Author: Glenna Thomson
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Genre: General Fiction
Year of Release: 2018
Release Date: 2nd January 2018
Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
TW Death of a child, Domestic Violence
Synopsis
Stella and her mother-in-law Margie are two very different women.
Stella is kind, compassionate and just a little chaotic. Margie is prickly, demanding and a stickler for convention. Stella has exciting dreams for the future. Margie has only bitter memories of the past. When Margie needs help recovering from a major operation, Stella offers her a place to stay. With no other options, Margie returns to the family farm where for decades, until Stella’s arrival, she was the one in charge.
Margie has never made life easy for her daughter-in-law, and that’s not going to change now she’s been made a guest in her former home.
But as the dry summer turns to a beautiful autumn, the two women gradually form an unlikely bond, as the ambitions, secrets, and tragedies that have shaped their lives are slowly uncovered…
Review
Margie Ballentine is celebrating her 80th birthday in hospital after a serious fall that resulted in her needing a hip replacement, her family are on their way and Margie doesn’t feel like celebrating. Margie knows her family has other priorities throughout the day that don’t include her; however, given that her body isn’t firing on all cylinders she has no choice but to grin and bare them, she must wait for visiting hours to begin.
Stella is a farmer’s wife and mother trying to keep all those hats in the air whilst at the same time trying to bring a play she has written to life with her local theatre group; when it becomes clear to Stella that Margie is in need of assistance. Stella offers Margie a temporary room on the farm until she regains her independence, even though she’s got plenty going on right now she’ll make an effort for her Mother-in-law even if Stella isn’t exactly sure how this offer will be received. Will she be able to assist the women who hasn’t exactly rolled out the red carpet for her over the years, will they become friends like Stella has hoped for all these years or will being this close push the women further apart?
Margie isn’t improving as fast as she hoped she would but given recent events she knows she has no choice but to take Stella up on her offer, she must return to Maryhill the place she was once matriarch. Margie has no desire to take a walk back down memory lane, but she must ask herself “doesn’t time have a way of healing old wounds”?
One of the most interesting things about this book was that the characters didn’t follow the similar path like some other books in the same genre, both Stella and Margie didn’t see each other nor the world around them through rose coloured glasses. I think Glenna Thomson has taken a brave step in moving away from the traditional mother and son relationship, there’s nothing wrong with sons being close to their mother’s, but it was a nice change.
The promise of a developing female friendship is what convinced me to pick up this book.
There is so much that works in favour with Stella and Margie it’s hard to find fault, but I think the Authors skilled writing allows the reader to watch a relationship go from strained acquaintances to valued friend is certainly worth mentioning.
Having now finished this book I am at a loss as to why the author mentions Margie’s daughter when the author seldom puts the character to use within the story making this character feel somewhat underdeveloped.
It’s clear Glenna Thomson has taken the time to create three dimensional characters that are willing to showcase their happiness, flaws, fears, and mistakes but at the same time be likeable to the reader was just one of the elements that made this book such a highlight for this reviewer.
Even though I enjoyed both women I found myself connecting more strongly with Margie, she was a strong independent woman, some reader’s may not like her prickly exterior but as the book progresses you soon realise life has left Margie Ballentine with bruises and you understand why she is the way she is.
A heart-warming read that could pull you out of a reading slump.
- Exposure of family secrets
- Former love interest returning
- Getting to know you
- Forming and unlikely friendship
- Enemies to friends
- Women supporting Women
- Stuck together
- True Colours exposed
These are just some of the tropes included within this novel, but the reason Stella and Margie receives a five-star rating for me is the relationship between Margie and Stella is what kept me turning the pages, watching this take shape as the book progressed was infuriating at times and touching at different times.
Stella and Margie was certainly a book I asked myself do I really want to finish just yet? Having now read till the end I must say it ended as it should have done.
I was happy for the Ballentine family once I reached the final chapter. I recommend this book to a mature audience if you like books surrounding female friendship, relatable life moments Stella and Margie is defiantly worth a read.