Reviewed by Cesca Major
Sitting
on an East Coast train to Edinburgh surreptitiously trying to wipe the tears
away, and failing. I have just closed the final pages of Charity Norman's
latest book The Son-in-Law and am a mess. An excellent tag line to begin with
had my interest piqued – can you forgive the unforgivable? The story put simply
was this: Joseph Scott has just got out of prison for killing his wife. His
three children don't want to see him again, his parents-in-law will do anything
to protect them. So starts this gripping read.
The novel
was a clever mix of the same events from different perspectives. Joseph, our
anti-hero is a sympathetic character and we are rightly curious about the kind
of 'man behind the murderer' label. His parents-in-law Hannah and Freddie are
polar opposites. Hannah, who struggles to show affection, was a terrifying
prospect for any son-in-law and was rightly struggling to move on from the
death of her daughter. Freddie was the most delicious character – a man
fascinated by the small details, touched by the commonplace, warm spirited, an
absolute gentleman. The changes that his character undergo are profoundly
moving and I loved this strand of the book. Joseph's dealings with his children
– Scarlet, Theo and Ben are realistically drawn. Four year old Ben in
particular is a lovely addition to the novel. A boy who has only known his
grandmother as mother-figure has some wonderful moments of dialogue. It's
heart-in-the-mouth stuff.
I enjoyed
Charity Norman's last book After the Fall but, for me, The Son-in-Law has
the edge. The premise is fascinating and the writing is as fluid and easy to
read as you'd expect. What sets this book apart is the strength of the
characters. Each individual is depicted with due attention and we can emphasise
with a range of points of view. I found each voice distinctive and, as I
alluded to at the start, became hugely invested in their separate stories.
An
excellent read from Charity Norman – I'd definitely recommend it.
9/10
Charity Norman's Website