What a great story with characters I loved. Helen works as an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital. She has been having an affair with one of the doctors there, Giles. They both get called to a home with a naked, mute man named William who hasn’t left his house in 20 years. We come to know his story and learn of his art talent. It is a beautiful, layered. Well written story. It’s a bit slow but if you’re patient , it all pays off. The story takes place in 1964 and goes back through Willams life in the 1930s and 1940s to reveal so many secrets. I loved this and will be thinking about it for a long time. I will definitely be diving into this authors backlist.

thanks to netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for a review!

this was a compelling and interesting literary historical fiction, which is usually not what i gravitate toward picking up. i was pleasantly surprised by how much i became invested in the characters and was rooting for them to figure out all the family drama they were dealing with. this was slow-going at first, but as soon as you start to get the flashbacks from William's POV, it picks up!

Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers is a beautiful exploration of human fragility and the relationships that connect us. Chambers does a great job of bringing 1930s-60s England to life through Helen's eyes and William's backstory. The characters felt realistically flawed and authentic. The pacing felt a bit slow in places but it was well worth the read! 4.25/5

I was really excited about this one, since it had such good reviews and the premise was fascinating. However, I was a bit let down after the veryyyy slow start that the big reveal didn't feel like it paid off enough since the character relationships were underdeveloped at that point. Wish there was more depth and emotional connections shown between Helen and William, rather than him liking art and her being an art teacher being the only reason why he ultimately trusted her.

Shy Creatures is a quiet story with a lot to say and consider. The best kind of historical fiction, where you're deeply immersed in the perspective of your characters.

We open in 1964, in an English hospital where Helen works. A man in his 30s comes in, having been brought from the home he hasn't left in nearly 20 years. He is mute and was living with his aunts who have since died. Helen works with him and unravels his story, slowly but surely.

This is a gorgeously written, contemplative story. Some readers will find it slow but I loved the way that Chambers fully fleshed out the characters, delving into Helen's story. The reader is slowly brought into understanding, similar to our characters, and I loved the way that Chambers played with that. I will be thinking about this story for many weeks to come.

Shy Creatures is one that took me a bit to feel invested but at some point my interest changed and I’m glad I stuck with it!

This book started pretty slow for me with the author laying the groundwork for the plot. I did struggle a bit to feel interested but after William and Helen’s paths crossed I felt more invested. I do think this was because I wasn’t in the right mood for this type of book because I did end up really enjoying it! As more layers in the story were revealed I found myself more and more engaged.

The author is a good writer and I enjoyed the storytelling. It was also interesting to hear that this story was inspired by a true story in the afterword! I liked that a lot of the characters were flawed and the ending was very sweet.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

In 1964 Helen Hansford is an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital where she is having an affair with a married doctor (also at the same hospital). A mute man in his 30's (who has been hidden away by his aunts) is discovered and comes out of his shell with the help of Helen. Additionally Helen's niece also is admitted to the same hospital. It is an interesting and tangled web.

This book is based on a bit of historical situation that the narrator includes as part of the Authors Note.

I really enjoyed Shy Creatures.

Strange ... badgers were mentioned in the book and there is one on the cover. It made me wonder if badgers were where I lived (SE Michigan). While shopping for Christmas cards in the CVS and in the queue, a man in front of me needed help reproducing a photo ... a photo of a badger that his friend had captured a picture of with his trail camera. Yep ... they are shy creatures in the neighborhood.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for approving my request to read the advance review copy of Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers in exchange for an honest review. Approx 400 pages, publication date Nov 2024.

This book is amazing! The plot is engaging, the characters are compelling, and the writing is beautiful. I tend not to picture things when I read, even if I really like the book, but this was one of the few novels that has had me completely immersed in a world within my head. I could picture the hospital and all the character so clearly, which is a testament to Chambers’ skillful writing.

Wonderfully odd and unkempt. Chambers deftly weaves together the stories of Helen and William, and manages to create nuanced characters with empathy. I like that none of the characters are strictly likable, but you relate to them and feel sorry for them nonetheless. Literary fiction at its finest.

