Tag: Patrick Gale

Love Lane by Patrick Gale

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

So, I was so lucky to go to Stratford Literary Festival and hear Patrick Gale speak about his new book, ‘Love Lane’. And, as I am sure we have spotted I am a big fan of the story of Harry Cane, which we were introduced to in ‘A Place Called Winter‘, so when I heard that ‘Love Lane’ would tell us more about Harry and his future, I had to read it.

This book brings us to the 1950s, when Harry makes the decision to return to England and see his little girl, who is by now a grandmother, with a family of her own. This story is told from the viewpoint of Harry and other members of his family. And I refuse to spoil the story because I think (of course) you should all find a copy and read Harry’s story. However, I will say that Harry’s arrival really does set a cat among the pigeons for some of our characters, and maybe encourages some to face the reality of the life they are living. Harry also remains one of my most favourite characters of all time; I may have even shed a tear at moments when I was reading this, because he is a character who has truly stolen my heart.

I really enjoyed how this book is told from a number of different viewpoints, which is a change from ‘A Place Called Winter’, which is all from the viewpoint of our hero, Harry Cane. And I admire how Patrick Gale has used his own family history as the inspiration for this book. At Stratford Literary Festival, it was fascinating to hear his process in putting this story together. Patrick Gale also has a real talent for writing characters and their relationships, and I think, as a reader, this is why you become so invested in his books, as you feel that you know these people, and you truly understand what makes them tick and how they have developed to become the people that they are.

So, I am going to sound a little like a fangirl, but meeting Patrick Gale was a bit of a bucketlist moment for me, and my two signed books are going to be two books I treasure. If you are yet to pick up a book by Patrick Gale, I would hope that my humble blog posts may encourage you to do so. I feel so lucky that I still have books from his backlist that I can read, and I hope that we may have many more books gifted to us bookworms from the pen (literally) of Patrick Gale.

A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have been meaning to read ‘A Place Called Winter’ by Patrick Gale for quite some time. And, as ‘Love Lane’, the sequel, has come out this month, it bumped it to the top of the tbr pile. It fast became my book of March; Patrick Gale’s writing is always so beautiful and keeps you so engaged in the story he is telling.

In this book, I think that Patrick Gale has also created one of my favourite characters in Harry Cane. This man stole my heart, and I was rooting for him from the moment I started reading this book, and knew that he was a character that I would be invested in. (Just as I had been when I read ‘Mother’s Boy’ three years ago – where does all the time go? I am sure I only read it last year!). As well as this, there’s also one of the characters I have disliked the most in a book, in Manck, as he prays on those who he believes to be weak – when he is really a weak man himself.

Harry has always felt a little outside of the world he is expected to exist in, and when a series of events force him to leave England and see if he can make his fortune in the colonies in Canada, he embarks on a life that he had never expected himself. He leaves behind him a wife he knows does not love him as much as she could (and he cannot love her in the way she needs), and a young daughter and a loving brother. As time goes on and secrets are leaked, Harry becomes alone in the world attempting to start his life on the isolated plains of Canada with his only potential support being his neighbour Paul and his sister Petra. But why does that all mean he finds himself in an asylum?

That is a very rough summary of the story, as I do not want to give too much away for anyone who chooses to read this book – which I really hope you will. However, it is a book that really brings to life the struggles of creating a new life in Canada for so many young men at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th century. But, also, all the cruelty of the world that did not accept people for who they were. A world I always hope we have moved on from, but we all know there is still plenty of work to be done – but I hope the majority of people are much more accepting that everyone in the world is equal.

I cannot wait to read ‘Love Lane’ now, as I need to know what happens next in the story we have been introduced to in ‘A Place Called Winter’.

Mother’s Boy by Patrick Gale

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have always wanted to read a book by Patrick Gale, but I have been a little intimidated by his books, and to be honest that is simply because I may have judged them by their cover.

However, the fantastic ‘The Book Taster’ picked ‘Mother’s Boy’ for the February book club pick and I was really excited to have the chance to read a novel by Patrick Gale. And, spoiler alert, I absolutely loved it and will definitely be reading more of his books when I have the chance.

‘Mother’s Boy’ is a beautiful piece of historical fiction about the writer and poet Charles Causley, who grew up in Cornwall in the early twentieth century with his mother Laura (after sadly losing his father Charlie at a young age). Patrick Gale has focused on Charles and Laura Causley’s life until just after the Second World War, and I found it fascinating, of course keeping in mind that it is a fictionalised version of events but, clearly, well researched. Although Gale admits that he has to fill some gaps with the evidence he could find, I feel he has done this carefully and with respect. Nothing appears to have been written to sensationalise, shock or show any kind of disrespect to the Causleys.

I just could not put this book down, as it is so beautifully written and I just wanted to see how the characters would develop, and how their experiences were shaping them and their views of life. The relationship between mother and son was fascinating and though, at times, it clearly had its odd strains, it appears it was always loving and caring.

And, like all good books, this has sparked an interest in me for the works of Charles Causley, although he is mainly a poet, which is not always my go-to genre, I am intrigued to read what he has written and find out even more about this man. His life was not easy in those early years, and being drawn into World War Two as a member of the Royal Navy would have left quite an impression on him, and maybe offered him a connection to his father Charlie, who had experienced World War One.

Patrick Gale’s talent as a storyteller is obvious from the very beginning of this book, and his ability to really bring characters and places to life for his readers is something quite magical. And I am really looking forward to reading more of his books and discovering more of his stories.

So, again, thank you to ‘The Book Taster’ for bringing another author into my life that has brought me so much joy.