On the beautiful island of Santaniki, close to Crete, it's not all white sands and sunshine. When retired bookseller Ariadne Blunt suggests the English residents form a choir, there are groans of resistance. After a little persuasion, the group gather in Ariadne's olive garden to rehearse, but each member of this choir has their own anxieties and secrets.
Ariadne's partner, Hebe, is in failing health. Clive struggles to accept the loss of his wife while Della, the Pilates teacher, drinks too much and Chloe, Queen Bee of the village society, faces a family dilemma. Then there is Mel, the real songbird amongst them, English wife of a taverna owner who hides her talent until the choir inspires her to raise her voice once more.
In this tiny community, the choir brings the residents together like never before in a bittersweet tale of love and loss – and how life can begin again when you let go of the past.
The Olive Garden Choir is a departure in terms of genre for Leah Fleming. Normally she writes historical fiction but this time she has turned her attentions to a more modern day story set on the small island of Santaniki. Crete would be the nearest large island but for the ex-pat residents who have settled here, Santaniki is their little haven and each character we meet is there for very different reasons.
This book is very character driven and honestly there are a lot of characters to get to know. From the get go I felt there was far too many and I did lose track of who was who and what their storyline was. I did feel the community spirit, unity and close bonds the author was trying to achieve but this feeling could have been increased ten fold with a few less characters. Some of them could have been saved for a future book set on the island which in the ends notes the author says she has ideas for swimming about in her mind. Concentrating on a select few, really getting to know them, their motivations, their opinions and what makes them who they are would have been better. Instead I felt I was introduced to a wide range of characters and that I just scratched beneath the persona of their personalities.
Moving away from these issues I had and on reflection asking myself was The Olive Garden Choir a good read overall? Well yes it was but I still feel several days after fishing reading it that although it was good it could have been outstanding with some tweaks. More character development based on a smaller number of people combined with lengthier chapters would have helped hugely. The chapters were so brief and never settled on any one character for any significant period of time instead they flitted between far too many people and this unsettled me as I couldn't get to grips with any one person. Taking a further step back from all of this I do think the author raised a lot of topical issues and how they could be dealt with and viewed especially on such a small island. Gossip was rife but the choir that Ariadne Blunt puts together in time for the festive season allowed for exploration of sensitive issues and in turn these were explored and dealt with with such tact and an understated appreciation for what the group was trying to achieve.
Through helping others the characters in turn were able to help themselves. The topical issues in question were never thrown in the reader's face instead they were slowly and subtly weaved into the overall storyline. I never at any point felt opinions or a certain stance were being rammed down my throat. Instead a balanced side to all stories was presented and the reader was able to observe as things unfolded and then in turn decide who they sided with. Living on such a small island people were in each other's pockets and narrow mindedness could also rear its ugly head if afforded the opportunity. I understood why people felt frightened to share their fears and worries but I hoped as I read through the story that the bonds of friendship, tolerance, acceptance,understanding and forgiveness would be qualities that began to shine through.
The island was brilliantly described and as it was so small it was the ideal setting to allow things develop in such a way that people couldn't fail but become involved in the choir which became so much more than just about singing. The descriptions of the island were stunning and by the time I finished reading I did think to myself, god there really is something to be said for just leaving everything behind and starting afresh perhaps later on in life when you could retire to warmer climes and just enjoy and embrace a more relaxed steady pace of life. The island itself is a character offering safety and shelter from storms during the winter months but it can also show its harsh and unexpected side. After the summer season when the tourists have all left and the days are not as sweltering and intense, the islanders and ex-pats reclaim the island for themselves. But it is during the quiet season that Ariadne realises the people need something to unite them. To help each individual open up and blossom, to share their load and to come together as a strong unit which can help others in times of need and bring a smile to a face in the times of utmost despair.
As there are too many characters to go into too much detail, I will just mention a few and the situation they find themselves in when we first arrive on the island. Ariadne was the glue that held the unusual bunch together but she has her own worries as her housemate Hebe has started to act oddly and has been caught doing strange and unusual things. They have shared a bond for many years and are happy and contented yet Ariadne feels things are about to alter and she is powerless to stop the rapid onslaught of fate. Will the choir and getting involved with helping others take her mind of things or will everything prove too much and cracks start to appear too far apart ever to be brought together again? Chloe is married to Simon. They lead a safe and comfortable life and are well off but Chloe worries for her daughter Alexa from a previous marriage. Alexa lives in London but has become distant and the lack of communication is starting to really bother Chloe. Just what is going on? How can she reconnect with a daughter who seems to just want to pull further and further away? Will it be too late?
Mel, originally from England but now married to a local named Spiro, is doing her best to raise her two young boys and help run the family taverna. But mother-in-law Irini has a sharp tongue and is not afraid to use it. Mel never hears a good word said and it is like she is looked upon with disdain as the taverna struggles along through harsh economic times Mel does her best. But will her best ever be good enough? I loved Mel she was my favourite character and I could see she had so much room to grow and mature and to grow in confidence and self belief but whether this would be allowed to happen remained to be seen. Sammia is a refugee from Syria expecting her first baby, she arrived on the island with her husband and her brother and sister in law and young nephew. In Syria they had good jobs but now they have been reduced to nothing. How can they solider on amidst such hardship and the traumas they have witnessed? Will the island opens its arms or shut its doors especially at a time when Sammia needs help the most?
Clive wanders the island with his faithful dog by his side. He is very lonely since his wife Lucy died two years ago. He can see no way of moving on, of reaching that point of acceptance. Is it possible to move forward when you have lost the one you loved the most and who was by your side through thick and thin? Colonel Arthur Templeton Brown is in his 90's but the choir brings back many memories for him of his war years and in his old age the company of others is always very much appreciated. Della, the local pilates instructor, is no saint and has many weakness and harbours a secret, although I think the majority of the residents knew what was wrong with her. Maybe not the exact reason why but they knew what she was doing. Della came across as a dark person filled with anguish and disgust for herself but she didn't really know how to claw her way back to the light.
Natalie has been on the island for two years and is the local caterer and baker although for herself she only eats the bare necessities to get by. She is haunted by past experiences and feels everything will catch up with her. Really I wanted her to open up to confess everything and a load would be shed and she could open herself up to someone special. But was she too far gone in the doldrums for this to occur? Finally we have Kelly and Gary who live in a huge contemporary house and have everything they could possibly want. Or do they? What is Kelly's problem that she comes across so haughty and as if she is above everyone else? What exactly is Gary hiding that is eating him up inside and will he ever feel able to make his confession?
Even after naming all the characters and giving the briefest of overviews above I can see how it backs up my point in the beginning that really and truly there are just too many and that there was no way I could keep track of them all and stay focused on the various story lines. I appreciate what the author had wanted to achieve with this book but it didn't all come to fruition for the reasons I have explained. The ending didn't leave me as fully satisfied as I would have liked. Things seemed rushed and then there were plenty of cliffhangers and questions remaining unresolved and unanswered which was then confirmed when I read the end notes. There definitely needs to be a return to Santaniki because I do want to know what happens next because when I take stock of each individual storyline I did enjoy them but bringing everything together there was just too wide of a scope and not enough attention and development could be given to those that needed it the most.
The Olive Garden Choir is an enjoyable read with charming elements but there is potential for an awful lot more if some refinements were made. You will fly through the short chapters but I was left with a feeling of wanting more because there wasn't enough within the pages of the book for all that needed to occur.
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