Good Reads / Community Library Notes
The Unforgotten
Laura Powell
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Unforgotten
Laura Powell
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Unforgotten, by Laura Powell, is about fifteen year-old Betty and her best friend, Mary, who live in a small village on the Cornwall coast of England in 1956. Betty lives with her mother in their boarding house, the Hotel Eden, and does most of the chores. She cooks breakfasts, cleans up, peels the potatoes, and snaps peas for their guest's dinners. They have several journalists staying with them.
Two women, both blonds, have been murdered, their bodies found on the beach. When the reporters come to the village, Betty meets and becomes friends with Mr. Gallagher. They are attracted to one another, even though he’s much older. Betty’s mother is too drunk most of the time to notice. Author Powell is a young writer who has worked at British newspapers and describes their procedures well in this, her first novel.
Betty and Mr. Gallagher drive to a tearoom in a neighboring village. In the car, they kiss once, twice. Betty learns how to do it gently. Fifty years later, Mary goes to visit Mr. Gallagher in a nursing home. She has seen a “mug shot” of the “Cornish Cleaver” and has been wondering if she did the right thing many years ago. We readers don’t know yet what she did in 1956, Did she blame the wrong person? Mr. Forbes, the local butcher, is arrested as the killer of the young women. Betty’s mother has been in love with Mr. Forbes and is devastated when he leaves her. Betty doesn’t believe in his guilt.
Many years later, Mary marries Jerry, a kind man, and gives birth to a daughter, Cath. Life appears to be normal. Author Powell gives us many suspects, as Agatha Christie has done. But this time the narrator is a teen-ager filled with anxiety and boldness., Years later, she visits Mr. Gallagher in hospital after he’s had a heart attack. He is telling his life story to his adult son, Simon. He recognizes her as his true love, Betty, from many years ago.
The novel is written from fifteen year-old Betty’s point of view, and again as her sixty year-old self. Author Powell makes us feel, think, and tremble at the same time. Find this stunning debut novel on the new mystery shelf of your Mendocino Community Library.
Two women, both blonds, have been murdered, their bodies found on the beach. When the reporters come to the village, Betty meets and becomes friends with Mr. Gallagher. They are attracted to one another, even though he’s much older. Betty’s mother is too drunk most of the time to notice. Author Powell is a young writer who has worked at British newspapers and describes their procedures well in this, her first novel.
Betty and Mr. Gallagher drive to a tearoom in a neighboring village. In the car, they kiss once, twice. Betty learns how to do it gently. Fifty years later, Mary goes to visit Mr. Gallagher in a nursing home. She has seen a “mug shot” of the “Cornish Cleaver” and has been wondering if she did the right thing many years ago. We readers don’t know yet what she did in 1956, Did she blame the wrong person? Mr. Forbes, the local butcher, is arrested as the killer of the young women. Betty’s mother has been in love with Mr. Forbes and is devastated when he leaves her. Betty doesn’t believe in his guilt.
Many years later, Mary marries Jerry, a kind man, and gives birth to a daughter, Cath. Life appears to be normal. Author Powell gives us many suspects, as Agatha Christie has done. But this time the narrator is a teen-ager filled with anxiety and boldness., Years later, she visits Mr. Gallagher in hospital after he’s had a heart attack. He is telling his life story to his adult son, Simon. He recognizes her as his true love, Betty, from many years ago.
The novel is written from fifteen year-old Betty’s point of view, and again as her sixty year-old self. Author Powell makes us feel, think, and tremble at the same time. Find this stunning debut novel on the new mystery shelf of your Mendocino Community Library.