Keeping Faith – Jodi Picoult

This is the second of Picoult’s novels that I’ve read in about as many weeks and I have to admit that I skim read most of it. I enjoyed the overall romantic and legal aspects of the novel however the religious element bored me – it was just too much.

Faith is a young girl that lives with both her parents, her mother Mariah is a previously clinically depressed and suicidal woman and her father Colin is an adulterer. Faith’s world is tipped upside down when she walks in on her father showering with another woman, of course as a little girl she doesn’t understand the ramifications of this, just that it makes her mother sad.

Next we know Faith has an imaginary friend, a friend that can heal, a friend that is a woman, a friend who is called God. Is she mad? Is she making it up? Is her mother putting thoughts into her head so that she can achieve fame? Or is she just a sad little girl?

Cue Ian Fletcher, the man to blow the lies out the water and prove that God isn’t real, or so he intends. Fletcher is hiding a family secret and when Faith begins to perform miracles he wonders if one can be saved for his family.

Fletcher is presented as a hound, a journalist with no morals but when it comes to his family he will do anything to help, with Faith proving that God may well just be real Fletcher allows himself to open to Mariah and soon they are romantically involved. As Colin fights for the custody he originally relinquished Fletcher becomes the ally no one expected.

It a responsible story but it’s not one I’d intend on reading again so this one will be destined for the charity shop.

Apple Tree Yard – Louise Doughty

It’s been a while, I feel like books are starting to take me a little longer to read due to work and the fact I can drive. This may sound random but I have only been driving for two months and prior to this I could read on the bus. That means for up to an hour a day (sometimes more) I was getting the opportunity to jump out of my life and into someone else’s.

My mum sold this book as ‘could not put down’ she literally wanted to finish it in about two days. However, I have to say, and this is down to different tastes (although we do share A LOT of books), that I do not agree. I am not saying it was bad as that would be unfair but I certainly wasn’t chomping at the bit for my lunch break, or bath(!) to read further.

Anyway ‘Apple Tree Yard’ is a cryptic book which leaves you to make your own assumptions about the second protagonist for about two thirds of the tale. He is for the most part, an unnamed entity. The novel features a geneticist called Yvonne who indulges in an extra marital affair – something she has never considered before.

Whilst as the reader I did not dislike her husband and I didn’t have particularly strong feelings towards her lover the way in which Yvonne goes about starting the affair seems almost farcical. Upon meeting the gentlemen in question, and I use that word lightly, she has sex with him. This alone would make a rather boring novel however, her ‘friend’ is cryptic. Yvonne thinks he is a spook – but is he?

When Yvonne’s life takes a turn for the worse and she finds herself in a dangerous position the two of them find themselves in court. It is then the novel draws your attention. You learn that Yvonne’s mysterious friend is not what she expected and she ends up feeling cheated. Ironic hey?

Although I wasn’t amazed by the story it wasn’t horrendous. I would recommend it as a read, especially as my mum found it so enthralling (to me that means that many others would!).

We got it from our local library but if you would like to buy it you can find it here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-Tree-Yard-Louise-Doughty/dp/0571278647/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396712228&sr=8-1&keywords=apple+tree+yard