I was attracted by the description of this book featuring a man who had lived for years in isolation with an old aunt as his only company. Gave me Grey Gardens vibes, which unfortunately did not translate into an enjoyable read for me. There’s nothing wrong here - lovely writing, interesting characters - but I found the plot meandering and I couldn’t pay attention. This is one of those books I will likely pick up again at another time when my life is less busy so I can give it the attention it deserves. For now, not for me.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers. It starts in England in 1964. Helen is an art therapist and works at a psychiatric hospital. An unusual patient is brought in, he is discovered in a house that he has not left since he was a teenager (he is now 37); he’s mute and has hair and a beard that look like they have never been cut. He lived with his very eccentric aunts, but they have all died, and he’s on his own. Helen works with him, and we slowly learn about his history, and the tragedy that happened when he was a child, and how that impacted his whole life. There is also a lot about Helen and her life. This is a tragic story, but also shows there is goodness in people. I really liked this story, knew nothing about it beforehand so it was a nice surprise. And it’s based on a true story! #shycreatures #clarechambers #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #lovetoread #readersofinstagram #readallday

4.5 stars. Absolutely captivating. This was my first Clare Chambers book, but it will not be my last.

I cared deeply for Helen's and William's stories, along with those in the circles around them. I adore stories set in the 50s-70s when the most technologically advanced devices a person has are a car and a landline. Chambers wove her story skillfully, and I was gripped with curiosity from one chapter to the next. Ultimately, this was a very hopeful book and was a refreshing read. Chambers achieved her goal admirably.

Enjoyed this novel. The subject matter is not light and cozy, but neither is it too overwhelming. The story is handled very well and the characters are written in an easily digestible way. Made for a relaxing read despite the subject matter.

I featured this book in a new release video prior to publication and was very excited to read this! It's giving mess lol but also wholesome!! Will update when final review posts, but I'm expecting 5 stars!

Wow. I feel a bit side swiped by how much I enjoyed this book. A slow paced yet gorgeously detailed story about a young woman teaching art therapy at mental health facility and one of the patients, a man named William who has been a recluse for decades. As the two work together mysteries become unraveled, pasts are revealed, and both grow in amazing ways. With captivating side characters and plenty of emotion, Shy Creatures captured my heart. I loved the character development here and how many layers there were to William in particular. A beautifully written book, I loved it.

Chambers has crafted a lovely and quiet book about an art teacher who becomes intrigued with a man who was kept hidden from public view by his aunts . Found nearly naked, William sported waist-length hair and a long beard, and refused to speak. When Helen, our main character, discovers some drawings he made while sequestered, she attempts to help him find a way to reconnect with society . . . even if it means confronting a painful past.

This was a slow burning, but fascinating read. The characters were well developed, and I adored the ending.

In the author's afterward, we learn that the character of William was based on the true story of a man who was found living as a recluse in 1952.

Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers is a sharp, tender, and subtle take on introversion, personal growth, and unexpected connections. In 1964, an art therapist named Helen is having an affair with a married doctor she works with at a psychiatric hospital. They admit a new patient, a man who has been living in his aunt's house for decades without venturing out into the world. When Helen discovers that this patient is a talented artist, she becomes heavily invested in finding a way to help him -- and maybe in the process, helping herself as well.

This book was a beautiful example of Clare Chambers talent and I look forward to reading more of her work!

Beautifully written! This novel had me at the first chapter, and that was even before the central focus of the book was introduced. The story begins with a young woman in England who works as an art therapist at a mental hospital. Her story of having an affair with one of the doctors at the mental hospital was a great story all by itself. But then, a surprise character is introduced, as a young man is found living in a dilapidated house with no exposure to the outside world. This character, William, has his own remarkable story running parallel with the story already going.

I loved Clare Chambers' writing, and I'll look forward to reading more of her work! Highly recommended.

<i>Shy Creatures</i> was one of those reads that I went into completely blind, not even remembering the description, and it managed to completely absorb me basically from page 1. It tells the story of Helen who works at a mental hospital in the 1960s, providing art therapy for its patients. She's also having an affair with one of the psychiatrists that is clearly going nowhere, though she refuses to acknowledge that. Her life gets all the more complicated when police find a 37-year old unkempt mute man that has been sequestered away in his old aunt's home for the last decades.

William, said man, is (as I learned from the euthor's note) based on a true story. His story was mesmerizing and heartbreaking, and the later reveals pack a punch. I could barely put the book down because I wanted to know what happened to him. Helen is a complex and intriguing character as well. She struggles both with expectations set by society and her demanding mother and understanding what her relationship with her colleague actually is and will never be.

I thought the story was expertedly told and paced, though I also found the ending almost a little too sweet and perfect for my liking. Some of the subjects that come up are also almost glossed over when I would have loved for the author to dig just a little deeper. Still, a great historical literary fiction based on true events, set during a time period that saw a lot of changes in the way mental illnesses were seen and treated and thus definitely a recommendation.

I really enjoyed this book - a very unique story with memorable characters that will stay with me (William & Marion especially). Lots of tough/dark themes, but it remains light and hopeful. Would recommend! (But would also recommend looking up trigger warnings if needed.)


Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.