My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Peter Maughan, a writer from the UK, contacted me and asked me to read and then review his book –which I agreed to do. Once I started reading the book I found that it moved quite slowly…like the lazy river where the book takes place. However once I really gave it the opportunity to shine by spending time reading…it became engrossing rather than plodding. Peter has the gift of description and often it is poetic…lyrical.
The book takes place on the river banks near the border of England and Wales. The written images made me feel as if I was there right alongside “Sir Humphry”- an American who had inherited an estate on this property. On his riverbank were a number of houseboats inhabited by characters, who, if nothing else loved each other in a communal sense.
“Humph” (as he liked to be called) settled in while assessing the manor house which he and his cohorts in the U.S. were planning on transforming into a hotel --which sadly meant the displacement of his river friends.
What ensues is at times hilarious and at times unbelievable and at other times, sad as Humph had to face some delusions about himself and his family. We get to watch him “grow up” and to see the development of his character as he is burdened with the responsibility of deciding the future of his friends on the river.
I fully enjoyed this book. I gave it four stars on Goodreads because of the slow beginning….which really was probably necessary in order to explain the backdrop of the story that ensued as well as to flesh out the characters.
If you want an education in Welsh/English culture this book is a treasure trove. All in all I recommend it to anyone who is hungering for a good read.
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