deserve it. Having said all that Jenny does provide us with the other side of the coin and the reader can see why things are so complicated but that doesn't stop me fervently hoping for a positive outcome.
Saif's situation is so relevant to the times we live in today and when picking up this book I don't think readers will realise that Jenny has dealt with the refugee crisis and the war in Syria. Some may say does this have a place in a women's fiction book that is on the more lighter end of the genre but the way this is written I feel it most definitely does. Saif's story will rip you in two, he is in limbo - not being able to move forward until confirmation of past events. This pause in his life has deeply affected him and although his two boys have settled into island life, the scars and memories of the past still remain deeply embedded in their hearts and minds. As I've previously mentioned we are more often than not left on a cliffhanger and with regard to Saif I think we definitely were which makes me think yes there will be more to come from Mure as I was left gutted that the book came to end and all that ran through my head was surely you can't leave things like that with so many unanswered questions and unresolved situations?
I find the further a series progress it can begin to run out of steam but with An Island Christmas Jenny Colgan just keeps building and building on the already solid foundations from book one. I fall more deeply in love with the island and Flora and co, the more times I am given the opportunity to revisit. This is another brilliant, engaging, riveting read that takes you by the hand and welcomes you into the lives of people who are willing to share so much with you.
Savour every moment because before you know it, it will be over and you will be left disappointed that you reached the conclusion. Although it was an ending that leaves you guessing, and with endless questions running through your mind, the answers you are so desperate to uncover. Will the damaged child inside Colton mend? Will Lorna be forever left a spinster? Will Saif find the answers he so desperately seeks and needs in order to take the next step in his life? Is Joel capable of loving anything even himself? Does he really deserve Flora? Will Agot continue to provide us with comedic golden moments? Will the island continue to work its magic on us should we be fortunate enough to return in the future. Read An Island Christmas to discover the answers, you'll be so glad you did so as it's a real Christmas treat.
All Amazon UK book titles in bold are Affiliate links which will earn me a few pence if anyone clicks through and makes a purchase - any money earned will go towards buying books or gifts for giveaways.
No comments:
Post a Comment