Clare Ashton

Lucy is haunted by the death of her partner, Jake, and lives in paranoid fear and reclusion. She lives in a small, introverted village in Cornwall called Pennance, and is surrounded by Jake's family and memories of him. She feels intensely guilty about his death and thinks someone is out to get her in retribution.

Pennance

Renee

Yeah, this one will take a couple more reads for me to digest fully. 

Post-read first impression Ee-rie! This story is a cross between Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt (minus the traveling) and a (view spoiler)[evil kid movie (hide spoiler)]. I can’t say which one because I don’t normally do (view spoiler)[evil kid movies (hide spoiler)]. 

With a book like Pennance, I sometimes question whether or not the plot is believable. Could this happen in real life? Sure, accidents happen, people die, fingers are pointed, and survivors sometimes blame themselves—hence the need for penance. In Lucy’s case, her penance comes in the form of self-isolation and forcing herself to live with her phobias and hang ups. Her guilt, if you want to call it that, is misdirected. Her feelings for Jake and the chilling scenes of the accident are coincidental? unrelated? I’m not sure what word(s) fits her scenario. Lucy is a settler by nature, so with her guilt, she lives in purgatory for over a year. During this time she has unpleasant conversations with Margaret (Jake’s mom), hates the constant pity she receives from the residents of Pennance, and suffers harassment from Tom Riley who is in his own state of suffering (with a helping hand from Margaret). 

A year and a half later, in glides Karen Trevithik who, according to Lucy, is “confident, elegant,” and “comfortable with herself.” However, Karen, who is a mystery to Lucy and us as readers, is also living her own form of purgatory (failed marriage, the target of town gossip, etc.). Lucy bonds immediately with Karen’s three-year-old son, George, but not so much with Karen’s preteen daughter, Sophia. That little...girl. (Word meanings crop up here and there in Pennance; therefore, it’s interesting how Ms. Ashton contrasts the meaning of the name Sophia with Sophia the actual character.) 

The chemistry between Lucy and Karen doesn’t leap off the pages, but it's there. The beginning of their relationship is reminiscent of the phrase “misery loves company.” In Lucy and Karen’s case, their miseries grow into an intimate bond made of hope, absolution, and possible happiness. There is also a sense of desperation for Lucy and Karen in that their relationship is seen as being dangerous and reckless based on the town’s perceived status quo. 

On a side note, Ms. Ashton has a talent for creating and bending the setting to her will. I’m the first to admit I have little patience when it comes to reading the description of a place or scene and skip ahead to the dialogue and action. However, with Pennance, the setting is an integral part of the story, not a separate element. Yeah, there is some telling in the beginning, but phrases such as buildings looked like miserable animals, weak rays of sun, and large dark clouds, which are mentioned throughout the story enhance the drama/conflict and keeps me turning the pages. 

Overall, great story. There’s romance, some angst, and a series of mysterious events that’ll have you asking/guessing who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Carol Bailey

The main character Lucy is struggling with an incredible amount of grief and guilt over the death of her partner Jake in an automobile accident. These emotions tend to manifest as crippling anxiety. Plus for the reader you are never quite sure if she has lost her mind or if she is actually seeing and interacting with Jake’s ghost.

Eventually, we are introduced to the new neighbor “Karen” who is dealing with her own issues but the two women begin to form a friendship that strengthens both women, emotionally.

Initially, when I started reading the story I found the flow a little confusing. I suspect it was related to my getting hung up on the ghostly portion of the story and trying to figure out what was “real”. However, I quickly found myself adjusting to the style and relaxing into the actual characters and their development. There is also a healthy mix of mystery/danger throughout to keep the reader intrigued.

This was a very good book, a bit quirky and I’m hoping to see more from this author, self published or otherwise.

Pennance

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