A bittersweet story depicting the impact trauma experienced by the parent can have on the life of the child. A child born out of violence and raised by his maternal grandmother struggles with school and forming emotional connections. The one exception is the girl across the road who grew up without a father and unconsciously looks to fill that void. The story goes back and forth between her tale and his as they are each led into and out of relationships that are unhealthy and in their own right traumatic.
I appreciated the strong sense of time and place. There is a sense of emotional distance from the characters that felt like a reflection of their inner reality and provided an authentic window into their experience. The sadness and sense of how lost these two people were as a result of their personal legacies was palpable. The story reflects their misguided attempts to find emotional connection and a sense of self and identity. That their stories ultimately come full circle in the process of their individual self discovery made the journey with them gratifying.
Rachel Prendergast,ATR, LCPC
Illinois,USA
A second book by Gillian Fernandez Morton, a historical novel set in post-war Portsmouth. Family secrets, difficult relationships, missing parts in personal histories and their impact on one's life, one's story. Following the her first novel, Bombweed, Kissed to Death is yet another confirmation of Gill's gift to create and build fluid story. Engaging, intriguing, observant, written by a fantastic author, whose workshops and presentations we had the privilege and honour to assist during various international conferences in Portugal.
Adriana Jurczyk Duarteconferences@moonluza.pt www.moonluza.pt
Kenny and Gemma grow up childhood friends on opposite sides of the street, in the shadow of WW2 and untold secrets about their family origins. Morton brilliantly captures the little anxieties and pleasures of childhood: the first day at school, taking part in the local town fancy-dress parade, shy friendships. As the two grow up, they both become embroiled in coercive relationships, isolating them from their families and from one another. Woven through the narrative are fairy stories and fables which speak to ambiguous relationships of power, seduction and control that we cannot always fully understand or articulate to ourselves. While some elements of the plot could have been developed further, I found this a gripping read and particularly vivid in its portrayal of childhood friendship.
Jennifer Wallace
