‘Pretty much everyone at some point, it seemed, swam the wrong way up some uncharted river, and had to rely on luck, on strangers, or family, to help them find their way back.’

I’m torn between 3 and 4 stars for this one – maybe I’ll decide by the end of the review….

This is certainly a well-written novel about families, secrets and is also a very modern look at the family unit, with the 2 main clans of the Wolds and the Nolans linked by previous marriages. So, there are lots of half-brothers and sisters which got a little confusing at times (I found myself drawing family trees so that I could keep a track of who was who!). The metaphor right from the start, with Alex wading into the Thames to try to rescue a whale, is one that hangs over the whole book. It is a novel about finding your place in the world, about getting lost and needing help to make it back, about keeping quiet and suffering or about opening up and sharing. As it moves back and forward in time, starting with a funeral and taking in a paragliding accident and car crashes, we gradually learn to understand what it is about these characters and families that is tearing them apart: Alex, the financier having a crisis of confidence; Matthew the eco-warrior; Emily, the journalist who has lost her job in dubious circumstances; Caitlin and her brother Sean, and half-brother Jamie who all have strained relationship.

The book deals with some weighty issues as the stories unravel: suicide and mental illness; pregnancy and abortion; domestic physical abuse. There are secrets and lies, and there are family tragedies to be unfolded. Where I feel the book was let down, and why I hover betwixt and between, is the way it is finished. The last section, only about 10 pages or so, tries too hard to tie everything up too neatly. It feels rushed and a little awkward, and whilst I appreciate that we can’t all wallow in suffering and despair, this ‘happy’ ending (heavily qualified by the tragedies which have preceded this) just felt too easy.

But, I would certainly recommend the book. It is well-written, and the sense of place is central to the characters and their sense of belonging. So, I’m going to cop-out and give it 3.5 stars; as much as I enjoyed it and admired the writing, it could have been so much more, especially at the end.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.)